As of October 2nd, there has been an official Turning Point USA chapter here at Southern Maine Community College. The discourse around this issue began on September 25th when Pepper Blair Libby expressed alarm on the MCCS app about the potential formation of the group by TPUSA representative Peter Bernaiche. Since then, there has been a lot of criticism about Turning Point USA. Some people have been taking to the women’s bathroom stalls of Hildreth Media Center to voice their concerns. One such message reads: “Turning Point USA are Nazis.”

There are many reasons people have cited for not supporting a TPUSA chapter at SMCC. Some have stated that TPUSA is a racist hate group, other people have called them fascists and nazis, as indicated by the bathroom stall. And overall, there’s a pushback among like-minded students that TPUSA violates student guidelines and our school’s nondiscrimination policy.  

In reaction to the formation of a TPUSA chapter here at SMCC, there have been a number of student groups that formed in opposition to it. For example, Beckham O’Leary-Cyr has started a Youth Democratic Socialists of America group. And other

I interviewed O’Leary-Cyr, founder of the YDSA chapter here at SMCC. The question was simple: why start a group in reaction to TPUSA?

“TPUSA is a reactionary group that advocates for the use of systemic violence against minorities.” O’Leary-Cyr went on to point out that YDSA has the tools to “correctly label and explain why and how groups like TPUSA function.”

That said, O’Leary-Cyr does not believe Turning Point USA is fascist, like some people have mentioned. “I would not call them fascist.” and that while he believes members of Turning Point USA can be fascists, he doesn’t believe TPUSA as a whole is fascist. “I believe it (TPUSA) is more of a proto-Fascist group with the ability to fully commit to Fascism when the need arises.”

According to TPUSA’s website, since the passing of its founder, Charlie Kirk, its responsibility is to honor his legacy. Here are four quotes, Kirk’s own words, on various topics such as race, reproductive rights, gun violence, and immigration.

• “Happening all the time in urban America, prowling Blacks go around for fun to go target white people, that’s a fact. It’s happening more and more.” The Charlie Kirk Show May 19 2023
• “We need to have a Nuremberg-style trial for every gender-affirming clinic doctor. We need it immediately.” The Charlie Kirk Show April 1 2024
• “I think it’s worth it to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational.” Event organized by TPUSA Faith, April 5 2023
• “The great replacement strategy, which is well underway every single day in our southern border, is a strategy to replace white rural America with something different.” The Charlie Kirk Show March 1 2024

Groups are forming in response to these ideas. I personally am in the process of starting a Maine People’s Alliance chapter. Our mission statement is to create a world where everyone has what they need, contributes what they can, and nobody is left behind. This includes people of color and people who have immigrated here. It includes providing healthcare for all people, and it includes ensuring the safety of all people. There have also been talks from other students, such as Elli Birgfeld, about forming a civil discourse group. Stating that “I don’t trust a large partisan org to foster a true environment of speech, so I thought a civil discourse club focused on the genuine exploration of differing views, unaffected by external forces, would be beneficial.” So clearly, it’s very important to a lot of us that we fight back against the approval of TPUSA. 

As Turning Point USA continues to develop its chapter here at SMCC, so does this story. Free speech is a huge part of our country’s legacy, but also, clearly, continues to be a huge part of college life.

When more information comes out about TPUSA and its efforts to organize here at our college, more stories will come.