The State of Texas makes a Statement on TPUSA

State of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott

I realize that my playing devil’s advocate on the recent announcement that the State of Texas has partnered with Turning Point USA to allow schools to create clubs may offend some of my readers. I apologize, and perhaps I’m not so much playing devil’s advocate as I am issuing a bit of a warning.

First, some background:

Texas has launched a partnership with Turning Point USA to establish chapters of the conservative organization on every high school campus in the state. Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Turning Point USA Senior Director Josh Thifault announced the initiative Monday during a news conference at the Governor’s Mansion. While no directive requires schools to create the clubs, Abbott warned that he expects “meaningful disciplinary action” against “any stoppage of TPUSA in the great state of Texas.”

“Let me be clear: Any school that stands in the way of a Club America program in their school should be reported immediately to the Texas Education Agency,” Abbott said.

So, let’s take this apart for a minute. Gov. Greg Abbott is simply saying that schools will allow the forming of a TPUSA club in their schools and should not stand in the way of the club’s formation. That is fine; however, he then calls for the reporting of any school that “gets in the way” of forming the club. That is still fine, although a little threatening.

But what if a school allowed the forming of a club for the “Dark Arts of Science”? Would that be acceptable as well? It certainly appears so now, given the precedent that the state government will intervene in these types of matters. Should this not be best left to the schools themselves?

When you say it is acceptable for one group, you have to allow all groups. Abbott could say, “I don’t support the forming of the Dark Arts of Science groups in schools,” but what he cannot do now is stop it. The rights that allow a school to form a TPUSA club are the same rights that would allow a Dark Arts of Science club.

It’s a can of worms, and I’ll explain further. I own the Robertson County News and The Silsbee Bee. We play fair, honest, and abide by what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Could I inject my personal views and opinions into the very fabric of your community newspaper? Yes, and some think I do, but I don’t.

If the Methodists send me a news release, we run it. If the Catholics send one, we run it. Would I run a release from Satanists? No. There are limits. I will not allow your community newspaper to support harmful entities, but I own the newspaper and can make that decision. Abbott does not own the State of Texas, and his decision sets a troubling precedent for the future.

By going out on this slippery limb, he has opened the door for these types of groups. But consider your own opinion: Is TPUSA harmful? Is a club focused on LGBTQ+ issues harmful? Abbott acknowledged he would be unlikely to endorse a similar statewide effort for left-leaning causes but said “it would not be illegal” for such clubs to exist. Earlier this year, he signed Senate Bill 12, which bans student clubs focused on LGBTQ+ issues. At least one club is now illegal.

Zeph Capo, president of the Texas American Federation of Teachers, previously told The Texas Tribune that while groups like Turning Point may belong on college campuses, he does not believe they should operate in high schools, where students are more impressionable.

He has a point.

Our public schools need to focus on core education, stop teaching for an annual proficiency test and get back to teaching students how to balance a checkbook, real math and science, how to fill out a job application and sit in an interview, core values and practical life skills. I digress, because I could write 18 editorials on public education.

“This is about values,” Abbott said. “This is about constitutional principles. This is about a restoration of who we are as a country.”

Now, I’ll let the cat out of the bag: I agree with Abbott. But I’m not sure TPUSA should be the group teaching core values to our kids. Parents should pass down core values. If a parent doesn’t share mine, that is America. Strengthening our youths’ core values combined with real education—where teachers are free to teach and not buried in preparation—sounds like a step in the right direction.

Texas officials say more than 500 high schools already host Club America chapters. Thifault said the organization’s nationwide goal is 20,000 high school chapters.