Dear Greta Thunberg and Others Like Her

I heard many are talking about the recent climate strike led by Greta Thunberg so I share my thoughts in the format of an open letter…

Dear Greta Thunberg,

Needless to say I disagree with much of what you say, mainly that while we all must be cognizant of the impact we make on our planet, there is not much evidence the world which has weathered countless shifts in climate and atmospheric conditions, is going to end as people like AOC predicts within a decade or so. However, what inspired this open letter to you is not specifically to refute or rebuke your climate activism, but to draw attention to a much bigger issue: Youth and the Left’s indoctrination.

The thing that resonated with me about young people, teenagers like yourself is the nature of some of the backlash you’ve been getting in regards to your age. Many argue you are too young to make coherent arguments or that what you say is your own words and not the words of some other adult. However for the sake of argument I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume everything you wrote and said is of your own volition and creation. Believe it or not, I happen to disagree with some who say that you can’t possibly comprehend the arguments you make or the words you use because of your age.

See, I’m not too far removed from the feeling of being underestimated and dismissed due to being a teenager or young adult. I’m not a teenager anymore, but the memories still sting as someone who was somewhat above their age in vocabulary, writing and reasoning in many aspects as a child and teenager. I’ve had intellectual interests atypical of the average teen and was aware of bigger social issues at younger ages than most. So I personally know that young people can be articulate, intelligent, socially aware, capable and driven as any adult.

I also have known many others who were all of those things too and excelled in school and genuinely cared about their intellectual growth and aspirations. Luckily many of the adults around me encouraged and believed in my capabilities, but the ones who dismissed me still hurt me to this day. I do believe that at age 16, it is possible to have adult like intellectual maturity and present oneself in an articulate manner on an issue and that young people like yourself are more than capable. Just look at all the conservative youth such as CJ Pearson rising now who are articulate and mature. Your youth doesn’t disqualify you from having a valid argument or opinion, but it doesn’t shield you from criticism either. An idea is flawed or not flawed regardless if the person purporting it is 10 or 100.

Do I think you’re just lying? Not necessarily. I believe that you are truly convinced of your position, and your passion is genuine. However, you are part of a system that brainwashed you to the far Left from day one. Your schooling, society, authority figures, etc… guided you in the ideological direction you are going down now. Of course you don’t believe it, as well as countless other young people but the fact is you were educated in an educational system that only taught one side. A system that told you and others that conservative ideas, politics and values are the antithesis of progress, science, good policies, and even basic kindness and humanity. A system that taught you that conservative people are bigoted, intolerant, impervious to facts and ignorant and that anyone who sympathizes with conservative opinions are to be ridiculed and demonized. You may be genuine in your convictions, but you are still a pawn for the Left in that their views are the only ones you were ever taught as valid. They now can use you to further their agenda as the new young face of the Left, the polar opposite to the “old white man” Trump is. Deep down, I think young activists like yourself have the capacity for deep thought and genuine conviction, but simply have not been given the tools to foster your critical thinking.

The passion’s there, but the facts are not. No one doubts that the Parkland activists show passion for their cause and indeed have direct personal experience. However, their ideas about the best way to stop shootings are deeply flawed and take guns away from those who can defend themselves and others. If you have only been shown one side, you can’t truly understand the issue at hand. You can’t foster critical thinking skills with only one side of argument, yet that’s what the public school system has done, as well as society. Teens can be very capable intellectually, but they need to have been given the tools and mentorship to learn the art of thinking critically, which countless young people have not been.

Another point is, many on the Left criticize conservatives “attacking” you for your youth. Thing is, many are simply refuting your ideas, and expressing the fact that you’ve been brainwashed all your youth by the Left. You ask to be treated like an adult, so we are. Adults get criticism all the time, especially a public figure such as yourself. You can’t expect to be given pity points, or an intellectual free pass and be treated like an intellectually capable thinker. There are no safe spaces to hide in in the real world of adult ideas. I honestly feel sad you see the world as such a dismal place. The Left has tried to brainwash youth into thinking the world is literally going to end in a generation! Honestly, I’d give our planet more credit for its resilience in the face of change over its 4.6 billion year lifespan. (Also, your childhood was not “stolen”. Go to the nearest homeless shelter and ask those kids how their childhood’s going for them…)

You say you speak up because the adults have failed you, but on a related note, have you truly listened to them? Tried to understand their ideas or why they can’t do it the way you want it to be done? Many say youth can be idealistic, and unrealistic which is also very true. While intellectually capable of understanding, young people simply don’t have the same life experience as adults. You haven’t lived long enough to see what ideas have been proposed and worked or didn’t work. You haven’t been able to see over 40, 50, 60, 70, years etc… what politics has been like, whose promises came true and whose didn’t. Yes, we have a historical record, but you haven’t had a personal experience to develop your own intuition into when something’s a bit “off”.

Maybe some of the adults who allegedly “failed” you have seen similar claims come and go and think why should this time be special? I’m not saying teens are too dumb to understand the world, it’s simply a matter of life experience that one can only get by living longer. The world’s not all black and white, and even the most seemingly “simple” solution can have unintended consequences or flaws. Older people have made more mistakes than you and were able to learn from them thus tempering their idealism. I hope one day instead of viewing adults with contempt as negligent failures, you gain the wisdom they impart to you so you don’t have to make the same mistakes they did and gain a fast track to the wisdom they had to learn on their own. If it weren’t for my parents and conservative role models in my life, I’d be brainwashed too! They gave me the tools to think critically and resist the Left’s agenda.

Lastly, I do not oppose young people getting more involved in politics and various causes. I think it’s good to have an awareness outside yourself and your own immediate life and it is true that youth do inherit the future. I like many, are simply concerned that not all of it is youth driven, but driven by adults with agendas using young people as pawns. Or driven by youth without enough facts and experience in the issue at hand. Young people should be able to draw their own conclusions, but it’s impossible in an environment of brainwashing!

Think on this too: What concrete things are YOU personally doing to help change the environment? Beyond skipping class for a day, why not walk or bike to school? Carpool? Use energy saving lights. Cut down your carbon footprint in tangible ways if its so important to you. I’m not just saying this for you either, but to every kid who cut class last Friday! Why not go to school to LEARN ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE rather than use the cause as a flimsy excuse to cut class if you all care so much? Trust me, you’re all no more PhD level environmentalists than I am…

I see a passionate driven young woman, but one that is misguided and has been brainwashed. The Left doesn’t want to empower youth like you, they just want to exploit your inexperience and your raw passion to steer you to their agenda. They don’t want to give youth the vote for example because they’re capable, but because they’re gullible. Same with giving youth a voice on their platform. Maybe an intelligent, capable and passionate person like yourself will one day realize this.

Sincerely,

A Lady of Reason

When It’s Time to “Pass The Mic”…

For those familiar with the social climate in this country, many have probably heard the Left’s phrase to “pass the mic”. In essence, it means to give a voice to others, namely minority groups and the “marginalized” and listen to their perspective and not presume to speak for them. Nor to dismiss and invalidate what their perceptions of what’s going on. On the most basic level, it seems like common sense courtesy as we all deserve the right to be heard and have our viewpoint taken into serious consideration too. Also, it brings up the argument that those who are impacted by issues have the most right and the most valid experience with the issues at hand. Indeed, in one sense it seems to make perfect sense, but sadly our world isn’t such a simplistic place, and there are in fact flaws to this ideology also.

See, while it is a noble idea, some of it is oversimplified, namely that it strongly implies that the only valid opinion comes from those who are in the “in group”, whatever it may be. Of course, being an insider into an issue is valuable and can give perspectives outsiders wouldn’t think of immediately or take for granted. However, outsider input is equally as valid and important, as the disadvantage of being an insider is losing the impartial perspective, free from the emotional baggage and bias of an outsider looking in. It is not dismissive to give the outsider a perspective into what you believe affects you, it just adds more objectivity into often emotionally volatile circumstances. Think back to a time you felt really strongly that there was a situation where something grossly unfair or unjust happened. It could be as simple as one department at work “always” gets more coffee, or you seem to be getting ticketed for some minor traffic incident while the guy going 100 mph gets a free pass for some examples. Now imagine this has been going on for a while and you have had time to build up a temper over it!

Answer honestly: Do you truly feel that you can be fully objective in analyzing the situation? Why do you think they have judges and juries to decide outcomes in civil and criminal cases? Why not just let the defendant and plaintiff hash it out? 😉 I think we all know the answer to that one! Thus the value of outsider input. No one thinks that you’re dismissing the perspective of either side when you bring in a jury to decide the verdict impartially.

Yes, I for one example, may be in the “majority” group, but my perspective is valid too. Which brings up perhaps an even more important point: True equality is not taking one’s voice to give to another, but ensuring everyone has an equally important voice. It’s not about what is taken away from the “majority”, but rather what is given to the “minority” that the majority already has. In this case being heard. Us having our voice isn’t mutually exclusive with you having yours. Why can’t both sides be heard? Just because there’s been a negative history in which you didn’t have the voice you deserved in society, and we did, that doesn’t mean that taking it away and turning the tables into reverse discrimination solves the problem. It only puts the shoe on the other foot, when we should just get rid of that ill-fitting shoe altogether and buy a new pair!

Aside from that, the past is past, we’re talking about the present. We can’t change or undo the wrongs from yesterday, or a year ago or a century ago, but we can change what happens today and in our future. Don’t bring up the past then stagnate there in bitterness and resentment instead of moving forward. It may not be what people want to hear, but the majority has the same right to be heard and have an opinion now just as much as back then. Claiming a monopoly on the “correct” opinion, or interpretation of the facts is not true equality! Nor is trying to “even the score” by taking our voice away when you can have yours along side us. Believe it or not, countless conservatives will listen to you. The reason why many don’t seem to be is that no one likes to feel alienated and demonized and that they personally are the sole problem. We want a dialogue, not a monologue to put it succinctly.

However I will admit that there is some merit in the idea of giving an important voice to those who have experienced things firsthand. Which brings me to my final point on the subject: Why does this “pass the mic” policy seem to apply to thee but not to me so to speak? Like many things the Left makes into a double standard and selective outrage, you ask for your side to be heard, yet are all too quick to silence us when it’s our turn to speak. We hand you the mic, yet you won’t “pass it back” once you’ve had your turn to talk. For some relevant examples:

The white male who feels he is looked at as the “enemy” to progress and is told he can’t take credit, or deserves his achievements due to his skin color.

The conservative of color whose perspective is “No, actually, I’m privileged to have the bountiful opportunities this country brings me.”

The Hispanic immigrants who want others like themselves to come “fair and square” like they did.

The family of a 9/11 victim who read comments on social media about how their loved ones “deserved” 9/11 for the acts of our government overseas in which they had no control over. (Yes, I have the tweets to prove some do feel we deserved 9/11!)

The woman who says “I feel unsafe with biological men in my restrooms and locker rooms.” or disagrees with the idea she has to be like a man to be worth something as an autonomous human being.

The man who knows that on nothing more than a mere whim, can have his life utterly destroyed in one sentence.

The underprivileged youth who achieved the so called “mythological” American Dream.

The soldier who feels dismissed and unappreciated when all you see is what’s wrong with the country he fought to uphold, but never what’s right.

The police officer who had to make that split second call and pulled the trigger.

The parents who keep asking why there wasn’t a “good guy with a gun” when the unthinkable happened at their child’s school.

All the conservatives who feel like they must live a double life in a democracy of free speech.

And many others!

Look, we don’t mind taking turns and passing you the mic when you want it. We just want it passed back when you’re finished. 🙂

Back to School Time: Some Tips for Conservative Students

It’s back to school season and with it, often comes many challenges for conservative students and their families. From ultra-liberal public school brainwashing, to the elitist liberal colleges, conservative students and their families too, can feel ostracized, left out and silenced. However, there are ways to fight back big and small depending on your comfort level. Some are brave and come out boldly in their conservative views. Others feel it would jeopardize their futures too much and choose more covert methods to stick to their principles. Whatever you’re comfortable with, you must do what’s right for you. I judge no fellow patriot for going 100% out, or keeping it 100% in or choosing a middle ground like myself. After all, the ballot box is where we really get to be heard 😉 Here are some tips though to get you through another school year whether in public school or college:

Choose Your Battles in Voicing Your Opinion

Sometimes, you just have to pick your battles as the old saying goes! You don’t need to out yourself as a conservative on every social or political issue brought up in class. I had a professor who literally ranted about President Trump for 15 minutes in a class totally unrelated to politics! What did I do? Kept my mouth shut as that was not a battle I needed! However, in other cases I was irritated enough I did decide to at least partially share my views. You have to decide carefully when it’s worth the risk of sharing a conservative viewpoint openly in a highly liberal atmosphere. A middle ground is healthy.

Couch it Diplomatically

This is a huge point! It’s not just about being civil, as we always should be, but also about keeping a greater chance of not being ostracized by peers or teachers/professors! If you couch it more diplomatically, and refrain from being super blunt about it, you an have the best of both worlds: Staying true to your beliefs and standing up for them, without potentially alienating yourself from your classmates 🙂 They can also then see that conservatives aren’t so “evil” as they thought! The way I often approach it is to sympathize with at least one part of their argument before debunking it or couch it in terms of it furthering their ultimate goal but from a conservative perspective. Let them know you care as deeply as they do about the issue at hand, but have a different perspective on how to solve it, as many liberals think conservatives are coming from a lack of empathy and callousness.

Always Think “Does This Make Sense?” and Consider the Source

Go with your gut! If it sounds fishy or not making sense, it probably isn’t! Teachers and professors are often very educated and competent, but keep in mind they too were brainwashed by the Left and it can show. They genuinely believe they are teaching the factual thing, but it may not be the actual reality! If they provide sources for their information, consider the source. One professor only cited articles from CNN and other highly liberal news sites, and I’m not kidding, EVERY article was only from ONE perspective in a two sided issue! School should be about learning to think, not learning what to think! Learning for yourself is a lifelong skill you NEED. Sometimes, you are your own best teacher…

It’s Often for the Best Friendship and Politics Don’t Mix

A very important one! Just because you’re a conservative who has integrity and principles doesn’t mean you can’t be social with liberal classmates. I was good friends with several who had politics opposite of mine, but we shared other interests and hobbies and the same core values of kindness and integrity. Politics does not define you 100%. You are a multidimensional person and your political views are one part of who you are. In addition, unlike the radical Left, we don’t hate and demonize and dehumanize people solely for having different opinions! It’s good also to be exposed to opposing viewpoints other than your own as it strengthens your arguments, and may even change your perspective. Understanding does not always mean justifying, so don’t be afraid to understand where a liberal peer is coming from. You can share other sides of yourself with others. Of course, if you are lucky enough to connect with other fellow patriots through campus clubs or simply socializing then go right ahead and embrace your political side!

Always Stay True to Your Beliefs, but Find Clever Ways to Blend in When Needed 😉

This is huge for me! I have integrity and principles in my core beliefs as a conservative and would feel dishonest in falsely expressing leftist views just to blend in. However, sadly, until we gain more power back, the Left has become powerful enough to jeopardize our futures if we get too outspoken. I can’t put myself into a position where I would be blackballed and ostracized socially and professionally. However I also can’t change my core values as a person and a conservative an be a “sellout”. When the two objectives clash, I found some clever ways to do both:

For example, I wrote a liberal sounding essay thesis on a test I did, but I couched it as a presentation of a viewpoint on the subject, but not my viewpoint! You can write papers that sound more leftist, but be careful not to write it in a way that it comes off as your personal view, but present it as a viewpoint that is out there, or better yet, write others have this view then explain what it is while keeping it distant and impersonal. Avoid the first person or stating it as an indisputable fact such as instead of saying “I think”, or even “It is known…”, say “some students/people/(whoever you’re writing about)  think/feel…” for example. That way, you can blend into the ideas of your school, but not lie about your personal opinions or out yourself. After all, accurately presenting the other side’s argument is a valuable skill too!

For Parents: Always Talk to Your Kids About The Big Issues from Your Perspective and Why

If it weren’t for my parents keeping that line of open dialogue about these issues, I may have been yet another brainwashed lefty! I credit them and other conservative role models for shaping my conservative mind and principles. When they talk about the liberal biases they learn in class, counter with your side and make them think about both sides of the issue. Point out censorship and political correctness and impart a message of an open exchange of ideas. And sometimes, you just have to contradict what the teacher says in issues you feel are morally important, (such as your personal values on abortion for one example) and say, “I know you’re being taught this, but it’s flat out wrong…”. However, and this is hard, let your kid explore and form their own opinions even if they are on the other side of yours. They can change their mind later and they need your openness to not be shut out from you and dismiss you as “pale and stale” or ignorant. They need to see that conservatives are levelheaded everyday people and learn that you can love and respect someone you disagree with. We win hearts and minds through common sense and reason, not censorship and “correct” opinions.

Also know while it’s painful sometimes, don’t take it personally. The school system is powerful, from k through 12 to college and many are somewhat a product of their brainwashing over our whole school lives. A family friend’s daughter told her dad he had “white privilege”, dismissing all the adversity he faced, yet it wasn’t her fault and she meant no malice. She was simply brainwashed to believe it was true from school and society and thought it was a plain fact. Hopefully when she gets older, and had adversity and a family of her own, she’ll see reason. Many young people see reason and become more conservative as issues like the economy, immigration, healthcare, safety etc… become more personal to them when they own their own business, have a job, have a family to provide for and protect. Just wait 🙂 Until then though, always share your views and why you believe them!

What are some of your tips on surviving another liberal school year?