Charlie Kirk visit: Before you throw tomatoes, hear me out

This is a guest essay. Dakota Driemeyer is a USC junior, newly elected student government senator, and member of the university’s Turning Point USA Chapter and USC College Republicans.

“Go fuck yourself!”

Those were the exact words spoken to me at a student government forum last month when a fellow senatorial candidate found out I voted for President Donald Trump.

Instead of civil debate, I was met with hatred and an outright dismissal of my deep-held, conservative beliefs. Events of hatred like this do not exist in a vacuum at USC. This isn’t just about one insult — it’s about a culture that treats conservative beliefs as dangerous rather than debatable. At a time when all hope seems lost for genuine and productive political conversations, we need them now more than ever.

Given the need for more conversations like these, the Turning Point USA chapter here at USC worked diligently to bring conservative commentator Charlie Kirk to campus. Today at noon, he’ll set up near Tommy Trojan to debate students, faculty, and other community members about a wide range of our country’s most hot-button issues.

For many left-leaning Trojans, this has sparked outrage.

But Kirk demonstrates something we desperately need more of in our political discourse: a willingness to listen to the opposition. Yes, in his most viral clips, Kirk can appear bombastic. But so do his rhetorical opponents.

If you can spare five minutes, watch the beginning of this viral Jubilee video in which Kirk debates 25 progressive college students. He makes common-sense points delivered in lucid, rational arguments. All are representative of how a substantial portion of our country feels, which the progressive left seems to forget.

Then consider that it is a college student, not Kirk, who assails their opponent’s physical appearance. (“Ugh, his smile is creepy” one student says in an unprompted tangent while debating abortion.)

In social media posts, students have been up in arms about Kirk’s visit, some going as far as to suggest throwing tomatoes at him. Those posts may be tongue-in-cheek. But I’d urge any student who agrees with the sentiment to consider the fact that we live in a country founded on tenets of free speech and open discourse.

Are we really going to squander those ideals because we’re afraid of a debate? Members of the left have sought to silence conservative voices on issues like the tragedy that is abortion or the attack on religious freedom. I cannot stomach that.

As a kid growing up in deep-red rural Illinois, I was always told we have more in common than we do different. We must focus on our commonalities and hear each other out. Because at the end of the day, we are all Americans.

So I encourage you, whether progressive or conservative, to ask Kirk a question today. You might learn something about the conservative movement. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll learn something too.

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