U.S. Rep. Barry Moore is one of 16 Republicans signing on to a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson requesting a statue of the slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk be installed inside the U.S. Capitol.
The letter, posted to the X account of GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, also blames “hateful rhetoric from the left” for creating a toxic environment that led to Kirk’s Wednesday afternoon assassination in Utah.
Moore, who is running for the U.S. Senate next year, is a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. He was the only Alabama member of Congress to sign onto the letter.
In the days since the shooting, Moore posted on X to say that he and his wife, Heather, are “heartbroken” about Kirk’s death.
His post also said that Kirk’s “unwavering voice for the values” should “unite us — faith, family, and freedom.” He said that Kirk “inspired countless Americans to stand strong in the fight for our nation’s future.”
Moore also called for prayer.
Kirk, 31, was the co-founder of Turning Point USA and was an influential voice in President Donald Trump’s administration. He was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University, a school south of Salt Lake City.
Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested Friday in connection to the killing. Robinson’s arrest ended a multiday manhunt among local, state and federal authorities for Kirk’s killer.
Pointed blame
The letter requesting Kirk’s statue at the Capitol takes a more pointed stance, casting blame on left-leaning ideology and politics.
“While responsibility for violence rests with the perpetrator, we must confront the broad cultural intolerance that enabled such a tragedy,” the letter reads.
“Hateful rhetoric from the Left has created a toxic environment where one side finds it acceptable to stoke fear and violence to silence civil dissent. We must be clear: They are the hate they claim to fight. Their words caused this. Their hate caused this.”
Luna, since Wednesday, has unloaded on social media, blaming liberals and the “corrupt media” for Kirk’s assassination. She also shouted, “Y’all caused this” while in the House.
The congresswoman took to X to respond to the incident, writing: “I am done with the rhetoric this rotten House and corrupt media has caused. EVERY DAMN ONE OF YOU WHO CALLED US FASCISTS DID THIS.”
She continued: “You were too busy doping up kids, cutting off their genitals, inciting racial violence by supporting orgs that exploit minorities, protecting criminals, and stirring hate.”
“YOU ARE THE HATE you claim to fight. Your words caused this. Your hate caused this,” she said.
Statue
It’s unclear whether Kirk will be honored with a statue at the U.S. Capitol.
The Capitol is home to hundreds of works of art including statues and busts. The National Statuary Hall Collection, created in 1864, contains two statues from each state, and it’s run by the Joint Committee on the Library (JCL).
In some cases, Congress has chosen to commission or purchase artwork to commemorate an event or the importance of an individual to the United States, according to a Sept. 7, 2022, Congressional Research Service’s report.
The report noted that Congress between 2005 and 2006 authorized the JCL to commission a statue of Rosa Parks for placement in the Capitol. It was installed and dedicated in 2013.
John Sharp
al.com
(TNS)
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