I am a professor of the Humanities who specializes in political life in Western Civilization. I work at a small college and became a conservative as I saw systematic distortions take over the textbooks I used. Then I realized that I could not find ANY textbooks which were not full of twists and hidden messages. As the situation got worse and worse, I became interested in the constitutional history of the West and the idea of Western leadership. That only made it worse as I thought things through. So I became a full blown "extremist." But if my employers knew, I would be toast. So I come to Free Republic to at least talk freely.

Living in the bluest of the blue states has been an interesting challenge. It really leaves me with a choice--I can be effective or I can be open. I prefer to be effective. My students appreciate the fact that I give them options--and while my colleagues never know what to do with me, I never discuss my political views. If I did, then they could go after me in their classes. I don't and they can't. It must be very frustrating.