Life is complicated.  People are complicated. As Charlie Kirk used to say, “Prove me wrong.”  

Charlie Kirk and Turning Point USA are a good example of just how complicated life can be. 

I don’t think Charlie Kirk was a saint.  I don’t think he was the devil either.  Like most people Charlie Kirk was not just one thing. 

When he spoke on college campuses he offered some good thoughts about his faith, the strengths of the nuclear family, and other more traditional conservative values.  

And if his message had stayed on just those topics, I doubt he’d be looked upon as such a controversial figure. 

But then he went on to say things like, ‘Some black women don’t have the brains to be taken seriously.” He’d tout his Christianity, but instead of preaching to love your neighbor, he said that empathy was a weakness. And ironically, before he was shot down in cold blood, he said that some gun deaths were necessary to have a second amendment.  

So, is Charlie Kirk a good guy or a bad guy? Like I said it’s complicated. 

Most would define Charlie Kirk as a conservative.  But are attacks on blacks, women, and other minorities conservative values? 

Governor Pillen must think so. He wants to put Turning Point’s platform, in every High School in Nebraska.  

Governor Pillen held a press conference where he said that the state is going to be working with Club America, an offshoot of Turning Point USA, to put their civic clubs in every Nebraska High School. 

During what the Governor called a “Pep Rally for Freedom.”  He said that he didn’t see anything political in joining five other Republican states in putting this club in our schools. He said that Club America can help students learn about the Constitution and civic engagement.  

He doesn’t see anything political? 

Charlie Kirk was all about conservative politics. He came to Nebraska in 2024 to lobby for “Winner Take All.”  President Trump, J.D. Vance, and other high ranking Republican politicians spoke at his celebration of life ceremony. 

Turning Point is not just a singular thing, being political is one of them.  You can’t put Turning Point into a solitary silo.  It’s complicated. 

And of course, conservative students should be able to have a club. The head of the Nebraska State Education Foundation thinks so too, and I agree with their stand.   The association’s president, Tim Royers said the teacher’s union supports student’s rights to form non-curriculum-related clubs, but it should be done at the local level and not forced upon the schools by the Governor. 

Governor Pillen said that “Club America” can help students learn about the U.S. Constitution. 

But I doubt that Club America will teach them that the Constitution was a compromise.  That this country was founded on the principles of working together to form a “more perfect union.” 

Because conservatism under the Turning Point model isn’t about compromise. Charlie Kirk never publicly conceded a point.  He never once said to a person with an opposing view that the other person had a valid perspective and they were right.  

But that’s what conservatism is today. It’s no longer about fiscal responsibility, limited government or working across the aisle.  It’s about “owning the libs.”  Governor Pillen himself called people he disagrees with “libtards.”  

Is name calling a conservative value?

Is that the sort of message we want these clubs to promote?  Students are already concerned about school shooters. Should there be a club where some students think that if they get shot it’s just the price for freedom?

I support Governor Pillen’s goal of getting more high school students interested in the Constitution. I support more high school students getting involved in their communities. But instead of having a partisan group like Turning Point providing the curriculum, why not get an organization like the American Legion, or the League of Women Voters involved? 

Why back a group with a political agenda like Turning Point?  Aren’t there plenty of non-partisan or bi-partisan alternatives?  Instead of Turning Point trying to groom these students to be conservative, why not open the door to all options and let the kids decide for themselves? 

Teaching kids to be better citizens without the bigoted, overtly political overtones shouldn’t be this complicated. 

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.