As you may be aware (I’ve written about it numbers of times over the years) when Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA put out tables with information about the organization on college campuses, they very often were faced with verbal and physical attacks. Tables overturned, materials destoyed, anyone who was interested in knowing a thing about them intimidated/prevented from doing so.
In case you are wondering what the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) which, based on its name, should be championing free exchange of ideas from all sides, has to say about this organization, I urge you to read its published statement, titled “If Turning Point Comes to Your Campus”.
Here is its opening paragraph:
Among Turning Point USA’s tactics is tabling on campus to promote the establishment of local chapters. The AAUP recognizes that students should be free to organize and join associations to promote their interests and to express their views. However, since this group’s activities include targeting faculty with misleading listings on its Professor Watchlist, often leading to vicious online harassment, it is important to make campus constituencies aware of these activities. Steps you can take include the following.
Translation: “Yeah, this is a university and we’re supposed to let all views be heard. But here’s what you can do about the ones that we don’t like”.
The rest (and I again urge you to use the link and read it) is a professorially written tutorial on how to make sure Turning Point USA is as stifled as possible.
Please tell me you aren’t surprised.
I’ll end with a question: do you think that putting this demonstrably negative a spin on the organization just might encourage students (or non-students) to to beyond the AAUP’s “be nice, but make sure to get them” message? Maybe a lot beyond?
Think about it.
