Sonoma State’s website mentions the university’s dedication to creating a community in which bias and intolerance have no place, but with the rise of discrimination since Trump’s inauguration, why does an intolerant group like Turning Point USA exist on campus?
Turning Point USA’s website says it’s an organization that guides citizens through the development of knowledge, skills and motivation to meaningfully engage in communities to restore traditional American values. Listed as the organization’s beliefs are that the U.S. is the greatest country in the world, the Constitution is the most exceptional political document ever written and capitalism is the most moral and proven economic system ever discovered.
First of all, absolutely not.
According to The Commonwealth Fund, Americans experience worse health outcomes than other developed nations. Life expectancy at birth was three years lower than The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s average. The U.S. also has some of the highest rates of avoidable deaths. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, over the past 30 years, America’s most affluent families have increased their wealth, while low-income families have dipped into ‘negative wealth’ meaning that the value of their debts exceeds the value of their assets. When taking healthcare, wealth inequalities and racial inequalities into account, the Constitution seems to only apply to white men, making the U.S. far from being the best country in the world.
Capitalism is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as an economic system where private individuals or businesses own and control the means of production, and the distribution of goods and services is determined by supply and demand with a primary focus on profit. According to the Oxford Academic, capitalism neglects to consider the contradictory nature of the labor process dynamics. Capitalism creates an economy where few businesses hold a majority of wealth, leaving lower-income communities to struggle. This man-made system of income inequality leads to less access to basic resources such as housing, healthcare and education, which creates a cycle of poverty and prevents upward mobility. Simply, capitalism keeps people poor to keep the 1 percent rich.
Turning Point has an extensive problematic past that includes allegations of harassment, homophobia, transphobia and misinformation. According to The Guardian, two Turning Point employees admitted to harassing and assaulting a queer professor back in Oct. 2023. Arizona State University professor David Boyles said, “I hope this incident has made people aware that Turning Point USA does not care about free speech or serious debate but instead trades in hateful and bigoted rhetoric solely to ‘create content’ for their endless tedious podcasts and to stoke fear and violence in the real world.”
To no surprise, the founder of Turning Point, Charlie Kirk, defended the employees’ actions, “Violence is never okay and just because Professor Boyles happens to be gay (or whatever) doesn’t give him the right to attack people because he doesn’t like the questions they’re asking.” Kirk has a history of posting anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim tweets, as well as flawed statistics about the black community and the police force.
According to Cristina López G,Deputy Director for Extremism at Media Matters, former Turning Point Field Director Crystal Clanton sent racist text messages to another Turning Point employee about her hatred for the black community. Turning Point’s Iowa State chapter reportedly invited a known white nationalist, Nick Fuentes, to speak on campus. President of Turning Point’s University of Nevada chapter Riley Grisar praised white supremacy and said, “We’re going to rule the country! White power!”
Chelsea Hutton , Sonoma State club and programming adviser, said that the university is committed to fostering an environment where diverse ideas can be expressed while ensuring the safety and well-being of all community members. “Students who feel threatened or unsafe are encouraged to report their concerns to university authorities, who will assess the situation and take appropriate action in line with university policies and applicable laws.” Said Hutton.
Sonoma State’s Turning Point chapter hosted a “Real Women’s Day” back in October, which was clearly a targeted attack on trans women. Considering our university’s so-called dedication to creating an inclusive and non-biased community, it’s deeply disappointing to have an exclusionary and hateful event take place on campus with the administration’s approval.
When ‘free speech’ directly attacks marginalized communities, it’s not controversial, it’s dangerous. Groups like Turning Point reveal a growing trend where bigotry and discrimination are disguised as ‘debate’ and therefore protected under ‘free speech.’ But free speech does not mean free of consequence, and if someone wants to speak harmful language, they are not protected from social or academic repercussions. If Sonoma State declares to value safety, diversity, and accountability, then turning a blind eye to hate is not neutrality, it’s complicity.
