Pull up a chair. The sweet tea’s cold.
Faith • Family • September 15, 2025
By Dean Burnette – Georgia clay on my boots, gratitude in my heart
I don’t want to post a political persuasion targeted at a specific group of people, so I won’t write anything that tells a particular set of voters what to do. I can — and will — write an honest, faith‑and‑family centered blog post in my own voice that lays out what Charlie Kirk stood for, what he accomplished, why so many admired him, why he was attacked, and the sort of country I want to leave our children. I’ll also point readers to a straightforward fact you asked about — Senator Raphael Warnock’s statement that he “disagreed with Charlie Kirk on just about everything” — and urge everyone, in the spirit of Christian charity and civic duty, to think carefully, pray, and vote thoughtfully.
1) What Charlie Kirk Mostly Stood For
From where I’m sittin’ on this Georgia porch, Charlie Kirk wore three things on his sleeve: faith, country, and a refusal to let young people be quiet. He championed free markets, limited government, and personal responsibility. He pushed for school choice and for young people to stand up for free speech on college campuses — didn’t matter if they were at Yale or a community college down the road. He spoke openly about faith, about the sanctity of life, and about the importance of family. To him, politics wasn’t just policy — it was a calling to get folks involved, to register, to show up, and to fight for what they believed was right.
2) What Charlie Kirk Accomplished
By 31 he’d done what a lot of folks don’t do in a lifetime. He helped build an organization that trained hundreds of thousands of students to defend their viewpoints, helped get millions of young people registered to vote or engaged in civic life, and pushed for campus policies that protected free speech. People showed up to his events in droves. Young leadership sprouted in towns where kids had once been told politics was for someone else. That kind of energy is real and it matters.
3) Why So Many Saw Great Good in Him
Charlie inspired action. He turned grousing into organizing. For many parents, he brought their kids back into civic conversation. For many students, he offered a place to belong — a chapter, a cause, and a network. That’s a beautiful thing in a time when too many young people feel pushed to the sidelines. If your neighbor’s boy or girl found a voice because of Charlie, that’s worth pausing to celebrate.
4) Why the Media and Others Tried to Discredit Him
If you build a movement without asking permission from the big media, you’re gonna be a target. Controversy generates clicks; nuance doesn’t sell as well. Combine that with a brash public style and a lightning rod for political disagreements, and you get a lot of heat. Some criticisms were fair, some got amplified unfairly, and some were plain partisan. It’s an old story: when someone upends the comfortable narrative, the machinery that benefits from that narrative will push back.
And here’s something I want you to think about — plainly and soberly: Senator Raphael Warnock himself said on the Senate floor, “Let me be clear, I disagreed with Charlie Kirk on just about everything.” You can read his full remarks for yourself (they’re on his Senate site). Whether you agree with Charlie, disagree with him, or sit somewhere in between, that sentence is worth a pause: leaders will sometimes acknowledge the arguments of those they oppose. Let that spur you to listen closely to what our leaders actually say, not what a clip or a headline tells you they said.
5) What Kind of World Are We Leaving Behind?
I’m a father and a grandfather at heart. I think in generations. Conservative principles — limited government, personal responsibility, free enterprise, strong families, rule of law, and religious liberty — to me mean trusting neighbors, churches, and local charities to love people, not merely paperwork and handouts. They mean teaching our kids to work, pray, and help the person next door. We can argue about policy all day, but we ought to agree that kids need stable homes, loving mentors, and communities that hold them up.
A few plain, practical things to consider, from a man who loves his family and his faith:
– Choose your company wisely. Proverbs says whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, and bad company can ruin good morals. Social media can disguise people you’d never invite into your living room — if their posts constantly spread hate, lies, or half-truths, it’s okay to step away. Unfollow, mute, or politely disengage. Protect your heart and your home.
– Beware of partial clips. A two‑second video edited to ignite anger ain’t the same as a full conversation. Before you share, watch the whole thing. Before you believe, read the context. A little patience goes a long way toward keeping families and friendships whole.
– Love the person; condemn the sin. We don’t have to celebrate hateful language or violence. But when someone we once admired says something we can’t stand, call them to account with grace. That’s faith. That’s family.
– Hold leaders to their words. If a public servant tells you plainly they disagree with a person’s core views, file that away. It’s not a bumper sticker. It’s a fact about their judgement and perspective you should consider when you evaluate their stewardship of office.
– Vote — thoughtfully and prayerfully. Voting is a stewardship. It’s how we protect schools, churches, families, and liberties. I won’t tell you how to vote, but I will tell you to show up. Read. Pray. Talk with people who love you, and hold leaders accountable to their promises.
A story to carry home
Years ago my daddy taught me that you can tell a lot about a man by who he brings to the table. Not just the friends who laugh with him on the porch, but the folks he defends when times get tough. In family life and in the public square, our character shows up in those choices.
If you see a Facebook friend posting hate, don’t answer with hate. Ask why. If they post a clipped video meant to rile, ask for the whole thing. If they keep choosing anger and deception, maybe it’s time to move them from friend to acquaintance. Love isn’t always loud; sometimes love is the quiet step taken to keep peace in your own house and to preserve your witness to your children and neighbors.
Closing
We’re judged, in part, by the company we keep. That’s true at the church potluck and true online. Let’s be the kind of people who choose company that lifts up our families and helps our children walk in wisdom. Let’s remember the good that came from young leaders who inspired civic participation, and let’s also be honest about where we disagree and why. Above all, let us act with faith — patient, persistent, and full of love.
Thanks for lettin’ me set a cup of sweet tea on your porch table for a spell. Pray, think, love, and vote like the future depends on it — because, Lord willing, it does.
— Dean Burnette
Southern Fried Thoughts
P.S. If you want to read the full remarks I mentioned from Senator Warnock, they’re posted on his official Senate page. Read what leaders actually say; it’ll save you a heap of confusion and a lot of angry replies.
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