Out of Recess and Into a Recession: Confessions of a Sixth Grade Republican
By: Mickey Hart
‘Any man who is under 30, and is not a liberal, has no heart; and any man who is over 30, and is not a conservative, has no brains.’ -Winston Churchill
I still remember the day I first thought of myself as a conservative Republican. I was in the sixth grade. Our social studies class decided to do a mock election and, as luck would have it, I got picked to run as “Mickey Clinton”. The assignment revolved around researching the candidate, putting together a stump speech for the class, and campaigning around the school for that week.
I lost, handily, because “Timmy Dole” was the popular kid in class and I was the history nerd with a penchant for reading my history textbook while everyone else played kickball on the school yard.
I digress, however, as thats not the point. In doing my research on Clinton, I expected to be amazed by the wonders of the man and his ability to change the world. After all, to a sixth grader, being POTUS is akin to being Superman, except instead of being impervious to bullets, he has Secret Service. Instead of kryptonite....Monica Lewinsky and Kenneth Starr.
My expectations couldn’t be further from the truth. Even as an eleven year old, I could tell something was wrong with what he was trying to peddle as president. It just didn’t make sense.
Thirteen years later, a lot has changed in the world, but I imagine there are many sixth graders coming to the same conclusion.
The quote at the top of this article, attributed to Winston Churchill, posits that young people are more accustomed to liberalism. Why? Because we’re supposed to be naive, idealistic, not yet jaded, still full of vigor and hope to change the world.
The theory has always been that liberals want to change the world- they are the influencers that make the positive change that the world needs. Conservatives are just crusty old guard who want to keep the same ideas and run the course.
I can’t believe that. Not one bit.
For far too long, conservatives and Republicans alike have stayed stoic, stayed out of the name calling, the pigeonholing, etc. We allowed liberals to paint us any color they wanted and we stuck with it. Too concerned with actually making a difference, we began to forget that, in the court of public opinion, all the positive change in the world doesn’t make one bit of difference if you can’t get people behind it.
So I ask, why can’t we be the world changers? What is so inherently wrong with conservatism and Republicanism that we can’t be positive change.
The answer, my friends, is nothing.
This past weekend at a commencement, Obama spoke negatively on the internet and the new media, claiming blogs and other news media may not be the most truthful and are making media another form of entertainment instead of the empowerment it should be.
It is time to show him just how wrong he is. I don’t write for entertainment, I write for empowerment. As the youth of a technologically advanced America, we have a power that our parents, or their parents, or their parent’s parents never could have thought existed.
You’re reading this on the College Republican National Committee website, which means you’re empowered. Or you’re bored, surfing and using the internet as entertainment (for shame!).
Either way, take a stand. Republicans can’t sit back anymore and let the mud roll off our chests. Get involved.
Volunteer for campaigns. This is a huge year. Though you may not understand the intricacies of Congress, seating gains, campaign finance, etc....know that the more we win, the better the chance that we get America back on track. You can volunteer through this website, you can go to your local Republican Party office and sign up, you can find your College Republicans chapter OR even start one if your campus doesn’t have one (all done through this fantastic website, as well).
Donate. If you don’t have money, donate time. Phone banking, door-to-door organizing. Or, if you’re old school, grab a milk crate, stand in the middle of campus, and educate your peers on what you feel is wrong.
Debate. Don’t be silent. Silence is the worst thing you can do right now. I know you have opinions. Don’t keep them to yourself. Share them. If somebody raises points that you don’t agree with, challenge them (respectfully, obviously). Though you may not change their minds, you never know who may be listening in and be swayed.
Recruit. Maybe you’re so busy on campus you just don’t have the time to commit to this noble cause, but you know five people with the time and the same beliefs. Get them involved. Find the connecting piece that will cause them to rise up from their seclusion and take a stand for what they believe in.
There’s a lot you can do. Those are just a few ideas. But its up to you to take the power we’ve been given and run with it.
I found my beliefs in the sixth grade. I secretly rooted for Bush in 2000 as a freshman in high school. It took somebody from my campuses College Republicans showing me that I had a voice, that I could share my beliefs and that, above all else, I wasn’t wrong to think that way. It empowered me.
My hope is this empowers you. Its up to us to make this happen. We are the changing force America needs. We can take American and the GOP on our shoulders and make it better.
Let’s prove Churchill wrong.
Let’s prove Obama wrong.
But, most importantly, let’s prove each other right.
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