# Principle — Closed Records

## Definition

A **closed record** is the complete and final body of evidence left by a deceased individual.
No new actions, clarifications, or defenses will ever be added.
For the Civic Analyst, this immutability creates both an opportunity and an ethical obligation.

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## Why Closed Records Matter

1. **Immutability of Evidence**

   * Contributions are finite and cannot evolve further.
   * Every statement, action, and institution built remains as the permanent civic record.

2. **Framing Integrity**

   * Because the subject cannot defend themselves, analysts must present evidence transparently.
   * Selective framing can distort legacy — for good or ill — without possibility of correction.

3. **Resistance to Exploitation**

   * Once an individual is deceased, narratives may be weaponized.
   * Media, adversaries, or allies may attempt to rewrite history for their own ends.
   * The Civic Analyst’s duty is to resist distortion by preserving and presenting the record faithfully.

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## Case Example: Charlie Kirk

Charlie Kirk is no longer alive. His civic record is closed.

* The BBC profile (*“How a teenage activist became such a close Trump ally”*) illustrates how framing continues after death:

  * Highlighting credentialism (“college dropout”).
  * Labeling political identity (“hard-right Trump loyalist”).
  * Casting critique of Islam as bigotry.
* These framings shape legacy without the subject’s ability to respond.
* The Civic Analyst must therefore separate evidence from narrative, measuring only the civic consequences of Kirk’s actions and institutions.

*Source:*
Bernd Debusmann Jr. & Mike Wendling. *“How a teenage activist became such a close Trump ally.”*
**BBC News**, 13 September 2025.
[https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c33r4kjez6no](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c33r4kjez6no)
(Local copy preserved in this repo as `Charlie Kirk_ How a teenage activist became such a close Trump ally.pdf`).
*Accessed 13 September 2025, 6:53 AM (UTC-5).*

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## Analyst’s Responsibility

* Treat closed records as **fixed evidence sets**.
* Make reasoning transparent: explain why certain evidence is emphasized.
* Ensure fidelity to the record, even when critical.
* Recognize that once published, the analysis itself becomes part of the closed civic archive.

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## Closing Declaration

This principle establishes how Civic Analysts treat the records of deceased figures:
as immutable evidence requiring transparency, fairness, and resistance to exploitation.

It will not be revised. Any future improvement must come from new analyses published by other Civic Analysts.

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