Student Republicans and Democrats at UNL urge unity after Charlie Kirk assassination

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — On Thursday morning, the news of Charlie Kirk’s assassination was still being felt at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

“It’s sad to see the lack of respect for life and the respect for one another, and that’s what it really boils down to,” said Nik Coop, president of the UNL College Republicans.

Kirk’s death is the latest act of political violence in recent months, including the assassination of Democratic Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman in June.

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Coop said while the College Republicans and Young Democrats do not agree politically, they do agree the threats and violence have to stop.

The leaders of both groups meet together consistently.

And in the aftermath of the shooting, they plan to come together on campus to show each other support, regardless of belief.

“We treat each other as human beings, we treat each other as friends, and I think that is something that’s lost,” he said. “Why can’t we start having that courage and respectfulness carry on more n a more national level?”

SEE ALSO: Nebraska political leaders condemn killing of Charlie Kirk

Coop met Kirk about a year on UNL’s campus, and as a Minnesota native, he’s worked with legislators there who knew Hortman.

“It’s so sad to see that we’ve gone back to violence as a nation instead of respecting different opinions,” Coop said.

Both the Young Democrats and College Republicans at UNL said this about more than politics; it’s about what kind of country they’ll inherit.

SEE ALSO: Rifle recovered in the search for Charlie Kirk’s killer as FBI releases photos of person of interest

The Democratic National Committee instructed UNL Young Democrats not to do interviews, citing mounting safety concerns and recent threats.

But one anonymous Democratic student leader agreed to share this statement: “The political violence in America must stop, what happened to Charlie Kirk is reprehensible and in no way condonable…but at the same time, threats of violence that are being made towards Democrats and left-leaning individuals of this country must also not be condoned.”

On the other side of the aisle, Coop said the violence doesn’t just hurt politicians; it hurts democracy.

“Let each other speak; that’s the bare minimum we can do,” he said. “We are a country built on ideas and have large discussions on different ideas. We need to get back to the fact that we don’t have to agree on everything, but we have to respect one another.”