Campus Reform reports that onn Friday two students at the College of Dupage and an advisor with the nationwide student group Turning Point USA were collecting signatures to help get a Turning Point USA chapter started on campus as well as passing out pocket constitutions; the day after Constitution Day, when they were approached by campus police who asked them to stop gathering the signatures and handing out the literature until the obtained a permit to do so from the College.
At one point the officer said that unless they went to the Student Life Center to get the permit he would have to “lock you up” for “solicitation”.
Much of the encounter was captured on cell phone video.
In an email over the weekend College of DuPage trustee Frank Napolitano, one of the new members elected to reform and clean up the College following a myriad of scandals involving the soon to be ex-President of the College, said that, “The first amendment is very important to me, and I am looking into this matter. I hope to avoid future issues like this. Students and young people, as well all citizens need to know they can express themselves without fear of being silenced.”
In a posting on its website Turning Point USA says that, ” The students were handing out literature discussing free speech zones on campuses across the country. The intent of Turning Point’s message was to engage students on the discussion of free speech, however the intervention by campus police forced the students to leave campus on the threat of being arrested. Is free speech still alive in America? Or is this the first of many steps towards censoring America’s youth?”.
Turning Point USA is a student grassroots organization started by Wheeling native Charlie Kirk that currently has chapters in high schools and college campuses across the country educating young people about limited government and the benefits of free enterprise. Kirk can been seen regularly on Fox Business Network.
