September 11, 2025 • 34 mins
Heidi Ganahl is in for Dan, and joined by several young people who has close personal and working relationships with Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk (1993-2025), who was assassinated on the campus of Utah Valley University on Wednesday.
Laci Williams, NIH Director of Strategic Communicastions
Charlotte Shafer, founder of Turning Point at Valor Christian High School
Norton Rainey, President of ACE Scholarships
Ashley Meyer, member of Turning Point at UC Boulder
Laci Williams, NIH Director of Strategic Communicastions
Charlotte Shafer, founder of Turning Point at Valor Christian High School
Norton Rainey, President of ACE Scholarships
Ashley Meyer, member of Turning Point at UC Boulder
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Dan Capless and welcome to today's online podcast
edition of The Dan Caplis Show. Please be sure to
give us a five star rating if you'd be so kind,
and to subscribe, download and listen to the show every
single day on your favorite podcast platform.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Hello everyone, it's Heidi Ganal filling in for Dan Kaples,
and we've been telling stories and talking to friends and
fans of Charlie Kirk, who is such a warrior for
our country, for our founding principles, and for his faith.
And I have a couple more incredible people to talk
to in this segment. First, let's go to the line
(00:36):
Ryan and talk to Lacey Williams, who's a dear friend
was on our Rocky Mountain Voice team is now out
in DC. Lacey, welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Hi, Heidi, how are you well.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
I think we're all having a pretty tough time this
last twenty four hours. And Lacey, you know Charlie so well.
You've been on the front lines with him for a
long time. Tell us a little bit about how you're
feeling and what lessons you learned, how you're like, what
you're thinking right now.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
This feels like a bad dream that I need to
wake up from I mean, Charlie has been I mean
he was the most gritty, selfless, passionate, intelligent, warm, funny, inviting,
and God fearing autodidect I've ever had the pleasure of
knowing he was a true gift from God. And I
(01:26):
think I've gone through my stages of grief in the
past twenty four hours. At first, I was just a puddle.
I actually was in with my current boss, Jay Badataria,
and we found out at the same except time from
the White House.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
And we just we've been so shocked.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
This feels like an attack on our entire nation. This
is the stuff of communist countries. Heidi, imagine that your
ideas are so bad that you want to kill the
person that encourages you to critically think and question your
belief This is a blatant disregard for human life. It extends,
and it's not just about guns. This goes all the
way from abortion to guns to knives, throughout the multiple
(02:10):
different levels of disrespect for human life. Pathetic and this
should be a turning point for the nation.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
I mean, Lacy, tell us a little bit about when
you started with Charlie, and you know how you came
to work at Turning Point. I've known you for a
long time, so I know the story, but share it
with others.
Speaker 5 (02:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
So basically, I was going to school at university in
Northern Colorado before I ended up transferring to see you Denver.
I went to a conference that was advertised for Ben
Shapiro and that was like the hot new thing him
and Tommy Larren and I came to a conference for
the first time and I suddenly was put in front
(02:48):
of this person who gave a speech. His name was
Charlie Kirk, and nobody really know who he was. He
had new balanced kind of shoes and just khaki pants
and just just shoveled hair. And the first time I
saw him speak, I mean I was so lost before this,
and everything he said pulled things into focus for me.
The first time I really met him was on a
(03:09):
beach in southern California. And the person that you see
on camera on TikTok on Facebook, on reels, that is
exactly the same person that I will witness every day
when I worked for Turning Point USA. He expected the
most of people and he made sure that you delivered.
He's truly he was truly in all hands at deck
(03:32):
type of guy, and I'm devastated.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Thanks Lacey, and we're so proud of you. You're now
director of Strategic Communications at the National Institute of Health.
We missed you on the Rocky Mountain Voice team, but
we're so happy that you're in such an important role
and grateful that you are a part of the conversation
at that level. So we wish you all the best,
and we're so proud of all the work that you
do and keep killing it out there. Lazy, thanks so much.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
It takes the village. This is our let's carry the torch.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Thanks Lacey. A men to that, we will, Tory says,
Hi too, all right to that was lazy. You know,
there's so many young people that have been affected by
Charlie and it's been such a journey to watch him
evolve into this incredible leader who's going to take his mantle.
Do you have any thoughts on that?
Speaker 6 (04:22):
I was actually on the break looking at Instagram, which
I've been trying to keep myself from doing the last
twenty four hours because it's really truly not a good
place for me to be right now. But there are
so many beautiful tributes and one that I did see
was Isabelle Brown. And if you don't know who Isabelle
Brown is, She's also from Colorado. She's got a huge
platform now, millions of people follow her. She just started
a new show with Daily Wire and she's one of
(04:44):
the original Turning Point kids too. She launched her Turning
Point chapter up at CSU and you know, she said,
there isn't one person, but the best thing that we
can do right now is use the microphone in front
of us, every single one of us. Charlie built this
army of believers and patriots and people that believe in
this movement. And I will say yesterday I sat down
(05:08):
to record my Mountain Minute and it was one of
the hardest things I've ever done. But I knew that
Charlie wouldn't want me to be anywhere else but in
front of that mic, sharing the truth and spreading spreading
the movement and spreading the Spreading the truth is all
I can say. I mean, as many people that can
sit in front of a mic and spread the truth
and and tell others about Turning Point and everything that
(05:29):
he's done, the better. I truly don't know if there
will be anyone to replace Charlie. But I guess we'll
find out. If millions of people hit the mic, maybe
one of them will rise to the occasion.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Yeah, and it feels like Charlie took the mantle from
Rush Limbaugh. And uh, it just feels like such a
gaping hole right now. But I heard a friend, Victor Marx,
who has a big following. I had lunch with him
today and he was telling me that, you know, it's
not going to be one voice that fills Charlie's that
(05:59):
the gap from Charlie, It'll be a million voices, the
million people at least that he taught how to articulate
their values and their principles. You know, Today's another reason
today's a somber day. It's the anniversary of nine to
eleven and you were a wee one when that happened.
What do you remember about that day? Is there anything
that stands out? And how did that impact you?
Speaker 6 (06:20):
I remember it so vividly. I mean I think I
was only six years old, but I was at home
when I was on the track system in school. I
remember waking up and you laying in bed and bawling
your eyes out and watching the TV. And I remember
everything being shut down. We went to a friend's basement
so you guys could watch what was happening and we
could play. And I truly do remember that day feeling
(06:43):
no pun intended like a turning point, and I think
that we're seeing that cycle through again to this moment
where yesterday was another turning point. And I think the
generation gen Z and everyone that maybe didn't witness nine
to eleven just witnessed what happened yesterday. So maybe that
was your generation's turning point, and this is our generation's
turning point.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Very interesting, very interesting. You know, Grammy, my mom, your
grandmother called me when I was driving today and she's like,
please just stop, get out of politics. I can't say
me the same thing last night, my daughter, my granddaughter,
my other granddaughter, like it's so dangerous, and she goes,
I know, this isn't how you guys operate. That you're
going to be brave and bold and be out there,
(07:25):
but I'm scared. How do you feel you're on camera
every day? Are you scared? Are you fearful? How do
you plow through that? Or don't you do you back off?
Speaker 6 (07:36):
I think it's terrifying and I think that's exactly how
they want us to feel, and that's exactly how Charlie
wouldn't want us to feel, right, I think there's some positives.
I was just walking into the building downstairs and there
was a fireman and he said, hey, Toy, and I
was like, I don't know who you are, and he's like,
you know, you don't know me, but I watch your
videos every day and they have an impact on me.
So I hear that more often than I thought I
(07:57):
ever would, and I will. Just that gives me the
courage to keep using my voice and know that I'm
making a difference, and to have it be from a
younger person I think really is impactful, not just to
the younger generation, but to the older generation too.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
We need new voices that will fill the spots.
Speaker 6 (08:15):
Of people that are older than us, and it's my
honor to continue that, and I hope to continue that.
But I'm not going to say it's not scary, it's terrifying.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
So how do we help young people like Reagan Harris,
who's so brave to come on this show and speak.
How do we keep the kids strong and bold but
protect them from the dangers and the evil out there
and we've got about thirty seconds left, So that's a
big question.
Speaker 6 (08:40):
I don't know. I think we take from Charlie's wisdom
and we use our voice and we keep it principled,
and we never lead with hate, and we never lead
with anger, but we always lead with love. And I
think that's exactly what Charlie would have said and what
he would have wanted, and that's how we push forward.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Thanks Tory. That's that's how it should be done. It
feels like the left is becoming more enraged and more
angry and more spiteful. And I know there's some good
people on the left, but good people on the left,
you're being drowned out by the bad people on the left.
And I would suggest that you start to speak up
to and push back on a lot of this craziness
(09:17):
that's being said, and don't be afraid to pray and
to hope that we can come together and you know,
find solutions in the dark. Right now, this is we're
all Americans. We're all Americans, and we all want what's
best for our country. We just have different ideas about
how to get there. So this is Hidi Ganal. I'm
with my daughter Tory Ganall. We'll come back after the
(09:40):
break filling in for Dan Capless and on a very sad,
somber day for many reasons. Thanks. We'll see you in
just a minute.
Speaker 7 (09:49):
And now back to the Dankapless Show podcast.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Hi everyone, it's Heidi Ganal filling in for Dan Caples
today and we've been talking about the anniversary of nine
to eleven. We've been talking about the Evergreen shooting a bit,
and talking about Charlie Kirk, a friend, good friend of
Tory and I Toy's my daughter. Hi Tory, say hello
to everybody.
Speaker 6 (10:09):
Hello, Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Tory's also the voice of Rocky Mountain Voice. She does
the Mountain Minute video podcast every day where you give
a ninety second snapshot of the news. And Rocky Mountain
Voice is our way to fight back against the liberal
media here in Colorado and tell the truth about what's
happening here. And Charlie was certainly an inspiration for that.
I'm watching the TV screen here in the studio and
(10:35):
Jade Vance is escorting Charlie's casket on Air Force two,
and I know this hits home for so many people,
and a lot of young people, and so I asked
various young people to come on the show today, and
I'd like to welcome Charlotte onto the show. Charlotte, Welcome
(10:56):
to the show, and I'd love for you to tell
people how Charlie's impacted your life and a little bit
about your story and what you're up to right now
to honor his legacy at Valor.
Speaker 8 (11:09):
Hi, Heidi, it's so nice to be on the show,
and thank you for having me. I wanted to tell
a little story about when I got to meet Charlie.
So I was in eighth grade and he came to
my school fundraiser, Colorado Christian Academy, and he was so
eloquent in his speech, and he knew exactly how to
(11:29):
encourage a school on fire for the Lord and we
were just getting started, and he knew that exactly. He
had such a heart for the kids and such a
heart for the parents as well, because they were forging
this new path, and Charlie knows a lot about that,
especially with Turning Point and everything he's been doing. And
he was so calm too. There was no violence in
(11:53):
his voice or anything. He was just completely calm with everybody.
And at this moment when I got to meet Charlie,
I had my heart set on being involved in Turning
Point at Valor Christian High School, which is where I
go now. Since then, I've restarted the Turning Point chapter
at Valor and have met so many wonderful students that
(12:15):
want to make America patriotic again. It's such a blessing
to be able to be a part of what Charlie started,
and he made all of this possible. They want all
of the students to be outspoken in their faith and
in their patriotism. He allows them to share their beliefs
without fear of backlash. He's such a warrior for free
(12:36):
speech and Christianity and we must not let that his
passing be in vain. We must keep Charlie's legacy alive
and teach the future generations that it is necessary to
stand true to your beliefs in all situations. He made
such an impact in my family's life and my life,
and knowing that he was such a warrior for Christianity
(12:56):
and such a warrior to be a patriot like that
makes me want to be a Christian and a patriot
even more.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Thank you, Charlotte. You're a brave, brave gal and taking
on leading a chapter at Valor, which is a strong
Christian environment but also part of the Denver metro area
and part of the Colorado ecosystem, where it's very it's
very oh scary to be a conservative sometime. Tell me
(13:24):
how you're feeling. Are you worried, are you afraid to
speak out? Or has this made you more emboldened to
do so.
Speaker 8 (13:31):
I think when I first found out of Charlie's passing
and of his assassination, I think it was terrifying. Like
my entire school was just in shock the entire time,
and I think I'm still in shock. I'm not quite
sure what to do quite yet. But knowing that Charlie's
entire life was purposeful. He had a purpose. He was
(13:54):
going to make the youth of America patriotic again, and
knowing that that was his purpose makes me drive on
to continue that and to continue his legacy.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Charlotte, this is toy.
Speaker 7 (14:08):
Hello.
Speaker 6 (14:08):
I started the very first Turning Point chapter back at
University of Oregon in twenty sixteen, and that was one
of the most divisive times. Trump was running against Hillary
and there was people burning couches. Twenty won and it
was such a hard time to be a conservative, and
Charlie is really awake in this movement for young people
(14:31):
like yourself, and I'm just so proud of you for
standing up and for starting this movement at Valor. What
are you taking from Charlie the most as you push
forward and grow your chapter you've already got. I was
at the opening. There was hundreds of kids in that
room when we first opened the chapter at Valor, and
it was incredible. So what are you most looking to
(14:52):
take away from Charlie as you move forward and continue
his legacy.
Speaker 8 (14:57):
I think the thing that I'm most taking from Charlie's
life and from his legacies that there's a need to
stand on your beliefs. There's a need to stand on
them in college. There's a need to stand on them
when you get your first job. There's a need to
stand on them when you have kids and they still
going to school. I think it's so important to stick
(15:18):
to those values because the devil will try to tear
you down every step of the way. And it's our
goal as Christians to stay rooted in those beliefs and
those beliefs that are in the Bible, and those beliefs
that your parents give you. So, I think that main
message that Charlie gave to all of us is the
most important and the thing we all need to hold
(15:40):
on to.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Yeah, the chapter opening party was super fun with Derek Wolfe,
the previous Bronco, who's very strong in his values and
his faith and he's been punished for that in various capacities.
But Derek's great, He's a warrior, and Danielle Durinsky, who's
another warrior. As you're surrounded by people who aren't rate
of speaking up or aren't shy about their values and
(16:03):
their principles, what do you say to your younger students
at CCA valor at other schools? How do you recommend
they find their strength and their voice.
Speaker 8 (16:18):
I would say the most impactful way to stay firm
in your belief is to surround yourself with people like
Danielle Drinsky, and like Derek Wolfe, and like yourself, Heidi,
and like Tory. It's so important to surround yourself with
christ centered people and with people who want to make
the world a better place. I think there's so many
(16:38):
people out in the world right now that do not
have that in mind, and do not have the best
intentions and to surround yourself with those kind of people
will get you in trouble. So to make sure that
you're in with the right crowd and that you're learning
these things from people that you trust and that you're
fully capable of loving. I think it's so important to
learn to love from.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
People who you know.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Thank you, Charlotte, Thanks for all you do. We're so
proud of you. You've got such a bright future ahead,
maybe president someday. You know, I am high, So we
have big expectations for you. And your amazing family has
been wonderful, wonderful role models for all of us, not
just you. So this is Heidi Ganal. We'll be back
after the break.
Speaker 9 (17:21):
Thank you.
Speaker 7 (17:44):
You're listening to the Dan Capless Show podcast.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Hi, this is Heidi Ganal filling in for Dan Kaplis.
I am so grateful to be here today to talk
to you about everything that's going on not good, not
good in Colorado and a mayor Erica. First of all,
we've got the anniversary of nine to eleven. Second, we've
got the Evergreen shooting yesterday, and finally the loss of
(18:09):
our dear, dear friend Charlie Kirk. So we are talking
about all these different situations that are just putting a
layer of sat all over the state of Colorado. But
I want to bring a friend on now who knows
Charlie very well. Norton, Welcome to the show.
Speaker 5 (18:25):
I do thinks for me on the show. You're right,
it's a very solemn day on so many different levels here.
I think about nine to eleven in where I was
over twenty years ago when this happened, and today with
Charlie Kirk's passing. It's a very dark time in our
country right now once again. But he was a dear man,
and I think it's going to really be incumbent upon
all this to make sure that we keep this light
(18:47):
shining very bright.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
Well, Norton, you do that as well. You're a warrior
on the school choice front. You've built a scholarships into
one of the most important organizations in the school choice movement,
changing kids' lives all over the place. And I know
Charlie had so much respect for you and the work
that you're doing. Tell me about how Charlie shaped this
effort and how he befriended so many in the school
(19:10):
choice movement.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
Well, Charlie was a remarkable man. He was really truly extraordinary.
In fact, the first time I met him was over
teen years ago on a seessant hunt in South Dakota
that was hosted by our dear friend Foster Freeze. And
I remember when he walked in the door and I
met this kid, and I thought, Okay, who is this guy,
This young kid who walked in here. He must be
the son of these amazing people on this trip. And
(19:33):
I talked to this kind of goofy guy, but he's
really smart. And then I just remember that night when
Foster Freeze, her host, he stood up and said, Hey,
I want everyone to meet this amazing American, this young
man that I met at the RNC convention recently. And
he walked right up to me and said, can I
tell you about the work I want to do with
an organization called Training Point USA. And he joined us
(19:57):
and he started speaking and we were mesmerized for about
sir mens as this young man was articulate. He spoke
with passion and deal about the United States of America.
He talked about how blessed he was grew up in
a great family, and he also talked a lot about education,
and that's really what was a bond for Charlie and
I is. We had this passion for education in America,
(20:18):
a recognition that far too many kids are being left behind,
and a lot of parents in this country don't have
the resources to put their kids in great schools where
they live in dip codes, where their kids only have
access to one school, and many times that school just
doesn't work for our kids. And that bond continued for
many years. And our dear friend Foster passed away and
(20:40):
we both spoke at his funeral in Scottsdale, and then
we were flying to another funeral in Jackson Home, and
I remember Charlie looking over at being say Norton, how
big is ACE right now? And I said, well, we're
you know, I told the number we were read. He said, no,
that's not enough. You should be three times bigger. You
get more kids out there who need you, and you
need to be doing more. And I said, Charlie, we're
(21:01):
going to keep doing our very best. And Charlie became
an advocate for as and what we're doing and our
work at a says, you know, Heidi is so simple
yet so profoundly impactful. Give a parent the opportunity to
put their kid in a high achieving school with a
partial tuition scholarship. He teaches them to fish. You empower them,
and they graduate and they do great things. And these
(21:24):
are the kind of kids who love America. They go
to college, the trades, in the military. And Charlie was
just a zealot for what we were doing, and we
spoke often about education. So to lose a great man
like Charlie in the last day, I mean, it's just
so unbelievable that we'll never see this great man once again.
(21:45):
And the only thing I can do is harken back
to many of his words where he would say, it's
not about me, it's about my faith, it's about the legacy,
and want to leave. And I come back to that
and say, we just have to continue living out his legacy.
This great man who really cared about our country, but
more importantly, he cared about everyone, even the lowest in
our society who had no money and who weren't being educated.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Oh that's so well, said Norton. You have such a
way with words. And I want you to tell the listeners,
who do you think is going to fill this gap?
Like you know the conservative scene, you know, the people
who speak out about our values and principles. How do
we possibly find a way to fill And honestly will
(22:28):
never replace Charlie. But who's going to take the mantle
to lead the young people forward that are graduating with
scholarships from me from great schools across America, who want
to make a difference, who want to do the right
things but need some guidance.
Speaker 5 (22:43):
Well email that, Heidi. We simply cannot replace Charlie Kirk.
Charlie Kirk was a once center generation kind of guy.
He was amazing, He was very gifted. He had abilities
that very few people have, and that's why he was
so controversial, and that's why Charlie was so popular. At
the same time, he just was a remark man. And
I was having a call with someone this morning and
we had that same conversation and this person said something
(23:06):
very profound to me. They say, you know what, there
are thousands of people who learn from Charlie Kirk, who
are inspired by him, and they're just ready to pick
up the mantle. And we have no idea who these
people will be. That there are some really passionate young children,
in high schoolers, in college students. Think, your beautiful daughter
who spoke earlier. She was so eloquent. We saw people
(23:28):
in this century right now that want to make a difference. Hey,
there you are, You're amazing. You can personally need leading
this country, and I know that you'll step up to
the plate. And there's others people will do the same.
But I think collectively we must all stand up and
we need to once again ensure that we keep that
light shining very bright, because what he did at turning
(23:48):
Point was remarkable. What it can continue doing, I have
no doubt will be sustainable in the future and will
be a movement because we're giving hope to children who
many times they don't have hope. They're depressed, they have anxiety,
and sometimes they're suicidal. What he did is with a smile,
he told them that you can believe in yourself and
you can be whoever you want to be. And that's
(24:10):
what I really loved about him, and that's why, again
that common bond we had, we say the same thing today,
says educated kid, and they can do great things in
their lives. So it's hard to be so long long
winded their Heini, But I really do think we've got
to believe our best days are ahead of us.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Yeah. On that note, Norton, it's been really really scary
to think about pushing our kids to be more bold,
to be more outspoken, to be more public about their beliefs,
whether it's their Christian belief or their belief in our
country and the founding principles. You're a dad, how do
you talk to your kids about this and how do
we help them navigate the evil that's in this world
(24:47):
right now?
Speaker 5 (24:50):
Well, I think a few things my wife and I
really try and pour into our kids is Number one
are faith. It's very important to our family. Is Secondly,
we invested heavily in their education so they would be
well prepared. And I would say the third thing we
do is we have two boys in college and we
have a daughter who's a senior in high school, is
we encourage him to work hard and to really believe
in excellence. And that means to be excellent, you're gonna
(25:12):
have to do things other people and may not be
willing to do. If you want to set yourself apart
from others, you've got to be willing to do whatever
it takes. You've got to work hard, and life is
not always a nine to five job. Life is not
always about glint of emotions and things being given to you.
Sometimes you have to sacrifice and do things others aren't
willing to do. And I keep coming back to our
dear friend and Charlie, and that's really who he was.
(25:35):
Charlie was not a normal kind of guy. Charlie works
seven days a week. He worked all the time because
he loved what he was doing. And I think as Americans,
we have to do what we love, but also we
have to believe in the greatness of this country. So
often we focus on the negativity and we're pessimist in
our country and we don't think about goodness and people.
We don't think about goodness in America. And I think
(25:58):
every one of our kids, and I say this to
my kids, be a shining light and more hard and
be great and you're going to inspire people around you
and you're going to make a change in this world.
And sometimes you don't know in your faith and who
you've are is going to impact people around you. But
you just have to stick with things and keep doing
what you are And I know that's what Charlie would
want us all to do. Charlie would say the same thing.
(26:19):
He would say listen, I'm gone. It's a Santaday for
as in America. But I know he wants us to
think in terms of how he can use the god
giving gifts that He's really given every single one of
us too, just make a difference in this world.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Thank you, Norton. I'm so proud of the work that
you do and I'm Ace's biggest fan I always will be.
And just seeing the changes that are made in these
kids' lives and the families and the generational change that
it makes to give a child an opportunity to get
out of the system and have a different way of
learning that fits their needs better. So keep up the
(26:55):
great work. And I'm so glad to call you a friend,
and I'll continue to reach out to hear more about
the incredible success Ace is having. And thank you for
talking about Charlie, our friend and warrior on the school
choice front.
Speaker 5 (27:10):
Oh, it's a privilege. And Heidi, do I have a
quick minute to tell you a great story that will
be inspirational or do you need to run?
Speaker 2 (27:16):
We've got a minute, you go for it.
Speaker 5 (27:19):
Well, I think you love this thing, your listeners. Yesterday
I was in New Orleans and we were in the
World War Two Museum and our CoA chair of our
National Board, Boise Bollinger, was hosting us and we had
this young man from ACE who is a graduate from
New Orleans and he went to the Air Force Academy
and he couldn't join us in person, but he put
forth a video and said, as we come the nine
to eleven, I want you all have to know how
(27:40):
proud I am to be an American. But I'm also
proud to be an ACE scholarship recipient because the money
you gave me enabled me to go to a great school,
and I was empowered to have a better life, a
life that would have been impossible in my broken neighborhood.
Were gangs and violence and so much other junk persisted
in his neighborhood. And he just went on to say,
I'm a proud I'm an Americans, and I'm proud on
(28:02):
nine to eleven to say that I'm educated, my future
is bright, and he was encouraging everyone, and that's really
the story of as is. We have over one hundred
and ten thousand students where scholarships have been delivered and
in a game change in his ninety nine percent graduate
and they go into great things in their lives. And
really that's an opportunity we have right there. Knowing those kids,
(28:23):
they're truly being prepared, and they also have this belief
that America is a great country. And so we have
no doubt that our students who have come from very little,
impoverished families will do great things. And so we're just
inspired by the work that's going on. Our Secretary of Energy,
Chris Wright, as you and I both know, as a
great man. He was posting yesterday wonderful things about Charlie Kirk.
(28:44):
He has been a torch bearer for as over the
years because he knows in the power of helping our kids.
So very inspired by the work we're doing, and I
have no doubt that in the future our state, in
our country is going to be better because school choice
it's on the rise, and we're here to stay and
we're here more kids be educated and have great life.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
Thanks Norton. A Scholarships is a great worthy cause. Everybody
donate and get involved the same with turning point, this
is Heidi ganall in for Dan Kaplis. We'll come back
after the break for our final segment to honor the
great Charlie Kirk.
Speaker 7 (29:22):
And now back to the Dan Kaplass Show podcast.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Hello, this is Heidi Ganal finishing out the two hour
segments with a dear friend, Ashley Mayor. Ashley. Welcome to
the show.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
Sy, Heidi, Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
I am so excited to hear from you. I know
you adored Charlie and you were one of the biggest
warriors at CU Boulder at turning point. Tell us what
you're feeling and how Charlie's impacted you.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
I go between feeling devastated and angry through it all.
I just want to fight. I don't want to be quiet.
I don't want to cower. I want to stand up.
I want to speak louder.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
Well, this is coming from miss Ashley, who stood up
in front of an angry crowd of what eight hundred
people who were very mad that we hired a conservative
president at CU and basically I mean spat at you
and yelled at you and screamed at you, and I
was so proud of you. You stood strong and said, listen,
this is what you're up against, mister Kennedy as you
become president. This is the temperature at CU Boulder, and
(30:28):
you stood strong and didn't waiver.
Speaker 6 (30:32):
Yep. I.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
You know, Charlie definitely inspired me and encouraged me to
have that warrior spirit to do just that.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
You know, the other story that you told me was
about being in class and being told that there was
this big income gap with women, and you brought prager
You with you to fight back against that argument and
tell us what happened.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
In that day, I was in a two hundred person
feminist lecture. I continued to hear the phrase, but the
wage gap, but the wage gap. I raised my hand
and I said, I don't know what wage gap you're
talking about, because it's not about sexism, it's about choices.
Later on in the semester, I forced my professor to
(31:17):
play a prager You video in front of two hundred
feminist class students, saying that the wage gap was not
about sexism and it was about choices and that shacks
are more important to this argument. Instead of making everything
into a vacuum hole of wokeness, we need to speak
truth and be have it revealed.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Ashley, You've been out in the real world for a
little while. How did Charlie help equip you for these
arguments off the college campus?
Speaker 3 (31:48):
You know, Charlie was a fighter. Charlie was somebody who
didn't power to those who disagreed with him or hated him.
Charlie understood that standing alone in a room one hundred
people that hated you and fighting for what you believed
in was far more important and courageous than going with
(32:09):
everybody else.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
Ashley, when you have kids, how are you going to
talk about Charlie? What are you going to tell them?
Speaker 3 (32:17):
I'm going to tell them that Charlie was a visionary.
He was somebody who fought the good fight, but was
also a leader, a true leader, somebody who lifted up
everybody else around him, believed in them, and made sure
that he supported them to be courageous and outspoken.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
You know, Ashley, I believe you are one of those
voices that can fill this gap. You've always been so
brave and bold and articulate. What are you up to?
How can people follow you?
Speaker 3 (32:50):
I guess you could follow me on Twitter? All my
other social media is rather private. But you know, right
now I'm actually in the process of a pine to
law school in hopes of one day to continuing this
fight in the legal realm.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
So well, how about you start to contribute to Rocky
Mountain Voice and write some articles for this dear old
state of yours and help us tell the truth about
what's happening in Colorado. How does that sound?
Speaker 3 (33:15):
I would love nothing more will happen that after this.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
Thank you Ashley. Please, we wish you all the best
in law school, and thank you for all you did
at CU bolder for inspiring all the other students to
be brave and bold. That's exactly what Charlie was all about.
And we are so honored to have you on the
show and we wish you all the best.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
Thank you so much for having me, and I hope
everybody knows that after this we don't say silent, we
don't stay in fear. We keep going.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Thank you Ashley, and thank you Tory for joining us
and for your bravery and boldness. Everybody follow rockymount Voice
dot com. I'll be back, I believe next week. Ryan. Yes,
I'm looking forward to it. And let's walk away with
a smile on our face. Be happy warriors and take
back this country.
This is Dan Capless and welcome to today's online podcast
edition of The Dan Caplis Show. Please be sure to
give us a five star rating if you'd be so kind,
and to subscribe, download and listen to the show every
single day on your favorite podcast platform.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Hello everyone, it's Heidi Ganal filling in for Dan Kaples,
and we've been telling stories and talking to friends and
fans of Charlie Kirk, who is such a warrior for
our country, for our founding principles, and for his faith.
And I have a couple more incredible people to talk
to in this segment. First, let's go to the line
(00:36):
Ryan and talk to Lacey Williams, who's a dear friend
was on our Rocky Mountain Voice team is now out
in DC. Lacey, welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Hi, Heidi, how are you well.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
I think we're all having a pretty tough time this
last twenty four hours. And Lacey, you know Charlie so well.
You've been on the front lines with him for a
long time. Tell us a little bit about how you're
feeling and what lessons you learned, how you're like, what
you're thinking right now.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
This feels like a bad dream that I need to
wake up from I mean, Charlie has been I mean
he was the most gritty, selfless, passionate, intelligent, warm, funny, inviting,
and God fearing autodidect I've ever had the pleasure of
knowing he was a true gift from God. And I
(01:26):
think I've gone through my stages of grief in the
past twenty four hours. At first, I was just a puddle.
I actually was in with my current boss, Jay Badataria,
and we found out at the same except time from
the White House.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
And we just we've been so shocked.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
This feels like an attack on our entire nation. This
is the stuff of communist countries. Heidi, imagine that your
ideas are so bad that you want to kill the
person that encourages you to critically think and question your
belief This is a blatant disregard for human life. It extends,
and it's not just about guns. This goes all the
way from abortion to guns to knives, throughout the multiple
(02:10):
different levels of disrespect for human life. Pathetic and this
should be a turning point for the nation.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
I mean, Lacy, tell us a little bit about when
you started with Charlie, and you know how you came
to work at Turning Point. I've known you for a
long time, so I know the story, but share it
with others.
Speaker 5 (02:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
So basically, I was going to school at university in
Northern Colorado before I ended up transferring to see you Denver.
I went to a conference that was advertised for Ben
Shapiro and that was like the hot new thing him
and Tommy Larren and I came to a conference for
the first time and I suddenly was put in front
(02:48):
of this person who gave a speech. His name was
Charlie Kirk, and nobody really know who he was. He
had new balanced kind of shoes and just khaki pants
and just just shoveled hair. And the first time I
saw him speak, I mean I was so lost before this,
and everything he said pulled things into focus for me.
The first time I really met him was on a
(03:09):
beach in southern California. And the person that you see
on camera on TikTok on Facebook, on reels, that is
exactly the same person that I will witness every day
when I worked for Turning Point USA. He expected the
most of people and he made sure that you delivered.
He's truly he was truly in all hands at deck
(03:32):
type of guy, and I'm devastated.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Thanks Lacey, and we're so proud of you. You're now
director of Strategic Communications at the National Institute of Health.
We missed you on the Rocky Mountain Voice team, but
we're so happy that you're in such an important role
and grateful that you are a part of the conversation
at that level. So we wish you all the best,
and we're so proud of all the work that you
do and keep killing it out there. Lazy, thanks so much.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
It takes the village. This is our let's carry the torch.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Thanks Lacey. A men to that, we will, Tory says,
Hi too, all right to that was lazy. You know,
there's so many young people that have been affected by
Charlie and it's been such a journey to watch him
evolve into this incredible leader who's going to take his mantle.
Do you have any thoughts on that?
Speaker 6 (04:22):
I was actually on the break looking at Instagram, which
I've been trying to keep myself from doing the last
twenty four hours because it's really truly not a good
place for me to be right now. But there are
so many beautiful tributes and one that I did see
was Isabelle Brown. And if you don't know who Isabelle
Brown is, She's also from Colorado. She's got a huge
platform now, millions of people follow her. She just started
a new show with Daily Wire and she's one of
(04:44):
the original Turning Point kids too. She launched her Turning
Point chapter up at CSU and you know, she said,
there isn't one person, but the best thing that we
can do right now is use the microphone in front
of us, every single one of us. Charlie built this
army of believers and patriots and people that believe in
this movement. And I will say yesterday I sat down
(05:08):
to record my Mountain Minute and it was one of
the hardest things I've ever done. But I knew that
Charlie wouldn't want me to be anywhere else but in
front of that mic, sharing the truth and spreading spreading
the movement and spreading the Spreading the truth is all
I can say. I mean, as many people that can
sit in front of a mic and spread the truth
and and tell others about Turning Point and everything that
(05:29):
he's done, the better. I truly don't know if there
will be anyone to replace Charlie. But I guess we'll
find out. If millions of people hit the mic, maybe
one of them will rise to the occasion.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Yeah, and it feels like Charlie took the mantle from
Rush Limbaugh. And uh, it just feels like such a
gaping hole right now. But I heard a friend, Victor Marx,
who has a big following. I had lunch with him
today and he was telling me that, you know, it's
not going to be one voice that fills Charlie's that
(05:59):
the gap from Charlie, It'll be a million voices, the
million people at least that he taught how to articulate
their values and their principles. You know, Today's another reason
today's a somber day. It's the anniversary of nine to
eleven and you were a wee one when that happened.
What do you remember about that day? Is there anything
that stands out? And how did that impact you?
Speaker 6 (06:20):
I remember it so vividly. I mean I think I
was only six years old, but I was at home
when I was on the track system in school. I
remember waking up and you laying in bed and bawling
your eyes out and watching the TV. And I remember
everything being shut down. We went to a friend's basement
so you guys could watch what was happening and we
could play. And I truly do remember that day feeling
(06:43):
no pun intended like a turning point, and I think
that we're seeing that cycle through again to this moment
where yesterday was another turning point. And I think the
generation gen Z and everyone that maybe didn't witness nine
to eleven just witnessed what happened yesterday. So maybe that
was your generation's turning point, and this is our generation's
turning point.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Very interesting, very interesting. You know, Grammy, my mom, your
grandmother called me when I was driving today and she's like,
please just stop, get out of politics. I can't say
me the same thing last night, my daughter, my granddaughter,
my other granddaughter, like it's so dangerous, and she goes,
I know, this isn't how you guys operate. That you're
going to be brave and bold and be out there,
(07:25):
but I'm scared. How do you feel you're on camera
every day? Are you scared? Are you fearful? How do
you plow through that? Or don't you do you back off?
Speaker 6 (07:36):
I think it's terrifying and I think that's exactly how
they want us to feel, and that's exactly how Charlie
wouldn't want us to feel, right, I think there's some positives.
I was just walking into the building downstairs and there
was a fireman and he said, hey, Toy, and I
was like, I don't know who you are, and he's like,
you know, you don't know me, but I watch your
videos every day and they have an impact on me.
So I hear that more often than I thought I
(07:57):
ever would, and I will. Just that gives me the
courage to keep using my voice and know that I'm
making a difference, and to have it be from a
younger person I think really is impactful, not just to
the younger generation, but to the older generation too.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
We need new voices that will fill the spots.
Speaker 6 (08:15):
Of people that are older than us, and it's my
honor to continue that, and I hope to continue that.
But I'm not going to say it's not scary, it's terrifying.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
So how do we help young people like Reagan Harris,
who's so brave to come on this show and speak.
How do we keep the kids strong and bold but
protect them from the dangers and the evil out there
and we've got about thirty seconds left, So that's a
big question.
Speaker 6 (08:40):
I don't know. I think we take from Charlie's wisdom
and we use our voice and we keep it principled,
and we never lead with hate, and we never lead
with anger, but we always lead with love. And I
think that's exactly what Charlie would have said and what
he would have wanted, and that's how we push forward.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Thanks Tory. That's that's how it should be done. It
feels like the left is becoming more enraged and more
angry and more spiteful. And I know there's some good
people on the left, but good people on the left,
you're being drowned out by the bad people on the left.
And I would suggest that you start to speak up
to and push back on a lot of this craziness
(09:17):
that's being said, and don't be afraid to pray and
to hope that we can come together and you know,
find solutions in the dark. Right now, this is we're
all Americans. We're all Americans, and we all want what's
best for our country. We just have different ideas about
how to get there. So this is Hidi Ganal. I'm
with my daughter Tory Ganall. We'll come back after the
(09:40):
break filling in for Dan Capless and on a very sad,
somber day for many reasons. Thanks. We'll see you in
just a minute.
Speaker 7 (09:49):
And now back to the Dankapless Show podcast.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Hi everyone, it's Heidi Ganal filling in for Dan Caples
today and we've been talking about the anniversary of nine
to eleven. We've been talking about the Evergreen shooting a bit,
and talking about Charlie Kirk, a friend, good friend of
Tory and I Toy's my daughter. Hi Tory, say hello
to everybody.
Speaker 6 (10:09):
Hello, Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Tory's also the voice of Rocky Mountain Voice. She does
the Mountain Minute video podcast every day where you give
a ninety second snapshot of the news. And Rocky Mountain
Voice is our way to fight back against the liberal
media here in Colorado and tell the truth about what's
happening here. And Charlie was certainly an inspiration for that.
I'm watching the TV screen here in the studio and
(10:35):
Jade Vance is escorting Charlie's casket on Air Force two,
and I know this hits home for so many people,
and a lot of young people, and so I asked
various young people to come on the show today, and
I'd like to welcome Charlotte onto the show. Charlotte, Welcome
(10:56):
to the show, and I'd love for you to tell
people how Charlie's impacted your life and a little bit
about your story and what you're up to right now
to honor his legacy at Valor.
Speaker 8 (11:09):
Hi, Heidi, it's so nice to be on the show,
and thank you for having me. I wanted to tell
a little story about when I got to meet Charlie.
So I was in eighth grade and he came to
my school fundraiser, Colorado Christian Academy, and he was so
eloquent in his speech, and he knew exactly how to
(11:29):
encourage a school on fire for the Lord and we
were just getting started, and he knew that exactly. He
had such a heart for the kids and such a
heart for the parents as well, because they were forging
this new path, and Charlie knows a lot about that,
especially with Turning Point and everything he's been doing. And
he was so calm too. There was no violence in
(11:53):
his voice or anything. He was just completely calm with everybody.
And at this moment when I got to meet Charlie,
I had my heart set on being involved in Turning
Point at Valor Christian High School, which is where I
go now. Since then, I've restarted the Turning Point chapter
at Valor and have met so many wonderful students that
(12:15):
want to make America patriotic again. It's such a blessing
to be able to be a part of what Charlie started,
and he made all of this possible. They want all
of the students to be outspoken in their faith and
in their patriotism. He allows them to share their beliefs
without fear of backlash. He's such a warrior for free
(12:36):
speech and Christianity and we must not let that his
passing be in vain. We must keep Charlie's legacy alive
and teach the future generations that it is necessary to
stand true to your beliefs in all situations. He made
such an impact in my family's life and my life,
and knowing that he was such a warrior for Christianity
(12:56):
and such a warrior to be a patriot like that
makes me want to be a Christian and a patriot
even more.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Thank you, Charlotte. You're a brave, brave gal and taking
on leading a chapter at Valor, which is a strong
Christian environment but also part of the Denver metro area
and part of the Colorado ecosystem, where it's very it's
very oh scary to be a conservative sometime. Tell me
(13:24):
how you're feeling. Are you worried, are you afraid to
speak out? Or has this made you more emboldened to
do so.
Speaker 8 (13:31):
I think when I first found out of Charlie's passing
and of his assassination, I think it was terrifying. Like
my entire school was just in shock the entire time,
and I think I'm still in shock. I'm not quite
sure what to do quite yet. But knowing that Charlie's
entire life was purposeful. He had a purpose. He was
(13:54):
going to make the youth of America patriotic again, and
knowing that that was his purpose makes me drive on
to continue that and to continue his legacy.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Charlotte, this is toy.
Speaker 7 (14:08):
Hello.
Speaker 6 (14:08):
I started the very first Turning Point chapter back at
University of Oregon in twenty sixteen, and that was one
of the most divisive times. Trump was running against Hillary
and there was people burning couches. Twenty won and it
was such a hard time to be a conservative, and
Charlie is really awake in this movement for young people
(14:31):
like yourself, and I'm just so proud of you for
standing up and for starting this movement at Valor. What
are you taking from Charlie the most as you push
forward and grow your chapter you've already got. I was
at the opening. There was hundreds of kids in that
room when we first opened the chapter at Valor, and
it was incredible. So what are you most looking to
(14:52):
take away from Charlie as you move forward and continue
his legacy.
Speaker 8 (14:57):
I think the thing that I'm most taking from Charlie's
life and from his legacies that there's a need to
stand on your beliefs. There's a need to stand on
them in college. There's a need to stand on them
when you get your first job. There's a need to
stand on them when you have kids and they still
going to school. I think it's so important to stick
(15:18):
to those values because the devil will try to tear
you down every step of the way. And it's our
goal as Christians to stay rooted in those beliefs and
those beliefs that are in the Bible, and those beliefs
that your parents give you. So, I think that main
message that Charlie gave to all of us is the
most important and the thing we all need to hold
(15:40):
on to.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Yeah, the chapter opening party was super fun with Derek Wolfe,
the previous Bronco, who's very strong in his values and
his faith and he's been punished for that in various capacities.
But Derek's great, He's a warrior, and Danielle Durinsky, who's
another warrior. As you're surrounded by people who aren't rate
of speaking up or aren't shy about their values and
(16:03):
their principles, what do you say to your younger students
at CCA valor at other schools? How do you recommend
they find their strength and their voice.
Speaker 8 (16:18):
I would say the most impactful way to stay firm
in your belief is to surround yourself with people like
Danielle Drinsky, and like Derek Wolfe, and like yourself, Heidi,
and like Tory. It's so important to surround yourself with
christ centered people and with people who want to make
the world a better place. I think there's so many
(16:38):
people out in the world right now that do not
have that in mind, and do not have the best
intentions and to surround yourself with those kind of people
will get you in trouble. So to make sure that
you're in with the right crowd and that you're learning
these things from people that you trust and that you're
fully capable of loving. I think it's so important to
learn to love from.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
People who you know.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Thank you, Charlotte, Thanks for all you do. We're so
proud of you. You've got such a bright future ahead,
maybe president someday. You know, I am high, So we
have big expectations for you. And your amazing family has
been wonderful, wonderful role models for all of us, not
just you. So this is Heidi Ganal. We'll be back
after the break.
Speaker 9 (17:21):
Thank you.
Speaker 7 (17:44):
You're listening to the Dan Capless Show podcast.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Hi, this is Heidi Ganal filling in for Dan Kaplis.
I am so grateful to be here today to talk
to you about everything that's going on not good, not
good in Colorado and a mayor Erica. First of all,
we've got the anniversary of nine to eleven. Second, we've
got the Evergreen shooting yesterday, and finally the loss of
(18:09):
our dear, dear friend Charlie Kirk. So we are talking
about all these different situations that are just putting a
layer of sat all over the state of Colorado. But
I want to bring a friend on now who knows
Charlie very well. Norton, Welcome to the show.
Speaker 5 (18:25):
I do thinks for me on the show. You're right,
it's a very solemn day on so many different levels here.
I think about nine to eleven in where I was
over twenty years ago when this happened, and today with
Charlie Kirk's passing. It's a very dark time in our
country right now once again. But he was a dear man,
and I think it's going to really be incumbent upon
all this to make sure that we keep this light
(18:47):
shining very bright.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
Well, Norton, you do that as well. You're a warrior
on the school choice front. You've built a scholarships into
one of the most important organizations in the school choice movement,
changing kids' lives all over the place. And I know
Charlie had so much respect for you and the work
that you're doing. Tell me about how Charlie shaped this
effort and how he befriended so many in the school
(19:10):
choice movement.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
Well, Charlie was a remarkable man. He was really truly extraordinary.
In fact, the first time I met him was over
teen years ago on a seessant hunt in South Dakota
that was hosted by our dear friend Foster Freeze. And
I remember when he walked in the door and I
met this kid, and I thought, Okay, who is this guy,
This young kid who walked in here. He must be
the son of these amazing people on this trip. And
(19:33):
I talked to this kind of goofy guy, but he's
really smart. And then I just remember that night when
Foster Freeze, her host, he stood up and said, Hey,
I want everyone to meet this amazing American, this young
man that I met at the RNC convention recently. And
he walked right up to me and said, can I
tell you about the work I want to do with
an organization called Training Point USA. And he joined us
(19:57):
and he started speaking and we were mesmerized for about
sir mens as this young man was articulate. He spoke
with passion and deal about the United States of America.
He talked about how blessed he was grew up in
a great family, and he also talked a lot about education,
and that's really what was a bond for Charlie and
I is. We had this passion for education in America,
(20:18):
a recognition that far too many kids are being left behind,
and a lot of parents in this country don't have
the resources to put their kids in great schools where
they live in dip codes, where their kids only have
access to one school, and many times that school just
doesn't work for our kids. And that bond continued for
many years. And our dear friend Foster passed away and
(20:40):
we both spoke at his funeral in Scottsdale, and then
we were flying to another funeral in Jackson Home, and
I remember Charlie looking over at being say Norton, how
big is ACE right now? And I said, well, we're
you know, I told the number we were read. He said, no,
that's not enough. You should be three times bigger. You
get more kids out there who need you, and you
need to be doing more. And I said, Charlie, we're
(21:01):
going to keep doing our very best. And Charlie became
an advocate for as and what we're doing and our
work at a says, you know, Heidi is so simple
yet so profoundly impactful. Give a parent the opportunity to
put their kid in a high achieving school with a
partial tuition scholarship. He teaches them to fish. You empower them,
and they graduate and they do great things. And these
(21:24):
are the kind of kids who love America. They go
to college, the trades, in the military. And Charlie was
just a zealot for what we were doing, and we
spoke often about education. So to lose a great man
like Charlie in the last day, I mean, it's just
so unbelievable that we'll never see this great man once again.
(21:45):
And the only thing I can do is harken back
to many of his words where he would say, it's
not about me, it's about my faith, it's about the legacy,
and want to leave. And I come back to that
and say, we just have to continue living out his legacy.
This great man who really cared about our country, but
more importantly, he cared about everyone, even the lowest in
our society who had no money and who weren't being educated.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Oh that's so well, said Norton. You have such a
way with words. And I want you to tell the listeners,
who do you think is going to fill this gap?
Like you know the conservative scene, you know, the people
who speak out about our values and principles. How do
we possibly find a way to fill And honestly will
(22:28):
never replace Charlie. But who's going to take the mantle
to lead the young people forward that are graduating with
scholarships from me from great schools across America, who want
to make a difference, who want to do the right
things but need some guidance.
Speaker 5 (22:43):
Well email that, Heidi. We simply cannot replace Charlie Kirk.
Charlie Kirk was a once center generation kind of guy.
He was amazing, He was very gifted. He had abilities
that very few people have, and that's why he was
so controversial, and that's why Charlie was so popular. At
the same time, he just was a remark man. And
I was having a call with someone this morning and
we had that same conversation and this person said something
(23:06):
very profound to me. They say, you know what, there
are thousands of people who learn from Charlie Kirk, who
are inspired by him, and they're just ready to pick
up the mantle. And we have no idea who these
people will be. That there are some really passionate young children,
in high schoolers, in college students. Think, your beautiful daughter
who spoke earlier. She was so eloquent. We saw people
(23:28):
in this century right now that want to make a difference. Hey,
there you are, You're amazing. You can personally need leading
this country, and I know that you'll step up to
the plate. And there's others people will do the same.
But I think collectively we must all stand up and
we need to once again ensure that we keep that
light shining very bright, because what he did at turning
(23:48):
Point was remarkable. What it can continue doing, I have
no doubt will be sustainable in the future and will
be a movement because we're giving hope to children who
many times they don't have hope. They're depressed, they have anxiety,
and sometimes they're suicidal. What he did is with a smile,
he told them that you can believe in yourself and
you can be whoever you want to be. And that's
(24:10):
what I really loved about him, and that's why, again
that common bond we had, we say the same thing today,
says educated kid, and they can do great things in
their lives. So it's hard to be so long long
winded their Heini, But I really do think we've got
to believe our best days are ahead of us.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Yeah. On that note, Norton, it's been really really scary
to think about pushing our kids to be more bold,
to be more outspoken, to be more public about their beliefs,
whether it's their Christian belief or their belief in our
country and the founding principles. You're a dad, how do
you talk to your kids about this and how do
we help them navigate the evil that's in this world
(24:47):
right now?
Speaker 5 (24:50):
Well, I think a few things my wife and I
really try and pour into our kids is Number one
are faith. It's very important to our family. Is Secondly,
we invested heavily in their education so they would be
well prepared. And I would say the third thing we
do is we have two boys in college and we
have a daughter who's a senior in high school, is
we encourage him to work hard and to really believe
in excellence. And that means to be excellent, you're gonna
(25:12):
have to do things other people and may not be
willing to do. If you want to set yourself apart
from others, you've got to be willing to do whatever
it takes. You've got to work hard, and life is
not always a nine to five job. Life is not
always about glint of emotions and things being given to you.
Sometimes you have to sacrifice and do things others aren't
willing to do. And I keep coming back to our
dear friend and Charlie, and that's really who he was.
(25:35):
Charlie was not a normal kind of guy. Charlie works
seven days a week. He worked all the time because
he loved what he was doing. And I think as Americans,
we have to do what we love, but also we
have to believe in the greatness of this country. So
often we focus on the negativity and we're pessimist in
our country and we don't think about goodness and people.
We don't think about goodness in America. And I think
(25:58):
every one of our kids, and I say this to
my kids, be a shining light and more hard and
be great and you're going to inspire people around you
and you're going to make a change in this world.
And sometimes you don't know in your faith and who
you've are is going to impact people around you. But
you just have to stick with things and keep doing
what you are And I know that's what Charlie would
want us all to do. Charlie would say the same thing.
(26:19):
He would say listen, I'm gone. It's a Santaday for
as in America. But I know he wants us to
think in terms of how he can use the god
giving gifts that He's really given every single one of
us too, just make a difference in this world.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Thank you, Norton. I'm so proud of the work that
you do and I'm Ace's biggest fan I always will be.
And just seeing the changes that are made in these
kids' lives and the families and the generational change that
it makes to give a child an opportunity to get
out of the system and have a different way of
learning that fits their needs better. So keep up the
(26:55):
great work. And I'm so glad to call you a friend,
and I'll continue to reach out to hear more about
the incredible success Ace is having. And thank you for
talking about Charlie, our friend and warrior on the school
choice front.
Speaker 5 (27:10):
Oh, it's a privilege. And Heidi, do I have a
quick minute to tell you a great story that will
be inspirational or do you need to run?
Speaker 2 (27:16):
We've got a minute, you go for it.
Speaker 5 (27:19):
Well, I think you love this thing, your listeners. Yesterday
I was in New Orleans and we were in the
World War Two Museum and our CoA chair of our
National Board, Boise Bollinger, was hosting us and we had
this young man from ACE who is a graduate from
New Orleans and he went to the Air Force Academy
and he couldn't join us in person, but he put
forth a video and said, as we come the nine
to eleven, I want you all have to know how
(27:40):
proud I am to be an American. But I'm also
proud to be an ACE scholarship recipient because the money
you gave me enabled me to go to a great school,
and I was empowered to have a better life, a
life that would have been impossible in my broken neighborhood.
Were gangs and violence and so much other junk persisted
in his neighborhood. And he just went on to say,
I'm a proud I'm an Americans, and I'm proud on
(28:02):
nine to eleven to say that I'm educated, my future
is bright, and he was encouraging everyone, and that's really
the story of as is. We have over one hundred
and ten thousand students where scholarships have been delivered and
in a game change in his ninety nine percent graduate
and they go into great things in their lives. And
really that's an opportunity we have right there. Knowing those kids,
(28:23):
they're truly being prepared, and they also have this belief
that America is a great country. And so we have
no doubt that our students who have come from very little,
impoverished families will do great things. And so we're just
inspired by the work that's going on. Our Secretary of Energy,
Chris Wright, as you and I both know, as a
great man. He was posting yesterday wonderful things about Charlie Kirk.
(28:44):
He has been a torch bearer for as over the
years because he knows in the power of helping our kids.
So very inspired by the work we're doing, and I
have no doubt that in the future our state, in
our country is going to be better because school choice
it's on the rise, and we're here to stay and
we're here more kids be educated and have great life.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
Thanks Norton. A Scholarships is a great worthy cause. Everybody
donate and get involved the same with turning point, this
is Heidi ganall in for Dan Kaplis. We'll come back
after the break for our final segment to honor the
great Charlie Kirk.
Speaker 7 (29:22):
And now back to the Dan Kaplass Show podcast.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Hello, this is Heidi Ganal finishing out the two hour
segments with a dear friend, Ashley Mayor. Ashley. Welcome to
the show.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
Sy, Heidi, Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
I am so excited to hear from you. I know
you adored Charlie and you were one of the biggest
warriors at CU Boulder at turning point. Tell us what
you're feeling and how Charlie's impacted you.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
I go between feeling devastated and angry through it all.
I just want to fight. I don't want to be quiet.
I don't want to cower. I want to stand up.
I want to speak louder.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
Well, this is coming from miss Ashley, who stood up
in front of an angry crowd of what eight hundred
people who were very mad that we hired a conservative
president at CU and basically I mean spat at you
and yelled at you and screamed at you, and I
was so proud of you. You stood strong and said, listen,
this is what you're up against, mister Kennedy as you
become president. This is the temperature at CU Boulder, and
(30:28):
you stood strong and didn't waiver.
Speaker 6 (30:32):
Yep. I.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
You know, Charlie definitely inspired me and encouraged me to
have that warrior spirit to do just that.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
You know, the other story that you told me was
about being in class and being told that there was
this big income gap with women, and you brought prager
You with you to fight back against that argument and
tell us what happened.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
In that day, I was in a two hundred person
feminist lecture. I continued to hear the phrase, but the
wage gap, but the wage gap. I raised my hand
and I said, I don't know what wage gap you're
talking about, because it's not about sexism, it's about choices.
Later on in the semester, I forced my professor to
(31:17):
play a prager You video in front of two hundred
feminist class students, saying that the wage gap was not
about sexism and it was about choices and that shacks
are more important to this argument. Instead of making everything
into a vacuum hole of wokeness, we need to speak
truth and be have it revealed.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Ashley, You've been out in the real world for a
little while. How did Charlie help equip you for these
arguments off the college campus?
Speaker 3 (31:48):
You know, Charlie was a fighter. Charlie was somebody who
didn't power to those who disagreed with him or hated him.
Charlie understood that standing alone in a room one hundred
people that hated you and fighting for what you believed
in was far more important and courageous than going with
(32:09):
everybody else.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
Ashley, when you have kids, how are you going to
talk about Charlie? What are you going to tell them?
Speaker 3 (32:17):
I'm going to tell them that Charlie was a visionary.
He was somebody who fought the good fight, but was
also a leader, a true leader, somebody who lifted up
everybody else around him, believed in them, and made sure
that he supported them to be courageous and outspoken.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
You know, Ashley, I believe you are one of those
voices that can fill this gap. You've always been so
brave and bold and articulate. What are you up to?
How can people follow you?
Speaker 3 (32:50):
I guess you could follow me on Twitter? All my
other social media is rather private. But you know, right
now I'm actually in the process of a pine to
law school in hopes of one day to continuing this
fight in the legal realm.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
So well, how about you start to contribute to Rocky
Mountain Voice and write some articles for this dear old
state of yours and help us tell the truth about
what's happening in Colorado. How does that sound?
Speaker 3 (33:15):
I would love nothing more will happen that after this.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
Thank you Ashley. Please, we wish you all the best
in law school, and thank you for all you did
at CU bolder for inspiring all the other students to
be brave and bold. That's exactly what Charlie was all about.
And we are so honored to have you on the
show and we wish you all the best.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
Thank you so much for having me, and I hope
everybody knows that after this we don't say silent, we
don't stay in fear. We keep going.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Thank you Ashley, and thank you Tory for joining us
and for your bravery and boldness. Everybody follow rockymount Voice
dot com. I'll be back, I believe next week. Ryan. Yes,
I'm looking forward to it. And let's walk away with
a smile on our face. Be happy warriors and take
back this country.
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