This past weekend in Dallas, I attended the 26th annual state convention of the Young Conservatives of Texas. It was a blast. Basically the YCT'ers have chapters on campuses across the Lone Star state. They are similar to the College Republicans, however they aren't necessarily "Republican" - but they're conservative. In other words, they don't answer to a party, but mostly to principle. They do support candidates, they do lobby, but they don't do it on behalf of the Republican party, but on behalf of their conservative principles.
I heard a number of great talks by leading conservatives and politicians, including Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams, who is a black Republican and an outstanding speaker! This guy not only didn't stand behind a podium during the lunchtime lecture on Saturday, but he also put the mic down and said, "Can you all hear me?" His talk is all about body language. He walks around, looks you in the eye, and is completely focused on what he has to say. I was impressed. I think this guy could be Governor of Texas someday - he's a truly principled conservative, and I'd probably go further and label him a "compassionate conservative." He's personal and longtime friends with President George W. Bush. Both are from Midland, Texas. In fact Williams was once running for something local in Midland about 20 years ago (mayor?) and he boasts having as his campaign manager, a young and energetic George W. Bush.
Later that night, I also heard a fantastic (and lengthy) speech by Representative Steve King (R-Iowa). Congressman King filled in for the absent Tom Tancredo. Both are great friends and both are perhaps the strongest advocates in Congress for a stronger immigration policy. They advocate building a wall or fence along the U.S./Mexican border and taking serious measures to stop illegal immigration and limit overall immigration. I mostly agree - and mostly because immigration has just gotten completely out of control. King's best statement about immigration: "A border defines a nation. If we can't control our borders, than we can't define them and without defined borders, we have no defined nation." (or something like that, I paraphrased)
The YCT'ers though really struck me. They are pure hard core activists. And they also know how to have a good time (I joined them in their "hospitality suite" on the 12th floor of the hotel for socializing on both Friday and Saturday nights). On Saturday night, the "YCT Chapter of the Year", the chapter from the University of North Texas, was running their video of an immigration "invasion" event/protest they held on their campus, which informed other students of how illegal immigrants are "invading" our nation. Their 10-minute long video was very well done and it showed how their event was very confrontational with many other students on campus, though hardly the majority.
I'm hoping that by introducing ISI to all these pure activists, we can turn them into intellectual-activists. Get them reading more conservative books and literature from ISI so they can defend their activism from principle and they can have the intellectual tools to use while they defend the conservative cause on campus.
The consensus from just about every student in Texas I meant was that most of their students at their schools are conservative, but their professors are not. However, the students on their campuses are mostly apathetic and so it's hard to get people involved, so they tell me. And I believe them, because I heard this sentiment echoed over and over again. And, it's not a surprise. Texas is a very conservative state, and so you'd think the student population is conservative - but you can never be sure about "the professors". Of course the major exception in Texas is UT-Austin - most of the students there are probably not conservative.
So, there's still more work to do in Texas - and not just at UT-Austin. We also have to get these conservatives more involved and get them reading more from the canon of conservative intellectual thought.
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3 comments:
Sadly, too many high school students don’t know the difference between legal and illegal immigration. But it’s not surprising, because their teachers and the news media call illegal aliens ‘immigrants’ and ‘undocumented workers’. Legal immigration means Americans are making conscious choices about who they admit for citizenship, illegal immigration is simply an invasion.
The students who are walking out of school and protesting today should really be asking themselves why their cities and states encourage illegal immigration by offering benefits to illegal aliens. That’s a slap in the face to every legal immigrant who waited in line for their chance to come to America.
My name is Michael Class. I live in the Seattle area with my wife and two children. I am a retired "dot-com" executive who just couldn't sit by and let the mis-education of our youth go unchallenged anymore.
I wrote, photographed, and published a book designed to set the record straight, to properly prepare our children for the future. My book is called Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame.
In the book, my real-life son, twelve-year-old Anthony, time-travels to 1907 and meets his immigrant great-grandfather at Ellis Island. Anthony listens as officials question the new arrivals and document their intentions in the United States. Anthony witnesses the personal impact of immigration policy: He sees some people turned away at America’s door, causing families to split up.
It's a harsh lesson: The purpose of immigration policy is to discriminate, to make choices about the people we want to admit to the United States.
Even when admitted to the United States, Anthony learns that life in the new land is anything but certain. Anthony’s great-grandfather masters the language of America - English - and works his way through school, only to end up in the trenches of World War I, and then back in America during the Great Depression. Eventually, he starts a business, rises from poverty, and raises a family.
To tell the story of America's earlier immigration experience, I used advanced digital photography to insert Anthony into historical photographs. And I didn’t stop with family history: Anthony meets famous American heroes and witnesses pivotal events of the 20th century. Anthony is pictured in the cockpit of the Spirit of St. Louis with Charles Lindbergh, on the moon with Neil Armstrong, in the laboratories of Thomas Edison and Jonas Salk, and on Normandy beach on D-Day (see photos at: www.MagicPictureFrame.com). Throughout the book, historical accuracy rules: Even Anthony’s conversations with America’s heroes are based on things they really said.
While writing and photographing the book, I spoke with relatives of famous scientists and inventors, Holocaust survivors, award-winning biographers, and others who could help me ensure that the facts of the book were both accurate and vivid. The book includes more than 500 footnotes.
But the book goes beyond a simple recitation of historical facts: the book presents the moral lessons of American history. The chapter about Lindbergh’s flight is really about choosing one’s destiny. The story of Lou Gehrig is one of a virtuous life. The chapter about Thomas Edison is really about business. The story of Apollo 11 is about wonder, taking risks, and courage. The story of Dr. Jonas Salk and the cure for polio is really about dedicating one’s life to a higher purpose. Anthony’s observation of D-Day and the liberation of the death camps during the Holocaust is a testament to the reality of evil and the need to fight it.
Back to the immigration issue:
When Anthony meets his immigrant great-grandfather at Ellis Island, it’s really a story about what it means to be an American. Anthony’s great-grandfather says: “I became an American because I believe in America, and it’s my belief in America that makes me an American.” Anthony comes to realize the simple truth of the statement, and remarks: “America is an idea as much as it is a place. I am no different than my great-grandfather and all the immigrants who came to this land: I can only be an American by choice.”
It's not an easy book. The book challenges the reader to see the modern world in the light of the lessons of the past.
We can't afford to raise a generation of Americans who do not value their country, their heritage, and their place in the world. As Abraham Lincoln said: America is the "last best hope of earth."
Thank you.
Michael S. Class
Father / Author / Photographer / Publisher
Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame: An American History Book for Right-Thinking Americans and Their Children
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E-Mail: class@MagicPictureFrame.com
Web site: www.MagicPictureFrame.com
Francisco, I'm sad to say that I only just now found your blog!! It was a pleasure meeting you at our convention. And like you, I really hope we'll be able to get more YCT-ers converted to "intellectual activists"!! I think that it is vital, so that one day we can reclaim academia.
I hope you can make it to Texas again sometime!
Michele Connole
Senior Vice Chairman, YCT
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