Abbott brags about bringing Turning Point USA clubs (called Club America) to Texas high schools

“Texas’s Republican Governor Greg Abbott announced that the state will be partnering with Turning Point USA to establish chapters of the right-wing youth organization launched by the late Charlie Kirk in every high school in Texas.

Governor Abbott said, “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.”

Turning Point USA’s high school chapters are called Club America.”

Believe it or not, growing up, I was a goth kid, obsessed with ghosts, vampires, witchcraft, the moon, and the night.

I grew up in Texas, and separation of church and state has always been weak for as long as I’ve known Texas, because religious fundamentalists control lots of what goes on within its borders.

The land in Texas was beautiful when I was growing up, but now most places are becoming polluted and overdeveloped, and many of the rivers, creeks, and streams are dry, low, or filthy.

Spring fed rivers, that no longer have springs (due to dropping water tables that can’t catch up to the water demands of business and citizens).

They act like water is an infinite resource that will never run dry, as they build more and more.

The schools in Texas have been influenced by “Christian” values for as long as I can remember too…

From grade school, when parents lobbied against Halloween costume days, to my high school days (in the early 2000s) when the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Club members would harass nonbelievers (like me).

Apparently, separation of church and state has some wiggle room for after school clubs, so I got some kids, and a mischievous teacher (who loved to encourage us to question authority and allowed us to push boundaries) to sponsor the school’s first Pagan Club.

Because, if the school allowed one religious club, they had to allow all religious clubs, as long as we followed the same rules.

Every thing the Christian clubs were allowed to do, we did… I made sure of it.

They even left us plaster our posters all over the school (inviting other students to come do rituals with us after class) - just like the Christian clubs were allowed to do.

… once upon a time, and many years ago.

So, when I hear Texas claiming it “will bring TPUSA chapters to every high school in the state” it’s the same Texas different day.

Photo of a younger me, face painted like a corpse.