To: Anne Arundel Community College Administration and Board of Trustees

Why This Petition Matters
Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) is a public institution supported by Maryland taxpayers and dedicated to educating students from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. As such, it is obligated not only to follow the First Amendment but also to uphold the spirit of academic freedom.

Recently, a petition was launched attempting to prevent the formation of a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapter at AACC. This effort seeks to silence certain political views by labeling them controversial rather than engaging them through open debate.

We, the undersigned community members, alumni, taxpayers, and advocates for free expression, believe this is wrong. Students at AACC deserve the same rights to form organizations, participate in dialogue, and express their beliefs as any other group on campus.

The Principles at Stake
1. Free Speech and Constitutional Rights
As a public college, AACC is bound by the First Amendment. Courts have consistently ruled that public institutions cannot discriminate against student groups based on political viewpoint. Blocking the recognition of a TPUSA chapter solely because some disagree with its ideas would be unconstitutional.

2. Equal Treatment for All Students
AACC already allows other political, cultural, and ideological organizations. To deny one group based on viewpoint would establish a double standard, excluding conservative students from full participation in campus life. True inclusivity requires equal opportunity for every perspective — not selective silence.

3. Educational Value of Debate
Higher education is supposed to be a marketplace of ideas. That marketplace becomes weaker if one side is barred from the conversation. Students learn best when they are exposed to competing perspectives, challenged to think critically, and encouraged to test their own beliefs.

About Turning Point USA
Turning Point USA is a non-profit organization that champions:

• Free markets
• Limited government
• Individual liberty and responsibility

Whether or not one agrees with these principles, they represent a valid and important part of America’s democratic discourse. Students should have the right to organize around these values, just as students with progressive or liberal beliefs organize around theirs.

 
The National Context
The push to silence conservative voices on campus is part of a troubling national trend. In recent years:

• According to a 2020 Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) survey, 60% of college students admit to self-censoring for fear of backlash from peers or professors.
• Conservative students in particular report feeling marginalized, often discouraged from speaking up in classrooms or forming student groups.
• Colleges that pride themselves on “diversity and inclusion” are sometimes guilty of excluding ideological diversity — the very diversity that makes education meaningful.

By approving a TPUSA chapter, AACC has an opportunity to stand against this trend and demonstrate that it values open dialogue and fairness.

Addressing Concerns
Critics claim that TPUSA brings “bigotry” or “harm” to campuses. But the proper way to address controversial views is through debate, dialogue, and counter-speech, not censorship. Suppressing one group does not create safety — it creates resentment and deepens division.

If AACC truly values inclusivity, it must trust students to engage in difficult conversations, hear opposing arguments, and form their own conclusions. Shielding students from views they may disagree with only weakens their intellectual development.

 
Our Requests
We respectfully call on AACC leadership to:

1. Recognize the Turning Point USA chapter under the same rules and standards applied to all other student groups.
2. Affirm its commitment to free speech and viewpoint diversity, making clear that students will not be punished for their political beliefs.
3. Reject attempts at ideological censorship, ensuring AACC remains a place of learning, not exclusion.
    

A Call to Action
This petition is not about whether you personally agree with TPUSA. It is about whether you believe students should have the same rights, regardless of their political viewpoint.

We urge Anne Arundel Community College to uphold the principles of fairness, equal treatment, and free expression by approving the TPUSA chapter.

By signing this petition, you affirm your support for:

• A free and open academic environment
• Equal rights for all student organizations
• Intellectual diversity as a cornerstone of higher education

Let AACC be known as a college that values open dialogue, not one that silences voices.

Please sign and share this petition to protect free speech and student rights at Anne Arundel Community College.