Chapter founder and former president, Vincent Hazan, opened up about what he agreed and disagreed with Kirk on in exclusive interview with The Johnsonian.
By Chase Duncan
Copy Editor
News
Mass Communication major Vincent Hazan, founder and former president of Winthrop’s Turning Point USA chapter, disagreed with the organization’s founder Charlie Kirk on multiple political topics.
But as someone who founded his local organizational chapter to promote free speech and open dialogue on college campuses, Kirk’s assassination at a Turning Point event at Utah Valley University hit close to home.
“Regardless of what side, I believe everybody has a right to say what they feel and it should all be celebrated, regardless if you agree or disagree,” Hazan said. “…For anybody on either side to be assassinated for what they believe and what they speak is just not right.”
For many Americans, having respectful conversations about politics isn’t always as easy as just agreeing to disagree, especially when the conversations revolve around what rights the government can or can’t infringe upon, like marriage.
“It’s unfair,” Hazan said. “People should be able to live their lives and choose what they want to do. America was founded on the idea that everyone is equal. We haven’t seen that the past few years, on both sides. There are people who disagree with how the other side is living their life, and really it’s none of their business.”
Hazan said that when it comes to these difficult political conversations, erring away from the extreme and keeping an open mind is the best way to bridge strong ideological gaps.
“There are people like Charlie who, I won’t say extreme but have very personal values,” Hazan said. “Someone like me whose beliefs are open, come speak to someone like me. Don’t go to the person who is gonna get all the clout. I’m not talking to people for clout, I’m not talking to someone for a quick soundbite on Youtube. I’m talking to someone to understand who they are as a person and where they come from.”
Hazan said that Kirk’s assassination, though shocking and tragic, hasn’t shifted his personal position on politics at all.
“I still hold my beliefs to the highest point,” Hazan said. “Yes, it’s a shame and I did agree with him on some things and I did disagree. Just because he was assassinated, I don’t agree with him anymore than I agreed with him then.”
Since Kirk’s assassination, Hazan said the Winthrop chapter has received a surge of interest from students, faculty, recent graduates, distinguished alumni, and outside companies from the local area and Charlotte that have all expressed interest in getting involved or donating to the local chapter.
But despite the recent wave of interest that could strengthen and expand the type of political outreach his chapter could influence at Winthrop, Hazan said his organization chapter still has the same goal as when he started it.
“Since I started the chapter, it’s been all about free speech and promoting open dialogue on both sides,” Hazan said. “We welcome everyone to our meetings; we always have, we always will.”
Hazan’s number one message that he wanted to express to the American people was to stop demonizing people on the other side of the spectrum.
“People are gonna do things you agree with, people are going to do things you disagree with, that’s life,” Hazan said. “That’s life on a smaller scale like work, that’s life everywhere. Stop making it seem like everyone on one side is bad.”
Hazan said that the presidential role that presides over the Winthrop chapter is currently vacant and that the organization is searching for students who would be interested in serving in the position, or in the other leadership positions that are open.
“Going forward, we plan to continue Charlie’s legacy of the First Amendment,” Hazan said. “We welcome everybody and we want everybody to be there.”
