Conservative Punk Marine - (A "Pat Tillman" of the punk rock music world...)

In 1997, Michale Graves, then lead singer for the horror punk rock group the Misfits, found himself on tour in Germany at the site where the Berlin Wall once stood. He took home with him a piece of that wall and with a few years' time, a bold commitment to fighting the mindset that built it.

Punk rock is all about resisting the establishment. But punk rock itself has an establishment that is driven by Left wing, anti-war, anti-life, anti-faith politics. To scream, as Green Day does in its new CD "American Idiot," "I'm not a part of a redneck agenda" - is hardly a backlash against the cultural establishment; it is a blaring affirmation of pop cultural values. As a punk rocker himself, now as lead singer for Gotham Road, 29-year old Michale Graves may seem an unusual critic of his peers like Green Day in the genre, but he is determined to be a voice for change. Graves is a true warrior against the establishment.

"It's important that there be a new tone set throughout the music industry as well as the Hollywood community," Graves told me. "Pop culture today teaches young people that money is the end all be all, power, greed and the degradation of women is what is cool. The true spirit and soul of America was felt and seen in the days after September 11, 2001."

In those days following the attacks on America, the punk rock community pronounced great vitriol on the nation and on President Bush. And then, as Punkvoter.com announced the day after the 2004 election, "There's no f***ing way I am going to come together with these homophobic, flag-waving, god-fearing, gun-toting, uneducated, isolationist, ethnocentric REDNECKS. We live in a country that's in a shroud of ignorance. We do not compromise or come together with them. We fight them and everything they stand for."

Repulsed by the prevailing hate-America attitude within the punk rock community that was especially stirred by Punkvoter.com, Graves was involved in the founding of conservativepunk.com last January. "Conservative punk is definitely growing in popularity," said Graves. "The motivation behind con-punk came from the mobilization of bands and record companies across the board with the radical left and the Democratic party. What about all of us who thought differently than they did? Why couldn't we have our own opinions on things? Why should we be outcasts just because we don't agree? Who was going to challenge them? Who were they to define something that they had no right to claim?"

Conservative Punk answered to a market demand that Graves believes is growing amongst young, patriotic Americans who find themselves alienated from Left-wing establishment punk. "More young people are identifying themselves as conservative" because "the left in this country now ride on the America is all bad message. By blaming this country for all the ills and horrors of not only domestic problems but of the entire planet they have backed themselves into an intellectual corner that just doesn't resonate in the hearts of many people." While Graves believes that young people naturally tend to be more liberal, he recognizes a rapidly growing conservatism in young America. So even punk rock (who would have thought?) is joining the conservative movement.

While Anti-Flag belched, "die for your country? that's sh**!" and "F*** the flag and f*** you," Michale Graves wanted to send a different message. "I especially wanted to combat the negative views that were being put forth concerning our country and the men and women who were protecting it," he said.

And in August, Graves made his most patriotic act of all, by enlisting in the United States Marine Corps. "There are some who believe that my choice to serve arose overnight from some sort of publicity stunt or a desire to prove something in light of my outspokenness concerning conservative ideals and the election." But Graves says that there are higher ideals that inspired him to serve. "It is the pursuit of excellence, tradition, and strength that drives me to want to be a Marine."

Graves heads to U.S. Marine Corps basic training in January. He is proof that America is alive and well, that even behind the fake blood and the skulls of his old act, Michale Graves was not beyond the grace of God and the call of his country.

Graves is using his musical talents and fan base to reach young Americans with the message that America is worth fighting for. "The key to this country's future is education and inspiration," he says. "I believe it to be so important that young people learn our country's history. We must hold on to the moral and spiritual foundation that this country was founded and built upon."

"We also have to inspire young people by having role models of substance and strong ethical character," he says. And in a conservative punk Marine named Michale Graves is a truly substantial role model for young Americans.

Hans Zeiger, a political commentator and youth activist, is known as one of the most opinionated teenagers in America. The 18 year-old from Puyallup, Washington is the founder and national spokesman for the Scout Honor Coalition, a network of supporters of values held by the Boy Scouts of America. As an Eagle Scout, Hans has taken the lead of the effort to defend the Boy Scouts from attacks by Left-wing pressure groups. Hans’ regular column appears in the Seattle Times, Sierra Times, Renew America online, DebateUSA.com, American Daily, America’s Voices, Republican Daily News, TheRealityCheck.org, The Right Report, and yconservatives.com. He has written for a variety of newspapers, magazines, and e-zines including the San Francisco Chronicle, Hawaii Reporter, The New American, Orthodoxy Today, Philadelphia Daily News, Education Reporter, Tacoma News Tribune, WorldNetDaily, Townhall.com, and GOPUSA.com. Hans served as chairman of Washington Young Americans for Freedom from 2001 through 2003. He worked as the nation’s youngest Policy Research Assistant at the Evergreen Freedom Foundation (EFF), a public policy think-tank organization in Olympia, Washington dedicated to accountability in government. He has been a guest on numerous radio and television programs, including National Public Radio, the Lars Larson Show, Republican Radio, Crosstalk, and the Laura Ingraham show. Hans has been noted in newspapers and magazines, including Today’s Global News, Education Week, Boys’ Life, and Christianity Today. He has spoken to business conferences, colleges, rallies, civic groups, and churches. Dubbed in a 2000 Eastside Journal article as a political “veteran,” Hans was a Pierce County coordinator for the Senate campaign of Linda Smith in 1998, leading phone banks for three legislative districts at the age of 13. In 1999, Hans served as the northwestern director of the Youth for Dan Quayle coalition, then as state chair of Students for Alan Keyes. He was chair of Take Back Washington 2000 in the gubernatorial campaign for Harold Hochstatter, then director of Students for John Carlson for Governor. In 2002, Hans was political director for Sarah Casada for Congress. Currently, Hans is the managing consultant for the Defense of Family Initiative in Tacoma, Washington. Hans teaches Sunday School to 9-12 year olds, led a school Bible study, served as Class President at Puyallup High School, ran track and cross country, and founded the school’s Sportsmanship Campaign. He plays the violin and piano, practices Lincoln-Douglas and Controversy debate, and is the 2003 American Legion Orator for Washington State.

Why is everyone here against Green Day? It is a concept album and its being put out there because Billie Joe wanted to speak out his opinion , anything wrong with that? Maybe you should understand what the whole album is about before criticizing.

And yes they do have talent, ever tried played some songs? at least they come up with their own songs.Argh o well.

Punk is hypocritical and even founders of punk rock did it for the money, such as the SEx Pistols. Why don't you quit worrying about what is punk and what isn't. Its just about the music or it is supposed to be at least. If you like the music then fine if not then thats fine too. Stop worrying about what is Punk Rock. Its too popular and mainstream today anyway. It was never intended for people to like the bands, lyrics, or even music. It was just loud, high energy, and the band isn't supposed to give a fuck if you like it or not. It is voicing an opinion through music much like Rap and Hip Hop. Greenday sure doesn't give a fuck if you like their music or not and in their new album are voicing their opinion on isses. Going back to my point about "Punk" being mainstream, if you really want to be "Punk" then I suggest you may as well listen to Menudo or New Kids on the Block and other not so popular music. While your at it! You may as well dress conservatiive in a shirt and tie because the "Punk" look is mainstream too... The movie "SLC Punk" illustrates my points very well, that is you can understand what's going on in the movie...

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