Lake Forest Leaders Chose Silence at Charlie Kirk Vigil

Lake Forest Leaders Chose Silence at Charlie Kirk Vigil

By Pete Jansons

On September 21, residents of Lake Forest gathered in Market Square for a candlelight vigil honoring Charlie Kirk. Despite the weather, neighbors came together. Police officers stood by. And one pastor — Rev. Jim Buckman of Faith Lutheran Church Lake Forest — had the courage to lead prayer and reflection.

But the silence of others was louder than the prayers.

Not a single elected official in Lake Forest showed up. Mayor Randy Tack, City Manager Jason Wicha, and all the aldermen stayed home. None of our civic leadership stood with the community in its moment of mourning.

Local clergy, too, declined invitations. The organizer told me plainly: they couldn’t find a priest in Lake Forest with the courage to take part. That is a profound disappointment. Yet in the face of that refusal, Pastor Buckman did step forward — and his presence mattered. He showed that leadership is about conviction, not calculation.

Let me be clear about something: I didn’t know Charlie Kirk’s full story until recently. Like many people, I had only seen the click-bait headlines and the hate-driven sound bites. But when you actually watch his full speeches, the picture changes. Context matters — and what you hear is not the caricature painted by his loudest critics. You may not agree with him on everything (I don’t either), but it’s undeniable that much of the public conversation about him is distorted by selective framing.

That’s why this absence matters so much. A vigil is not an endorsement of every word a man ever said. It is a moment of shared grief and reflection. Leaders should have recognized that. Instead, it appears they calculated the political and financial risks: Will donors leave? Will parishioners complain? Will I be criticized for standing in Market Square? And so they chose silence.

Leadership is easy when it’s popular. Real leadership shows up when it’s uncomfortable.

The people of Lake Forest showed up. The Lake Forest Police Department showed up. Pastor Jim Buckman showed up. But our mayor, our city manager, our aldermen, and our priests did not. In our darkest hour, when presence mattered most, they were absent.

If you doubt it, see for yourself. The full vigil is available here: https://youtu.be/3wAA9H6VzhU?si=PVRqEKx_hGGOboZ_

Lake Forest deserves better. We deserve leaders who put compassion before calculation, who understand that presence at a vigil is not about politics but about humanity. Because the next time our town faces loss, residents will remember who stood with them — and who chose to stay away.