Yesterday was incredible. I had the privilege of honoring Charlie Kirk by participating in a “Prove Me Wrong” event at the University of Montevallo as part of Turning Point USA's (TPUSA) Pick Up the Mic initiative.
I have never done anything quite like that before, and my hope was to be able to speak the truth plainly in a way that wasn't combative, but hopefully jovial and entertaining. By the grace of God, I feel like I was able to pull that off.
The students ranged from radically left to right-wing, while the questions ranged from hostile ones about abortion and homosexuality to some about homeschooling and being a stay-at-home mom. The event lasted for two hours, and there was little to no time when there wasn't engagement.
I was also asked about my criminal record and allowed to share my testimony, which seemed to resonate with the students.
TPUSA reported a student attendance between 220 and 300; about 70% of them stayed for the entire two hours, while others came and went.
There was obviously a lot of controversy leading up to the event, with students staging a walkout to protest the school allowing me to speak on campus, as well as numerous death threats on social media, Discord, and other places.
When the University of Montevallo cancelled the initial event, my first impression was that the school caved to pressure from the students. The university said they were genuinely concerned about security threats and wanted to provide a safe environment for the sharing of ideas.
Based on how yesterday went, I believe my initial impression was wrong and that the university meant what it said because the university went to extraordinary lengths to secure the campus so the event could continue. They proved me wrong – pun intended.
I want to give a shout-out to the University of Montevallo Police Department, the Montevallo Police Department, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, the Alabaster Police Department, the Montevallo Fire Department and Fido Security.
All these agencies worked flawlessly together to deliver one of the most secure, yet open, events I've ever attended. From pre-event planning and real-time intelligence gathering to overwatch and medical standby, all officers, deputies and firefighters collaborated to facilitate an impressive security posture typically only seen on presidential-level visits.
I also want to thank the University of Montevallo for providing the opportunity to debate and freely share ideas. Their commitment to this principle was made very clear yesterday.
I am deeply grateful to each person who made this possible – from the TPUSA reps and students in the local chapter who handed out flyers for days leading up to the event, to the students who had the courage to come up to the mic, and even the students who wanted to listen to opinions differing from their own.
It was truly a special day, and I believe God was glorified.
The entire Prove me Wrong event held at The University of Montevallo will be published as a podcast on 1819 News: The Podcast.
Bryan Dawson is CEO of 1819 News. He is the host of 1819 News: The Podcast.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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