“When people stop talking, that’s when bad things happen.”
–Charlie Kirk
Sure enough, bad things did happen last Wednesday, Sept. 10, at Utah Valley University.
Charles J. Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was shot dead at the first stop of his “American Comeback Tour.” As young conservatives, and founders of the TPUSA Chapter at Somers High School, it was deeply saddening to hear that Charlie was murdered, and we’re honored to be writing this tribute.
Turning Point USA, a non-profit activist organization, was founded in 2012 by Charlie and Bill Montgomery with the hopes of reviving American values. At its core, the organization’s mission was for people—specifically young people—to better understand one another through communication.
To be clear, Charlie was absolutely a staunch pro-life conservative. He advocated for free speech, Second Amendment gun rights, border security, parental control over the physical and mental health of their children, as well as low taxes and less business regulation.
Like so many of our peers, we discovered Charlie Kirk on YouTube, seeing him debate college students in his now-famous “Prove Me Wrong” campus encounters. It was through these open exchanges of ideas that we were able to take in many sides of numerous social and political issues and ultimately form our own respective opinions. At 16 years of age, these positions will undoubtedly evolve as our lives unfold, but thanks to Charlie, we have an awareness of the world around us.
When the opportunity to start a Turning Point Club America chapter at Somers High School presented itself, we jumped in and hit the ground running. Naming it "The Stars and Stripes Club," when introduced at SHS, more than 70 students signed up at our club fair. Almost immediately, there was backlash and the school district received complaints—not from students or faculty, but from uninformed liberal adults in Somers. We were accused of being closed-minded, multi-phobic, hateful kids before we held one meeting. In retrospect, it was a badge of honor to have intolerant people accuse us of being what they in fact were themselves. We had won before we even started.
As the days went on, we met with TPUSA representatives and SHS administrators who were very helpful in navigating school policy while protecting our own First Amendment rights, and eventually we were on our way. Ever since, The Stars and Stripes Club has met regularly, hosting forums with open dialogues for our peers about a multitude of issues.
One of our most profound forums last year was a wide-open discussion focused on the inclusion of trans athletes in sports, to which the SHS Gender Sexuality Alliance was specifically invited and welcomed with respect and dignity. (We really wish those intolerant Somers adults had been there as well.)
The Stars and Stripes Club will continue to honor the mission and legacy of Charlie Kirk by providing a platform for young people to keep talking so bad things don’t happen.
God bless Charlie Kirk.
Millie McCormack and Lianna Martone are both juniors at Somers High School and founders of their local Turning Point USA Chapter, named "The Stars and Stripes Club."
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