City issues briefly took a backseat to current events Tuesday, when Ely council member Al Forsman addressed the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Noting that Forsman wished to something “near and dear to his heart,” mayor Heidi Omerza ceded part of her mayor’s report to the council member, who read a prepared statement.
“I feel like I need to address world events if I could,” Forsman told the council. “September 10, 2025 may be the saddest day in American history since April 4, 1968, when Martin Luther King, Jr., was gunned down in Memphis.”
For sman cont inued “With millions of followers throughout the world, Charlie Kirk knew the only way to bring our country together was to discuss our differences, challenge our thoughts and know that no matter what we believe, God loves us and we must love one another. Those that followed him knew what Charlie was to his core and we felt his loss to our core.”
Forsman also addressed some of the controversy that has erupted since Kirk’s slaying, much of it online and related to criticism of Kirk for his stance on race, civil rights and other issues.
“He was our hope for a return of peace in our world and sadly many have tried to take his words out of context to create hate and justify this evil act,” said Forsman. “Murder is never justified. Please understand that your neighbors and friends and coworkers are grieving for Charlie and our nation. Peace be to all of you.”
