By Laraine Rodgers | Scottsdale
OPINION – The Scottsdale City Council’s 5–2 vote to explore a memorial for Charlie Kirk raises an important question: What kind of people should our city choose to honor?
Memorials should be reserved for those whose work has stood the test of time — people who lift others up, build bridges and strengthen our community. Charlie Kirk’s record does not reflect those values. His public statements have often been divisive and disrespectful, far from the principles of democratic discourse some have attributed to him.
It’s also worth noting that the late Mr. Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA, began in Illinois and is now based in Phoenix — not Scottsdale. His local ties are minimal. Our public spaces should honor service, not partisanship, and unity, not division. A memorial to a polarizing figure like Mr. Kirk would misrepresent Scottsdale’s spirit and values.
If we want to honor someone who truly shaped our city, we might look to the late Bill Walton, a former two-term councilmember who also served on the Parks, Airport and Planning Commissions. Mr. Walton was the visionary behind the Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt, an 11-mile model of sustainable urban design that transformed a floodplain into a beloved public treasure.
Let’s reserve our memorials for those who bring Scottsdale together and make it stronger for everyone.
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