Economist Walter Williams speaks to the Young America's Foundation conference |
Buffeted and beleaguered in several recent elections, conservatives of all political persuasions may have reason to hope, yet. And the reason? President Obama.
In the past few days, hundreds of the top young conservative leaders and libertarian activists spent time at George Washington University attending the Young America's Foundation 31st annual National Conservative Student Conference.
"Young people are energized and inspired to advance conservative ideas on their campuses. Obama has initiated the largest power grab over private capital in the history of the United States. Now more than ever, we need freedom-loving people to combat his miserable and statist agenda," said Jason Mattera, a spokesman for the foundation.
He said the current White House administration is providing a multitude of policies that young conservatives and libertarians are eager to wage war against.
Ron Meyer and Matt Donatelli, both students at Principia College, host their own radio show called, "We The People." They say they are politically active and have dedicated their time to campaigning for causes and candidates that align with the freedom and liberties at America's foundations.
They are just two of hundreds of students who attended the conference from across the nation who are working on a grass-roots level to promote conservative values.
Speakers at this year's conference included big-name conservatives such as Newt Gingrich, Ann Coulter, Sen. Jim DeMint, Monica Crowley and Stephen Moore.
The hot topics were the pending – and controversial – plan to nationalize health care proposed by Democrats in Congress and Obama, the Waxman-Markey "Cap-and-Trade" plan to create massive new levels of taxation for energy producers and energy users and the 2010 election.
Attendees planned grass-roots efforts to combat these pieces of legislation including attending town hall meetings, hosting campus speakers and doing door-to-door campaigning against them.
Students also were given the opportunity to interact with key leaders and network with their peers.
Members of the Young Britons' Foundation also were present for the conference representing their nonprofit educational organization that works to "promote conservatism in schools, colleges and universities."
The goal of the organization is to train conservative leaders for political office, academia and the media.
Since its founding in 1969, Young America's Foundation has served as a forum for education and training for young conservative activists as well as a resource to help facilitate activism.
WND columnist Burt Prelutsky had warned only a few weeks ago that young conservatives are an endangered species.
"Let a child be raised by wolves and you shouldn't be too surprised if, upon being rescued, his table manners leave something to be desired," he wrote. "I'm not engaging in hyperbole when I say that I'd sooner send a youngster to Florida during hurricane season than to most colleges. As I see it, he or she has a very good chance of surviving the hurricanes. Their hair might get mussed, but at least their brains wouldn't be scrambled."
He continued, "Frankly, I'm surprised that there are any young conservatives left in America. They deserve to be on the list of endangered species. Considering the amount of pressure they face from peers and professors, I am in awe of those with the gumption to stand their ground. If the nation's Founding Fathers came back to life, I believe they'd recognize them as the progeny of those Americans they last saw hurling tea into Boston Harbor, fighting at Lexington and freezing at Valley Forge.