Tuesday, Oct 21, an Instagram page promoting a proposed Turning Point chapter for Beloit College appeared and immediately received backlash from other students. Those students claim that the Turning Point organization promotes hate speech and thus does not have a place on the Beloit campus.
Turning Point is a nonprofit organization founded by right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk with the mission to “identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government.” Students are concerned about the club’s association with Turning Point and the values it promotes.
When asked about his decision to start the campus chapter, President Gregory Abshire’29 explained that he applied through Turning Point’s website before applying through Beloit. “Right after Charlie Kirk passed away, I went on the website, and I just signed up to be involved… I was open to all opportunities,” he said. “[I] took a little bit of convincing, because I haven’t really had experience running anything this big before.”
Abshire said his decision stemmed from the recent rise in political violence, and that Turning Point’s “focus on open dialogue” would be beneficial for a college campus, where many people are away from their parents for the first time and forming their own political opinions.
Turning Point advertises many conservative viewpoints that students have expressed concern about. In their official blog, Turning Point authors have been clear about their disapproval of LGBT relationships,“God’s design for sex is that it is a good gift that should have been enjoyed in marriage between one man and one woman. This is the only marriage that God views as valid.” As well as expressing misogynistic views, “But they [women] are, at the end of the day, called to submit to the leadership of their husband as part of cultivating a thriving marriage.”
The pushback on campus was somewhat expected, according to Abshire. Students are looking at this organization on campus and seeing Charlie Kirk’s legacy– his beliefs, his actions, and his words. Despite sharing a name with Turning Point, Abshire wants students to know that they’re not the same as Kirk.
Abshire said, “Something I also want people to understand is, sure, Charlie Kirk had certain viewpoints, but it doesn’t mean that we all share the same viewpoints as him, and we may not be as extreme as Charlie Kirk, because at the end of the day, we’re very different. We’re all different people.”
In conversation, Abshire said he disliked the connotations the word ‘debate’ carried. Instead, he used the words ‘dialogue’ or ‘discussion’, hallmarks of one of the reasons he’d chosen Turning Point in the first place. He talked about preparing people to present their political beliefs in a civilized way. “If you want to have a mature conversation about our political beliefs and where they come from, all of us are happy to do so,” Abshire said, referring to himself and the exec team. “I think that’s how we can kind of differ ourselves from Charlie Kirk, because if you don’t ask, you’re never gonna know.”
However, there is mistrust of the truth of that statement after their Instagram disabled comments and is removing reposts condemning the club. It calls into question if the club only promotes “free speech” when they are the ones speaking and controlling the online or in person space.
It is important to note that as of yet, “Turning Point USA at Beloit College” is not an official, COO approved club and cannot hold official events or request use of a club budget. When asked, Abshire said they had plans for the future, including setting up general member meetings and finding an advisor.
The vocal student rejection of the proposed club shows that when naming a club or group after an established organization, you openly align your club’s values with those of the parent organization, regardless of intention.
Featured image: Yahoo News
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