Turning Point USA resumed its “America Love it or Leave it Tour” Thursday at the campus of Grand Canyon University (GCU).
TPUSA CEO, Erika Kirk, along with contributors Brandon Tatum and Shane Winnings, each addressed the importance of maintaining a faithful spirit in one’s convictions while engaging with the political process of the country.
Shane Winnings, who was introduced Wednesday as TPUSA’s newest contributor, spoke to the audience about the future of the US and the possible trajectory the country could follow amid the lingering presence of problematic ideologies.
“My fellow Americans, I stand here with love in my heart and say that there is a great work that we are doing, but there is an enemy within our camp,” Winnings noted. “There is a cancerous doctrine at work. which seeks to disregard the next in line and squeeze every drop out of this country that they can for themselves.”
“There is an evil ideology at work corrupting the hearts and minds of those who are swept away and indoctrinated by it: this is the fallen path called progressivism, ” he continued, expanding on the effect of progressivism on Americans. “Progressivism discounts, dismisses, and even demonizes the American dream. It is a robber of innocence, a thief of joy, and a plague to the nation. It steals wonder and awe from the souls of those it captures, and it convinces them that this is normal. It has no regard for the youth of America and seeks to impute upon them its own selfish and destructive way of life in order to recruit them into its ranks.”
Winnings also noted that this ideology has led to a destructive attitude toward the nation’s history and monuments representing it. National mistakes of the past that were “course corrected,” provide no justification for this destructiveness.
“The same country that participated in slavery also fought itself to end it,” said Winnings. “The same country that practiced segregation, also abolished it and gave rights to all people. The same country that oppressed women also gave women the right to a wage and to property, and even to vote. The problem is not the country, it’s who’s making the decisions. Instead of teaching our citizens to be thankful and take ownership of this great nation. We’ve seen it villainized, the flag burned and spit on, and other flags hoisted in its place.”
Winnings and Brandon Tatum then conducted a question-and-answer panel with attendees of the tour stop who asked questions on faith and politics, values, and viral news stories, among other subjects.
On the controversial topic of politics being preached in churches, Tatum called for the church to be more vocal on political issues, and not make the attempt “to appease everybody.” He argued that issues such as abortion are beyond politics.
“These things are not political. Abortion is not political,” he said. “And we should be preaching against that. When you talk, you speak about some of these other moral issues, the Christian church should be leading in these things. Let me just say it like this, as a Christian, there’s nothing in my life that’s not Christ centered. Nothing. If I’m voting, it’s, it’s got to line up with Jesus. If I’m riding my bike down the street, it’s about Jesus. Everything I do is about Jesus and as a Christian you can’t be the type of person that [will] wussify your faith. Because people of other faiths, they’re preaching it. You won’t see a Muslim in the mosque say there’s no uh you know that there’s a separation between their politics and voting and their faith.”
In her speech, which closed the event, TPUSA CEO Erika Kirk noted the importance of an American “renewal,” which prominently involves US domestic life.
“But the renewal of America doesn’t begin in Washington,” Kirk stated. “It begins in the home. Washington is downstream from the American home. The renewal of America begins when fathers understand the weight of fatherhood; and mothers understand the dignity of motherhood. It’s an amazing season of life, and it starts when young men learn that strength exists to protect rather than dominate, and young women know their worth is not measured by attention.”
When witnessed by their children, the actions of parents manifest a potent and memorable influence, Kirk emphasized.
“And when children see their parents pray and read scripture, and when families return to church, they put down their phone and they actually have a meal together engaging with one another. We as Christians should not stop seeking how comfortably we can just fit inside of culture. Instead, we need to start asking how faithfully we can transform it. I want to encourage you guys to get married, even though the world will tell you marriage is outdated, marriage is the best.”
Toward the end of her speech, Kirk announced a scholarship award for GCU student Jordan Capri Daly to the amount of $5,000.
