2006: Turning point for young conservatives

WorldNetDaily ^ | January 5, 2006 | Hans Zeiger

[DogByte6RER]

2006: Turning point for young conservatives

Posted: January 5, 2006

By Hans Zeiger

Something big is going on in America, but few are yet aware of it. It is a generational shift comparable to that of the infamous '60s, and it will involve as much revolt and upheaval. In this case, revolution is desperately needed, for the previous revolution has almost destroyed the country. The new revolution will repair the country.

Yet 2006 will not be the beginning of the revolution – it has already been gathering steam now for several years. But it will, I predict, commence the vigorous public discussion of that revolution, much as it became clear sometime early or middle of the 1960s that a revolution was then taking place.

The main characters in the unfolding story are the Reagan Babies.

Reagan Babies are at the forefront of the rising generation. Those of us born between 1981 and 1989, the Reagan years, are on the cutting edge of what has variously been called the Millennial Generation or Generation Next or Generation Y. Reagan Babies are fascinating at the present moment because they are the emerging future leaders of America, now in high school and college and just joining the workforce and on the military frontlines of Iraq and Afghanistan. But beyond the present, the intellectual and political and cultural vanguard of our generation will hail from among the Reagan Babies. And it is decisively, revolutionarily, conservative.

Spiritually, Reagan Babies are interested in God and a return to more traditional patterns of faith. According to a UCLA study released in October, three out of four college students claim to be "searching for some meaning/purpose in life," and two thirds say they derive guidance and direction from their faith, and two thirds pray. There hasn't been a generation-wide Christian revival, but I am convinced that God is preparing our generation for such a revival.

"I think the generation today is open, they're searching and they're looking. They know there's more to life than just what you see," said Meredith Peterson, a volunteer for the 2006 Passion Conference which is expected to draw 18,000 students and young people to Nashville this week for prayer and worship. Young Christians are moving into the most influential places in our culture, and they are uniting together in the battle for hearts and minds. Evangelical Christian colleges have the fastest growing student bodies in higher education. Homeschoolers, most of them Christians, are ambitious and well-prepared for the world.

Morally, Reagan Babies are cautious and responsible. Teen pregnancy is down; teen abortion is down; teen drug use is down; youth volunteerism is up; manners and mores are coming back into fashion. Once, we were the most aborted generation, and now we are the most pro-life generation of Americans. Three in five young Americans support a complete ban or partial restrictions on abortion, according to a 2004 Zogby poll.

On campus, where the hippie Left has long thought their battle to be won, the growing conservatism of young Americans translates into activism. Conservatives are no longer silent in the classroom, popular Affirmative Action bake sales and conservative campus newspapers have confounded professors, and a well-funded network of "subversive" foundations and support networks is in place, ranging from Young Americas Foundation to the Intercollegiate Studies Institute to the Leadership Institute, and from College Republicans to pro-life and Christian student groups. Brendan Steinhauser, author of "The Conservative Revolution: How to Win the Battle on College Campuses," calls the surge of activism "the new counter-culture on America's campuses."

In November, Christopher Flickinger, a recent graduate of the Ohio University Scripps School of Journalism, launched the Network of College Conservatives. Flickinger's mission is "to educate, inform, expose and counter the liberal bias on college campuses throughout America." So far, students at around 220 colleges have signed up to be part of the Network. As Flickinger told FoxNews.com, "Hopefully, we'll bring this quiet revolution to a loud, boisterous battle."

So, 2006 is looking to be the year when the quiet revolution becomes loud.

Hans Zeiger is an Eagle Scout, president and founder of the Scout Honor Coalition and a student at Hillsdale College in Michigan. His new book, "Get Off My Honor: The Assault on the Boy Scouts of America," can be purchased from ShopNetDaily.

[XLurk]

The Bush adminsistration has violated every precept of fiscal conservatism. They have also violated every precept of the the US constitution and the bill of rights. Young conservatives do, and will despise, this corrupt, treasonous administration - if for no other reason than they cannot obtain decent paying jobs with which to pay the completely-unpayable national debt - because of the policies which have already destroyed this nation. The monster-government has crippled the economy - and caused many prospective entreprenuers to not even consider trying any longer.

[Moshikashitara]

As a Reagan Baby (I'll turn 18 later this year), it's nice to hear that I'm not nearly as alone in my views as I sometimes feel!

I think this is good news for our country - more God-fearing conservatives in prominent places will, hopefully, bring about something of a return to the original values of our founding fathers: Life, Love, Liberty and the right to pursue happiness. (Excuse my paraphrasing - need to re-read the Constitution! :))

While this certainly doesn't mean all of us Reagan-era children are, will be, or shall remain God-fearing conservatives.. I'd rather be optimistic and pray that more of us -will- be, rather than the oposite. After all, it won't hurt much more than the liberals' pride and values (if they have any) with more of us around, and hopefully it could only get better!

Regards, and God bless,
~Moshi-chan

[JNL]

Good to hear it. As I get older (I'm only yikes 39) and I cringe sometimes when young conservatives think that the spending today is normal and good. I remind them that eventually the bill comes due and we all get hit.

Dawning realization is usually the response.

Good luck to ya.

[mwfsu84]

Nah, young people have something the Boomers still lack to this day - common sense and maturity.

[MinorityRepublican]

I started that facebook group at my college and it is pretty popular too.

[JNL]

Well that is a bit harsh, this administration has done it's best after being dealt a very bad hand. However I agree that they have done alot that goes against every conservative bone in my body.

While I hope they hold the house this year, I truly want to see a close one, to slap them upside of the head.

You know you've got problems when the Dems start to sound fiscally responsible.

[somniferum]

Thats good to hear.. :)

Bush is my Homeboy

This group has 3062 members at MS State.

[ChadGore]

Interesting read. TY for posting.

[kanawa]

What is a 'facebook group' and an 'affirmative action bake sale'?

[scripter]

Good news on the horizon?

[mr_hammer]

Born in 61 here; I do not consider myself a boomer, but a Jonser. I cringe at the thought of being a boomer. The ones I know seem to be 50 something physically and 20 years old mentally. They are also selfish, high and broke.

I voted for Uncle Ronni in 80. Reagan summoned a new generation to repair the damage of the liberal lost 60's and 70's.

Anyone remember Lee Greenwood signing "Proud to be an American" at the Republican National Convention in 80?

Too bad a lot of the present RNC member's are just a bunch of RINO's who have sold out the idea's of limited government that Reagan held in such high regard.

[manwiththehands]

My daughter was born in '81. She remembers Reagan. She grew up listening to Rush with me. She is a conservative first, Republican second. Almost an Ann Coulter clone. Dad taught her right. The nation belongs to folks like her. It certainly doesn't belong to us and our current "Republican" "leaders".

[rock58seg]

Well now there's a half wrong, half right rant if I ever saw one.

Fiscally tax cuts are good, spending is bad. The administration has gotten half of it right.

Constitutionally, conservative judges good, mediocre judges bad. Except for Meirs, good.

Listening to foreign phone conversations good, Campaign finance reform bad.

Alien criminal invasion of our borders, lets not go there.

Iraq war good and getting better.

We'll get better at it with each successive country, Iran, Syria, North Korea.

Minorities advancing into our ownership society, and high profile govt. posts. good.

So overall The Bush Administration is a 50/50 proposition, at worst. They have done more good than harm.

I wish the same could be said of the last past three Democrat administrations. As bad as Carter was, LBJ, was worse, because he was effective in implementing the most damaging programs, which today bloat our federal spending.

[Chode]

but it's true... out of 45million abortions since Roe, RATS have had two to every one Rep., that's 15million less RATS to for RATs. and it's not going to change in the future.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Great kids. My only child is conservative too, but what I rarely tell anyone is that I didn't raise him to be all that politically minded. Enough, but not too much. He is what I would call a skeptical conservative. I tried to impress on him that all men have selfish, sinful, fallen natures and therefore blind trust is always unwise.

However his friends (well, from the high school years) are more what I would call empty conservatives. If you ask them, they will usually give you a conservative answer. But they have no depth, no idea why. That goes in both political and religious areas. It's scary because they could be led astray in a heartbeat.

[manwiththehands]

"The abortionists are killing off their progeny."

I agree. How many potential democRats have been aborted who would be voting today?

Millions.

[manwiththehands]

XLurk was banned. I agree the words were harsh, but certainly not anti-conservative. Guess he/she was deemed a "troll" for being too conservative.

[wildwood]

Reagan Babies are at the forefront of the rising generati

an interesting observation. the subject of reagan came up the other day in class and the kids who were overwhelmingly positive about him...SHOCKED that anyone thought badly of him.

interesting how those things shift, you know.

[manwiththehands]

"So overall The Bush Administration is a 50/50 proposition, at worst. They have done more good than harm."

XLurk was banned. Guess he/she was deemed to much of an "angry conservative".

I disagree that the Bush administration has done more good than harm.

If it were not for the war in Iraq just how angry would true conservatives be with President Bush? In my opinion, the country would have gone Kerry in '04 and 'Rat in '06.

Bush is not a conservative and Bush has done nothing for true conservatism except milk the war in Iraq and the "war on terror" for all he can get. His tax cuts are still in the air ... and his two nominees to the SCOTUS were good calls ... but it's too soon to tell how they will actually vote on important issues.

[goodnesswins]

Did you see Dreyfus on Hannity last night?....showed him giving a speech to journalists I believe....saying Pres. Bush should be impeached.....Dreyfus = Doofus....