High Country Advocate Staff Report
The Chaffee County Patriots hosted the Gunnison, CO. chapter of Turning Point USA, Friday November 14th. The meeting began with Brian O’Connell, president of The Patriots welcoming attendees and noting a high turnout, possibly the largest in five years. A prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance followed, led by Brian. He emphasized the importance of community involvement and asked for guidance from the Holy Spirit during the discussion. The meeting was set to focus on founding a Turning Point USA chapter in Chaffee County.
Brian introduced the Chaffee County Patriots, Ltd. established in June of 2021. He spoke of monthly discourse events, explaining the purpose and history of the organization, and outlined upcoming activities, including flag waving and a Christmas potluck with a silent auction. He then handed the microphone over to Tom McCracken, who introduced the keynote speaker, 
Anthony Locke, who discussed his involvement in establishing Turning Point USA at Western Colorado University and emphasized the importance of community engagement.
Anthony discussed the establishment of a student organization at Western, founded by Charlie Kirk, which aims to educate and train students on principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government. He highlighted the initial lack of political engagement among students and the subsequent wave of hostility faced by the organization, which chose to respond with love, discipline, character, and prayer rather than hate. Despite the challenges, the chapter has grown significantly in just over a month, with 40 new members, and is actively involved in community service initiatives like food drives and collaborations with the Gunnison GOP. Anthony emphasized that the organization’s goal is not division but engagement, aiming to create spaces for respectful debate and foster a sense of community. He continued with the mission of Turning Point USA to empower young Americans to think critically and independently, emphasizing hope for the future. He explained the process of starting a community group, which involves filling out an interest form on the organization’s website. Anthony also mentioned the existence of Turning Point Faith chapters and shared his experience of getting a chapter approved by both the organization and the school, which involved overcoming various hurdles. The group’s first introductory meeting was held on Tuesday, with weekly meetings planned for Tuesdays at 7 PM in Gunnison. They incorporate faith into their discussions through weekly devotionals, or “Devos,” at meetings. The discussion continued on the establishment of a Turning Point chapter on campus, with participants discussing their approach to interfaith dialogue and debate training. The chapter, which launched its first meeting with 10-15 attendees, operates under the guidance of Megan, a national representative, and aims to teach students respectful communication skills. While the group respects all faiths, they maintain a focus on Christian principles and acknowledge challenges from social media, attributing some negativity to fear and misunderstanding rather than malicious intent.
Anthony further discussed the increasing presence of evil and darkness in society, particularly in large cities, and expressed optimism about a recent Christian revival among young people. He reflected on the changing nature of cities like Denver and the loss of community spirit, while emphasizing the importance of standing together against these challenges. The conversation also touched on the need for transparency within organizations and the complexities of reconnecting with the MAGA base, with Anthony acknowledging the difficulty of finding perfect politicians but emphasizing the importance of balancing good and evil in political decisions. The discussion shifted to Anthony talking about the importance of staying informed and making independent decisions, sharing his experiences with media and social media in Gunnison. He provided an overview of Turning Point USA chapters in Colorado, including locations in Gunnison, Colorado Mesa, Colorado College, and Northern Colorado. Anthony emphasized the need for community engagement and friendliness, contrasting big cities with smaller communities. He encouraged attendees to reach out to unfamiliar people in their community and offered support for high school chapters, mentioning Gunnison High School’s plans to start a chapter. When asked about a public discussion at Western Colorado University, Anthony explained that while it’s not currently planned in the same style as Charlie Kirk’s discussions, there are ongoing efforts to engage with the community. In addition to those listed, there are also TPUSA chapters being started at Ft Lewis College and Grand County.
The current status and future plans of the Turning Point USA chapter at Western Colorado University: Anthony explained that while they cannot host open discussions on school grounds, they plan to invite people to talk at their meetings and will share information through their Instagram account. Anthony also shared his personal journey of becoming involved with TPUSA and described the organization’s philosophy, emphasizing the importance of faith, family, and freedom. He advised the group to focus on establishing chapters in their community and high schools, providing support to students who want to start a chapter.
Anthony discussed the process of starting a Turning Point chapter, emphasizing the need for community involvement and support. He mentioned that chapters must originate in high schools or colleges. He encouraged attendees to volunteer and get involved. Jake Farber, a clay target coach, expressed interest in supporting the initiative and mentioned having eager students who want to participate. Anthony stressed the importance of signing up to show support for the cause.
The meeting focused on supporting high school students and promoting biblical principles, family, faith, and freedom in schools. Anthony emphasized the importance of showing love and compassion when engaging with school boards and communities, while also addressing concerns about the perception of Turning Point USA as an exclusionary group. The discussion highlighted the challenges of discussing faith and values in schools, with some participants expressing concerns about the organization’s approach to different faiths and political issues. Anthony also mentioned resources available for students and adults to facilitate respectful dialogue and political engagement. For more information click the link:
The meeting was not without distractions. Prior to the event, a group of uninformed protestors flamed social media with the usual fake Charlie Kirk propaganda and rhetoric. If they spent as much time fact-checking what they were protesting, they would not be protesting. Outside St. Rose of Lima, there were 11 radically uninformed protestors with the usual anti-American, anti-free speech rhetoric that they love. Some even carried rolls of toilet paper with them, one even a sign, 
a third-grade schoolyard bully tactic of connecting it with Turning Point USA. In true socialist street thug fashion, they left the area littered with their trash. High Country Advocate staff and the Buena Vista PD cleaned up after them.
Chaffee County Patriots were very pleased with the large crowd that attended. Except for a couple of the token radical types, the Town Hall was pleasant and orderly. Members of the public commented about how informed and polite the speaker was. The patriots also thanked the Buena Vista police who provided security.
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