"We are Charlie": Scenes from the ongoing vigil and memorial for Charlie Kirk at TPUSA headquarters in Phoenix

On Sunday afternoon I went to the ongoing vigil and memorial for Charlie Kirk at the Turning Point USA headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona. I donned my most patriotic outfit and set out to see how folks in Arizona were mourning Kirk.

There were hundreds of people there, and I think it's been pretty steady over the last few days — a friend went earlier Sunday morning and reported similar crowds. I saw families, people of all ages, and a fairly diverse group of folks represented. Most were wearing MAGA gear, or were otherwise dressed in some iteration of red, white, and blue. Many were carrying flowers as they made their way from the overflow parking lot to the memorial, which spread out across the fences in front of the two main TPUSA buildings.

A man with a giant wooden cross that he had made, who had come all the way from Michigan, had a PA system set up. Speaking into the microphone so everyone could hear, he shared his love for Charlie Kirk. He led people in prayer. He said things like, "Just like people remember where they were when John F. Kennedy died, we will remember where we were when Charlie died." And, "The enemy is coming at us." And "We are Charlie." And, "When the baton broke when Charlie died, it shattered into millions of pieces, and we are all picking up our own piece of the baton to carry on Charlie's mission."

Then he played the song "What If I Gave Everything," by a Christian band called "Casting Crowns." Here are some of the lyrics:

"I'm so tired of standing here

What if I gave everything to You

What if I gave everything

What if I stopped holding back from You

Starting now I'm stepping out onto deeper waters

What if I gave everything

What if I stopped holding back from You

Starting now I'm stepping out onto deeper waters

I want to see some mountains move

Ready to give everything

Say goodbye to standing here"

The man with the giant wooden cross said that this song should now be known as an "anthem for Charlie," because, as he explained, "Charlie gave everything." Later, the man with the giant cross asked everyone in the audience to hold each other's hands and sing along to Alan Jackson's version of "Amazing Grace," which he played over his PA system. So we did. I know all the words, and I sang softly with the rest of the crowd. The man who grabbed my hand was incredibly friendly, and he seemed very moved.

I saw people hugging, and crying, but mostly, people were there listening to the speakers, and observing all of the cards, notes, flowers, signs, posters, flags, balloons, and gifts that mourners left for Charlie. Some also bought Kirk merch, including posters that said "Fearless Patriot, Rest in Peace Charlie Kirk, Christian Conservative Family Man," and "Arizona for Trump, Save America" t-shirts that some enterprising person was selling for the low price of seven dollars each. I listened a bit, and took lots of photos of the things I saw, before I got way too hot (the high today was 99 degrees) and decided I wanted to go home. I'm posting some of the photos I took so you can see them too.