The recent death of Charlie Kirk, a far-right activist known for his polarizing views, has prompted significant interest in establishing Turning Point chapters across high schools and colleges in Oklahoma. Kirk enlisted and inspired Americans young enough to be his children to actively participate in all aspects of political discourse. He frequently came under fire for his racist and Islamophobic comments. Immediately after his passing, Ryan Walters, the Oklahoma superintendent of public instruction, took to the airwaves to announce plans to set up “Club America.” This new effort from Turning Point will focus on high schoolers.
Kirk’s legacy is marked by his fervent advocacy for conservative ideals and his controversial statements, which included claims about immigration and systemic threats posed by Islam. His incendiary style of discourse made him a frequent visitor on our Nation’s college campuses, where he challenged students to defend their views in spirited exchanges.
Following Kirk’s death, Walters reported a surge in inquiries about establishing Turning Point chapters, stating, “We are now at over 120,000 inquiries. Even accounting for attrition and duplicates, we are on the cusp of having a TPUSA or Club America chapter in every HS and College campus in America.” This is a sign of an incredible appetite by students to jump on board with Kirk’s vision and to get their feet wet in conservative political activism.
In order to launch a school chapter of “Club America,” students need to first recruit at least three classmates from their fellow public school. Then, they’re expected to sign a charter agreement. Once you’ve fulfilled this requirement, Turning Point swings in to support you in finding a teacher sponsor. They will offer out official recognition and materials, including an “activism kit.” Walters was unyielding in his support for these clubs, insisting that any school that refused to accept them would be condemned.
“They would be in danger of not being a school district if they decided to reject a club that is here to promote civic engagement.” – Ryan Walters
Oklahoma is paving the way as the first state where government officials are actively promoting the establishment of Turning Point chapters. An attack dog for the privatizers, Walters has already raised eyebrows with his toxic education agenda. He suggested bringing conspiracy theories over the 2020 election into the state’s social studies curriculum and requiring teachers from blue states to get “America First” certification.
Walters has previously been very outspoken against educators who challenge right-wing narratives. He stated, “Any teacher posting defamatory and egregious comments will NOT be teaching in Oklahoma classrooms,” signaling a zero-tolerance policy for dissenting views within educational settings.
Walters’ agenda is quite obvious to fight what he believes is “liberal propaganda” within public schools. This intentional campaign to create new Turning Point chapters only furthers this mission. He suggested that Charlie Kirk awakened a generation to love America. He inspired all around him to speak truth fearlessly and to never back down from a fight. Our kids must get involved and active. We’re going to be out there countering that liberal propaganda, which is being driven by the radical left and the teachers unions. Our fight starts now.
Kirk’s incendiary words have been condemned by blacks, Gays, and progressive organizations. He placed the blame unequivocally on a “great replacement strategy” with respect to immigration. He too sent up a host of incendiary allegations about the racial culture of city America. Critics contend that this kind of language breeds hatred and threatens to tear apart the very fabric of society.
Turning Point USA, founded by Kirk, is the leading advocacy organization spreading right-wing propaganda on college campuses. They execute communications campaigns such as “Make America Healthy Again” to get the word out. The group’s tactic these days is sending students to go fight the organization’s culture war causes on their campuses.
Yet even with the polarized nature of Kirk’s legacy, Walters is doubling down on bringing Kirk’s vision to Oklahoma schools. His goals are to guarantee that conservative student organizations can flourish and that students will be spirited and emboldened enough to come forward with their beliefs.