Adam Calder
Finding someone on a college campus who does not know who Charlie Kirk is would be a difficult task. “Charlie Kirk” has become synonymous with the conservative movement on college campuses, and if you spend a few minutes (or a bit longer) scrolling through TikTok or Instagram reels, you’ll almost certainly see him debating a college student of the political left to the cheers of students who share his political leaning.
The organization Kirk founded in 2012, Turning Point USA, known for engaging youth in its conservative and libertarian values, organizes such debates and speaker events on over 3,500 college campuses. Among them is Louisiana State University, which is also home to a chapter of BridgeUSA. Recently, the BridgeUSA at LSU chapter hosted a discussion and was delighted to welcome many members from Turning Point LSU.
The discussion focused on the tragic outbreak of political violence during this election year. It’s a topic that has touched many, especially supporters of former president Donald Trump, who was the target of two assassination attempts.
With tensions and emotions running high, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect that this conversation would not last for very long or be substantive. But Kelsey Womack, president of BridgeLSU, says that “it was the most productive discussion [they] have had.”
Turning Point USA has been marked by its traditional conservative takes on limited government and free speech, but also by its more controversial takes on identity politics and climate change.
This has led many young people to have negative perceptions of the organization, of young conservatives overall, and also garnered much criticism from campus leaders and politicos.
“Turning Point has been a controversial presence in GOP politics for years, with millions of Kirk’s listeners tuning in to hear his rebukes of feminism, diversity initiatives and college campus progressivism,” writes Natalie Allison of Politico.
While members of TPUSA often refute the characterizations associated with the movement, the controversy persists, and the group is a concern from some students. But, not the BridgeLSU chapter.
“There was definitely a sense of anxiety among some participants, but the structure of Bridge discussions almost always prevents things from devolving,” Womack said. “And thankfully, that anxiety went away right after the discussion began because of the polite and civil tone of all involved.”
The BridgeUSA chapter eagerly organized this event to welcome Louisiana State students into a dialogue, and show that conversations between two dueling ideologies don’t have to be impossible, nor do they have to be scary.
It may surprise some students that conservative students on their campus were willing to engage with the BridgeLSU chapter with a calm and curious manner.
Afterall, this has been a semester–and a year–for big discussions about tough topics. Think Israel and Palestine, the war in Ukraine, the 2024 election and the tragic violence that has occurred within it, and you will likely feel a sense of dread.
But if members of Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point can show up to talk about a deeply sensitive topic and listen to a group of students from across the ideological spectrum, any student (supporting any candidate) can certainly do so.
Womack said, “There’s no topic that can’t be discussed, and I think that Bridge shows that.”
That’s true, but it takes courage to discuss topics like this with the most active and concerned stakeholders. This courage is needed today, now more than ever. And Womack, and her executive board at BridgeLSU exemplified that courage through this discussion event, while forming some positive relationships in the process.
