Today marks the second anniversary of the unification of Young America's Foundation and Young Americans for Freedom

There are now YAF chapters in more than 37 states on high school and college campuses where students are working to introduce, inspire and recruit their peers to become advocates for conservatism. These chapters are in addition to existing Foundation programs and contacts on more than 2,000 campuses, and Young America's Foundation continues to work with other conservative campus groups across the country. 

At the time of the merger, Dr. Lee Edwards, who was one of the nearly 100 young conservatives who founded Young Americans for Freedom at the home of William F. Buckley Jr. in September 1960 and founder of YAF's official publication, The New Guard,  wrote, "The Conservative Movement is always strongest when it is united and focused on the enemies of freedom, which is why I applaud enthusiastically the merger of Young Americans for Freedom and Young America's Foundation. The Left is hereby put on notice."

Indeed, this past semester, YAF chapters received more national recognition from Fox News, the Daily Caller, Breitbart, and many other news outlets. Just some of the advances YAF has made this year include:

• DePaul YAF fought back against  intolerance by exposing vandals who tore down their pro-life flag display
• Grosse Pointe South High School YAF defeated attempts to stop  Rick Santorum from speaking before a full school assembly
• Clemson University YAF stirred debate through their  second amendment banquet
• Hillsdale YAF organized a  memorial for Lady Margaret Thatcher and hosted Michael Medved and Katie Pavlich
• Marquette YAF hosted a  debate between Liz Cheney and Howard Dean to a capacity crowd
• YAF at Cal State Fullerton hosted Ann McElhinney and a screening of FrackNation
• YAF at the University of Texas-Permian Basin hosted Herman Cain

"Starting a YAF chapter has been the best decision of my college career," writes Mississippi College YAF chair Stephan Pitts. "As soon as you contact YAF about starting a chapter, they reach out to you and bring you in to their circle of knowledge and experience.  You get invited to conferences all over the country, you get materials to help spread the conservative message on your campus, and most of all, you become a part of the Conservative Movement."  

YAF chapters were provided with new resources to help them prevail on campus including the short film, " The Conservatives," activism initiatives, new brochures and flyers, discounts and transportation to Foundation conferences, including CPAC, and logistical and financial support to host prominent conservative speakers on campus. 

To further improve the services provided to YAF chapters, the Foundation hosted nine chapter chairs at the Reagan Ranch last weekend. The chairs spent time discussing new campus initiatives, new outreach methods, and materials to provide to new and growing clubs. 

Grosse Pointe North Chair, Grant Strobl said afterwards that, "the strategy session provided YAF chapter chairs an opportunity to develop ideas to help conservatism succeed on campus as well as creating new YAF swag and enjoying a memorable Humvee ride on the Reagan Ranch."  

Michael Jones, chairman of the Young Americans for Freedom Board of Governors states, "As we mark the second anniversary of the unification between Young America's Foundation and Young Americans for Freedom, we are further encouraged by the commitment of our members to the conservative principles which have served to advance the cause of freedom."

You can have the same success! If you want to promote conservatism, we will help you to quickly establish your club in no time. Sign up here or contact YAF Chapter Services Program Officer Kate Edwards to get started.   

The press release, from the Alliance Defending Freedom, is below:

HERNDON, VA - Young America's Foundation's 20th annual "Commencement Speakers Survey" reveals that 62 liberal speakers-and only 17 conservatives-are scheduled to speak or have already spoken at the 2012 commencement ceremonies for the top 100 universities as listed by U.S. News and World Report. 

Star-studded examples of imbalance include Newark, New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker speaking at his alma mater, Yale University, Washington University in St. Louis and Cornell University. Big government Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg will speak at Stanford University, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will keynote at the University of California-Davis School of Law's commencement, Oprah Winfrey is speaking to Harvard University, and Vice President Joe Biden will give graduates one last dose of liberalism at the University of Pennsylvania.

Liberal media will be all over college campuses this spring, too. The New York Times staff will be present at four commencements nationwide, including Syracuse University and Indiana University. A plethora of other liberal journalists, including PBS host Gwen Ifill, are addressing graduates. For perspective on the overwhelming bias, News Corp., which owns Fox News, the number-one ranked cable news station and The Wall Street Journal, the newspaper with the largest circulation in the county, has zero personalities speaking this spring.

To see the full list, please click here.

To be identified as "liberal" or "conservative" for the survey, speakers must have publicly supported ideological causes through speaking, writing, serving in public office, commentating, or financial contributions.

While these liberals indoctrinate college students, conservative voices are being silenced. Neurosurgeon Dr. Benjamin Carson, who has risen to national fame for his criticism of this administration's leftist policies, was banned from speaking at Johns Hopkins University by an online petition from liberal students.

President Obama, who has been on a college campus one out of nine days since taking office, according to an ongoing Foundation study, will be giving three commencement speeches this spring, including at Ohio State University where he challenged the students to "reject" voices who are critical of his big government policies.

Young America's Foundation's Ron Robinson noted, "As tuition and student loan debt grow at historic rates, what are students getting for their money? An education from leftist professors that-combined with the Obama administration's policies-has left 53 percent of recent grads unemployed or underemployed. These commencement speakers are just the icing on higher education's indoctrination cake."

 Download the full survey here (YAF.org). For more information on the survey or to request an interview, please call Adam Tragone at (800) USA-1776.  

UPDATE: ***FOX News Radio's Todd Starnes has covered the survey.

For months, students around Wisconsin have been protesting frozen pizza company Palermo's Pizza Villa. Students at the UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee have occupied offices of administrators in an attempt to get Palermo's Pizza pulled from campus. In March, YAF reported Marquette University students protesting Palermo's at a home men's basketball game. The protests reached a tipping point when the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee closed a pizza stand over-run by radicals.

The students are upset with the company for dismissing nearly 75 undocumented workers in June 2012. All workers in the United States must provide their employment documentation to prove their citizenship or legal working status. ICE informed Palermo's dozens of their workers had fraudulent alien ID or social security numbers of the use of fraudulent alien ID or social security numbers by dozens of their workers.

With the help of liberal immigration advocacy group Voces de la Frontera, workers filed a petition to form the Palermo's Worker Union and numerous unfair labor practices with the National Labor Relations Board. The Milwaukee Region of NLRB dismissed most of the charges with the General Counsel of the NLRB in Washington confirming the ruling last week while the General Counsel of NLRB in Washington upheld the ruling last week.

Students at UW-Milwaukee took over the Palermo's Pizza Stand in the Student Union on Tuesday, May 7. A few students stood behind the counter and draped a cloth over pizza to purchase. Some students were behind the counter and draped a cloth over the pizza to purchase. The pizza was contaminated by the occupiers becoming making it unsuitable for sale. A statement from the University said that because the leftist students overran the pizza stand, it would require the stand would have needed extensive cleaning.

Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Jim Hill told the crowd the closure "gives us time to continue conversations and dialogues with you on the issue." The protestors and Voces immediately heralded the decision as a victory. Hill's interaction with the students was caught on video.

On Wednesday, the UWM Spokesman Tom Luljak attempted to walk back the decision in an appearance on Milwaukee conservative Charlie Sykes' radio show. Luljak stated the closing of pizza stand was due to a pre-planned construction project and Palermo's pizza is still available on campus.

In a phone call with Luljak, he stated the Palermo's pizza stand would be back on campus when the renovations are completed; further stating UWM is neutral on the labor dispute. 

He also noted that even although protestors did not face arrest on Tuesday, the Office of Student Affairs might seek some actions. According to Luljak, a UWM police captain decided not to arrest the students in an attempt to end the demonstration peacefully. 

While the leftist students are heralding the closure as a win, the incident is another example of utilizing bullying tactics to receive results. This is another example of radicals using bully tactics to get their way.

Ethan Hollenberger, age 22, is a conservative activist from Wisconsin. While in college, he was a founding member of the campus' Young American's for Freedom chapter.  He can be contacted at ethan.hollenberger@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @EHollenberger.

Gonzaga University, a Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington, originally denied the group official status earlier in the year on the grounds that the group did not admit non-Catholics. But, the president of the university, Dr. Thayne McCulloch released this statement on the school's no-brainer reversal:

Dr. McCulloh communicated to the student leader of the organization that the Knights of Columbus St. Aloysius Gonzaga Council #12583 is approved as a sponsored organization at Gonzaga.  This sponsorship is granted under the University's "Standards for On-Campus Religious Activities Policy."  The Council has been granted permission to: utilize the University's name in its title; fundraise on campus for the purpose of advancing the Council's mission and activities; meet in and utilize campus facilities, including for the purposes of hosting events; and to recruit members and participants in membership activities such as the semi-annual Club Fair.  As with other student organizations, it is obligated to follow University policies and procedures.

Also as a result of his review, Dr. McCulloh has directed the Student Activities department to review and update the  "Clubs and Organizations Recognition Policy," with the goal of more clearly and explicitly identifying benefits of recognition and criteria for club eligibility.  The revisions are expected to be in place in time for the coming academic year. 

Dr. McCulloh once again affirmed the University's value, respect and support for the purpose and good works of the Knights of Columbus, with which the University has enjoyed a long and mutually collaborative relationship at the local level.

Official status now allows the school to receive funding from student government. What kind of Catholic school would not give full status to a Catholic-affiliated group? 

 As the semester finished up, the Texas Christian University YAF chapter raised awareness of the nation’s economic troubles through a National Debt Project. 

The project consisted of posting the balooning national debt number on a banner above the university common area where all students and faculty could see. After a week of showing the national debt number to TCU’s campus, the chapter hung a second banner that increases awareness of President Obama’s budget proposal--a plan that is far more shocking than our rapidly rising debt. Posted directly next to the current national debt number, the second banner reads the fact that “Obama’s budget proposal would increase the national debt to $25.4 trillion over the next decade.” 

In addition to raising the national debt to an astonishing and unsustainable level, the most recent nonpartisan analysis of Obama’s budget found that not only would taxes rise for those earning more than $200,000, but also that earners in nearly every income bracket would face a greater tax burden--despite the President’s promise to not raise taxes on those making less than $200,000. All in all, Obama’s budget would lead to the highest federal tax rate in 4 decades. 

 Raising awareness about Obama’s detrimental budget proposal and national debt on university campuses is extremely important in not only furthering the Conservative Movement, but also in preparing students for what they will face after graduation. The largest national debt growth under any other president in history, increasing tax hikes on the middle class, and overall recognition of economic policy effects may be important for our parents to know, but is even more vital for the future of those who are currently students. 

As articulated by Ronald Reagan, “Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction.”

D'Urso is the Young Americans for Freedom chair at Texas Christian University

She is a member of the conservative club at the University of Mary Washington, a student senator, a Legislative Action Committee member, Finance Committee representative, and a member of a national service organization. She has formerly served on the executive cabinet of the Student Government Association as the communications director.

 Nicole became involved with Young America’s Foundation as the president of her high school’s conservative club. Her conservative club hosted a 9/11: Never Forget Project for the first time in 2009. She looks forward to enhancing the Conservative Movement during her time at Young America's Foundation.

 In January, Young America's Foundation exposed an entirely liberal lecture series at the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. The school spent over $52,000 of taxpayer money on a line-up of left leaning speakers

The lecture series lineup for next year is nearly set. Based on previous years, contracts should be extended to all invited speakers. To see if the University had heeded public disappointment, an open records request was filed on April 17. The request asked for any record that listed the speaker candidates and for "any contracts either signed or pending".

Sara Kuhl, the University spokesperson, responded quickly: "I have contacted Dr. [Susan] Johnson and no decisions have been made yet on next year's list of speakers. - Sara"

After being asked again for records, the spokesman lamented in an email, "Because the speakers have not been selected the list is a working draft and is not for release. We'll be happy to share the list with you when it has been finalized."

In passing, Kuhl declared the contracts "drafts." Kuhl is attempting to stonewall the request by citing an exemption in Wisconsin law.

In an email on May 2, Kuhl was notified she was unlawfully ignoring the request. Under Wisconsin open records law, Kuhl has the burden of proof when determining if a record is a "draft" under the exception.

A letter from the University of Wisconsin System's attorney Jennifer Lattis on May 3, declares again the contracts to be a "draft." Lattis further notes, "Even if a non-finalized contract was not a draft under the statutory exception, we would not release such records under the balancing test of Wis. Stat. § 19.35(1)(a). The public interest in protecting the ability of the University to negotiate speaker contracts confidentially in order to obtain the best program and price for the University outweighs the public interest in release of such information prematurely."

Lattis contends it is not in the best public interest for taxpayers to know before a contract is signed how much money the University is going to spend. These are the same taxpayers who found out the University System had a hidden $650 million surplus. 

Interestingly, both Sara Kuhl and Attorney Jennifer Lattis appear to have signed the recall petition against conservative Governor Scott Walker.

It remains to be seen why the University won't release the speaker candidates for the taxpayer funded lecture series.

Rating America’s institutions of higher learning has grown into its own cottage industry.  Some judge based upon which applicants get in and how many do not.  Others analyze and evaluate the party experience at the schools.  But the Center for College Affordability and Productivity ranks schools by what should be the most important question.  How well do they teach?

Schools are rated by responses to the site Ratemyprofessors.com, which tabulates millions of college students anonymously judging their instructors.  Each year, the Center releases a list of the 25 best and worst colleges and universities for teaching based on the results.

The winner for last year actually has topped the survey for three years now.  OklahomaWesleyan University placed highest.  Its stated mission is to promote the “primacy of Jesus Christ, the Priority of Scripture, the Pursuit of Truth and the Practice of Wisdom.”

Another school of conservative note making the list was College of the Ozarks.  This Presbyterian liberal arts school in Missouri charges most students no cash tuition, but does require weekly work on campus.

College of the Ozarks, which has a strong record of "standing up for religious freedom," also scored well on Young America's Foundation's Top Ten Conservative Colleges list.   It also made U.S. News and World Report's rankings of best value and best colleges in the Midwest

West Point and the United States Air Force Academy also rated very high. These were the only two “elite” institutions to make the cut.  No Ivy League student bodies rated their professors well as teachers.

Along with the best comes the ranking of the 25 worst. 

This list includes Pace University in New York (tuition alone over $36,000 for in state) and Seton Hall University (almost $34,000 per year in tuition.)  Two “flagship” state universities also appear, the University of Maryland and the University of Connecticut.

Poorly rated schools tended to be grouped in the Northeast and Upper Midwest.  More engineering and technical schools appeared on the list as well.  This could reflect higher coursework demands or that science and technology is more difficult to teach.

No schools from the South made the “bad” list, but the region did place four schools on the ranking of good teaching schools.  Liberal arts colleges fared well, as did schools with a specific religious educational identity.  According to CBS Moneywatch, the teaching prowess of liberal arts schools should not surprise “because (they) focus on undergraduate education and routinely offer instruction in small classes that allow students to get to know their professors and find mentors.”

Of the many lists that get generated each year, this may be the most important for aspiring undergraduates to watch.  Regardless of everything else a school might offer, great teaching is the most important benefit to the students.

Congressman Allen West visited Ronald Reagan's beloved Rancho del Cielo a few weeks ago while in California for our Rawhide Circle event. Col. West recently created a video on what the trip, and President Reagan, meant to him. 

Please enjoy.

(Picture courtesy of NextGenerationTV)

Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo is working hard to stay competitive these days in a market that is dominated by "diversity" propaganda.

Its strategy? Create more administrative positions, and then offer classes to justify their efforts.

Despite budget cuts and tuition increases, the campus hired two new people in its admissions department tasked with boosting diversity, and has also hired an executive director of diversity and inclusivity. Their salaries are covered by a Student Success Fee of $160 per quarter (tacked on to tuition).

Erin Echols, Cal Poly's coordinator of multicultural programs and services, claims that non-white prospective students experience a "culture shock" when they visit the campus. Echols also says that Cal Poly sees diversity in the applications they receive, but "not in the acceptances."

Could she be suggesting that Cal Poly needs to implement a racial-based quota system for minority groups? Is the current merit-based system too dated and not "inclusive" enough for the administration?

In addition, the university is offering a new, four-unit class (PSY 303 - Intergroup Dialogues) this quarter to advance the need for "diversity".

According to Cal Poly's former Associate Vice President of Inclusive Excellence David Conn, students meet together for the quarter to "learn the difference between debate and dialogue, and discuss timely issues from their various viewpoints," Conn said.

These words are ironic coming from an administrator who filed a complaint to the university president after YAF activists hosted bestselling conservative author Ann Coulter at the campus. Conn also held a special meeting following the event as if the speaking engagement was a major campus scandal.

Obviously, other motives are at play here.

When asked to explain the importance of the class, Conn directly alluded to the concept of white privilege:

"Most white people, myself included, don't think about being white," Conn said. "That's one of the privileges we have, whereas most people of color have to think about it because our society forces that onto them."

Conn is a bit dismayed that the class has filled up with white females, but says that "his vision" is that "every student who comes to Cal Poly should have at least the opportunity to take an intergroup dialogues class."

Why? Because "[we] need to prepare all students, not just minority students or white students … to go out into a world where they are going to be faced with, and hopefully work productively with, people who are different from themselves."

In other words, college students need to repeat the lessons they learned in kindergarten because people like Conn have deemed them "unprepared" to face a world where people look and behave differently from themselves.

Somehow, I think most students would disagree with this assessment.

With higher education suffering and the numbers of unemployed graduates at record levels, shouldn't our universities be focusing on more important issues like, say, career training?

Brendan Pringle is a development officer with Young America's Foundation

James Richardson at Georgia Tipsheet has been covering the story from the beginning:

Morehouse President John Silvanus Wilson, Jr.  wrote in an open letter Tuesday that the Rev. Kevin Johnson, a prominent Philadelphia pastor who was named baccalaureate speaker but allegedly found himself on the outs with top school administrators after criticizing President Barack Obama, was "not disinvited."

Instead, Wilson said, the original speaker elected not to participate in a modified format that school administrators believed was "more creative."

"I … made a decision to adjust the format of the Baccalaureate program and opted for a more creative, multi-speaker approach that is used by many leading institutions …" Wilson wrote. 

The editorial in question ran in the Philadelphia Tribune this past Sunday and was heavily critical of President Obama. "If President Obama does not make some changes soon, at the end of his presidency he will be known as a historical leader - the first African-American president, but not a transformational leader - the president who truly uplifted and catapulted Black people from cycles of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, and despair," Johnson wrote. Johnson cited statistics, including unemployment and even a personal meeting with White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett where Johnson asked Jarrett what the president has done for black people and couldn't give a straight answer.

The new format, decided upon by Wilson, now consists of three completely new speakers. Ironically, President Obama will be giving the school's commencement speech.

Is this censorship, or just a change of opinion on format from administrators? 

The Hillsdale College Young Americans for Freedom chapter hosted college President Larry Arnn to join with students in remembering the legacy of Margaret Thatcher. Gathering at noon on a gorgeous spring afternoon, over two hundred students filled into the quad to hear from President Arnn as he shared stories from his friendship with Lady Thatcher. Though, he refused to caller her a "friend," because that implied that they were equals. He considered himself an "admirer."  

Once recognized as Alumnus of the Year by Young Americans for Freedom, Mr. Phillips dedicated his life to promoting conservative ideas and was a frequent speaker at many conservative events. He last spoke at the Foundation's National Conservative Student Conference in 1996.

"He was a great colleague and lover of freedom.  From his earliest days as a student body president at Harvard University to his presidency of the Conservative Caucus, he always stood tall for freedom," remarked Young America's Foundation president Ron Robinson.   "He played a strong leadership role in encouraging his fellow conservatives to support the freedom fighters in the Baltic nations at a critical point in time in the early 90s.  All freedom-loving people mourn his passing."

Young America's Foundation's fifth annual GPA Redistribution Petition and Video Contest has produced yet another stellar student entry, this time from Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan

As Tax Day approached in 2013, the Young Americans for Freedom chapter at Hillsdale College set out to see what students thought of a petition granting the administration power to redistribute their GPAs to students with insufficient levels for graduation.

 With our leaders engaged in "class warfare" and adamant in splitting us for the sake of "fairness," more and more people feel that equal results is better than equal opportunity.  In a recent Gallup poll, 6 in 10 American adults polled feel that wealth is distributed "unfairly" in America. However, there is reason to be encouraged by our youth.

Some students at Hillsdale aren't fans of redistribution; especially redistributing their grades to people that don't deserve good grades. When asked, one exasperated student said that, "Honestly, I think that's one of the worst ideas I have ever heard…Giving them this handout isn't going to motivate them to work harder."

"I am not going to sacrifice my GPA for the sake of someone who is not trying," a student responds to why he won't sign the petition.

The students at Hillsdale took it one step further and visited Michigan State University and interviewed students on the campus. Their findings were a little more surprising, especially from students who would benefit from it. However, a few had some reservations. "It devalues everyone's degree," a teacher said when asked to sign the petition.

The notion of redistribution is foreign to most Americans. By in large, we subscribe to the notion that working hard for what we earn is ours. Having government decide who gets what and how much, is not capitalism. It's picking winners and losers and it's socialism.

Adam Tragone is director of external relations at Young America's Foundation. Email him at atragone@yaf.org. 

Young America's Foundation--as laid out in is its  Campus Conservative Battleplan--holds this contest every year to highlight the hypocrisy of the Left's view on taxes. Many leftists think it's great to take money from people those who earned it, but it's immoral to redistribute grades.

Honorable Mentions:

Biola University

Highland High School, Medina, Ohio

Former presidential candidate Rick Santorum's visit with students at a Grosse Pointe high school on Wednesday will be followed by a special one-hour session open to the public.

District officials said Monday morning that after Santorum completes his 45-minute speech on leadership to students and staff at Grosse Pointe South High School, the former U.S. senator will remain at the school from 3:30-4:30 p.m. for a question-and-answer style forum that anyone can attend.

The decision to add the second event came after the district received hundreds of inquiries and requests to attend Santorum's speech at 12:45 p.m., which is open only to students and staff. He is to speak on leadership and community service.

The event, that was set to be just a normal speech, will draw hundreds of more students and media because of the contentious decision to originally cancel the event. Superintendent Thomas Harwood canceled the event because his personal reservations over Santorum's stances on traditional marriage and education. Not more than 48 hours later, the district reversed its decision after a media firestorm, fueled by parents who were outraged at the infringement on free speech.

More from the News story:

South student Peter Fox said Monday the student club Young Americans for Freedom asked the district to add the public event to create the opportunity for parents and other members of the community to hear Santorum's views.

"I can tell you that with the support we've received, the number will be great," Fox said.

The Q&A session will begin at 3:30 PM and it's open to the public.

 Leftists use Earth day to advance their big-government agenda. Most environmentalists believe the use of government force is the only way to solve environmental problems.

Your club can encourage rational debate on environmental issues by directly confronting doom-and-gloomers and those duped by their claims.

Many campuses celebrate Earth Day and schedule an Earth Day Fair consisting of tables sponsored by other "earth friendly" organizations, music, and other forms of entertainment. Your school’s student-run environmental group usually spearheads this event.

Your club should contact the sponsoring organization and ask if information tables are available. If so, reserve one for your group. Distribute fliers provided below and other materials. We can also help you schedule speakers such as Christopher Horner, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming and Environmentalism and Red Hot Lies, documentary filmmaker Ann McElhinney and others to expose the global warming mythology.

 Flier 1 ,  Flier 2 ,  Flier 3 ,  Flier 4

The Des Moines Register wrote,

 According to the lawsuit, DMACC's policy is to restrict campus leafleting to a "Speech Zone" - essentially a hallway with tables and chairs where organizations who register in advance are allowed to pass information to students.

Court papers contend the policy, which requires an advance review of any information to be distributed, is too broad and gives too much power in limiting the time, place and manner of speech. Documents argue that by "restricting (Dagel's) desired speech to 10 business days advance notice and a cramped table in a lobby, the college is violating his constitutional rights."

This stems from Dagel's fight against the school's taxpayer-sponsorship of a LGBTQ conference that bashed conservatives and Christians. Dagel took to social media, local TV, radio to shed light on the hypocrisy and the spending of taxpayer money on hateful rhetoric. School security squashed Dagel's attempt to pass out flyers opposing the March 28 event. 

The lawsuit, per the Des Moines Register,

...While providing no specifics, also contends that campus officials “have applied the Solicitation and Recruitment Policy and associated practices to plaintiff in a discriminatory and unequal manner, allowing other students to speak freely and distribute literature when defendants say plaintiff cannot do the same, in violation of plaintiff’s right to equal protection of the laws under the Fourteenth Amendment.”

This type of case is not unusual for a YAFer to be involved in, actually. The chapter at Palm Beach State College experienced the exact same type of anti-free speech behavior. Dagel filed this lawsuit with help from Alliance Defending Freedom. Young America's Foundation and Young Americans for Freedom are not parties to the suit.

We will be covering the legal action as soon as more information becomes available.

----

OFFICIAL RELEASE FROM CLEMSON YOUNG AMERICANS FOR FREEDOM:

It has come to our attention today that certain groups are questioning the legality of Friday's Second Amendment Banquet and Gun Giveaway. We would like to offer the following statement regarding the steps taken to insure this event is legal and does not violate state law or university policy. Our group has met with, and been in close contact with, Clemson University's General Counsel Office, who has provided us with the statutes applicable to our events occurring on Friday, April 19th. 

We have made deliberate and careful effort in ensuring that our event follows applicable law. While the Office of the General Counsel does not represent us, they have advised us because we are a recognized student group on their campus. Our group has received the same advice that any group giving away any item (a cake, a car...etc.) would receive in addition to confirming our understanding of the weapons ban in effect on campus. Below is a summary of the legal issues and how we are addressing them.

Regarding the issue of a gun being on campus: Our group WILL NOT bring any firearm on campus at any time. This is against state law and our group does not condone violating state law nor intend to violate state law.

Regarding the transfer of the Mossberg 715t: Our group WILL NEVER be in possession of the firearm. We are simply offering the winner of the giveaway a gift certificate which can be exchanged at Easy Money, LLC (a pawn shop in Anderson which holds a Federal Firearms License) for the Mossberg 715t. The winner MUST be 18 years of age (according to state law required to purchase such a weapon) and will undergo a thorough background check to be performed by the firearms dealer. We have copies of Easy Money's FFL on file and can make it available to anyone whom requests it.

Regarding the process used to select the winner of the rifle: We are conducting a free giveaway, no consideration is necessary in order participate in the giveaway. Each person who has bought a ticket to the 2nd Amendment Banquet is in no way guaranteed or provided an entry into the giveaway of the gun (club members and their immediate family are being voluntarily excluded to prevent claims of nepotism). Any banquet attendee or member of the public may register (for no fee) outside of the event. The winner of the gun will be selected from those who have entered into the giveaway. Winners are not required to be present but must have properly filled out a giveaway contact form in order to be eligible to receive the firearm. Winners will have 24 hours to acknowledge and accept the gun.

I strongly encourage any individual or group with any questions about the event to contact us at: yaf@clemson.edu. We would be more than happy to explain our position, the reason for the banquet and the gun giveaway process to you.

For a limited time only, each of these conferences has an early-bird rate of only $100, which includes tuition, materials, lodging, and meals.  (In reality, the cost for a student to attend the high school conference is over$1,000 and to attend the college conference is over $2,000.  Young America's Foundation is grateful to our generous supporters who help dramatically subsidize these costs!)

As with every YAF Conference, you will have the opportunity to:

·         Meet like-minded students from across the country

·         Learn from top teachers and leaders in the Conservative Movement

·         Discover ways to champion your principles at your school and beyond

·         Receive invaluable activism resources

·         Develop the confidence to articulate your views and debate about them

·         and much more!

First, high school students from across the country will gather from June 20 to 22 at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, California for the Summer 2013 High School Conference at the Reagan Ranch.  In addition to the benefits listed above, students will also get to tour President Reagan's beloved ranch, Rancho del Cielo!   For more information and to apply click here!

From July 10 to 13, students will gather at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center just outside Washington, D.C. in Chevy Chase, Maryland for the National High School Leadership Conference.  Towards the conclusion of the conference, students will go on a twilight tour of the monuments in our Nation's Capital.  For more information and to apply click here!

Last but not least, college students from around the country-nay, the world (as we always have some dear friends from across the pond), will gather from July 29 to August 3 at the George Washington  University in Washington, D.C. for the 35^th annual National Conservative Student Conference.  For more information and to apply click here!

A limited amount of tuition assistance and travel waivers are available to those students with demonstrable financial need.  Please email Katie Taran at ktaran@yaf.org for more information.

If you have any questions not addressed by the FAQs on the event page, please call Katie Taran at 800-USA-1776 or ktaran@yaf.org.

We look forward to meeting you!

As described by CJR, CBS's 60 Minutes used unsavory editing techniques for the Scott Pelley story "Amazon Crude."  They used video of places and snippets of expert interviews to support a story that Texaco recklessly abused and endangered the environment of Ecuador.  Chevron Corporation, currently the ninth largest oil producer in the world, purchased Texaco in October 2000, accepting its assets and liabilities.  Should Texaco have damaged Ecuadorian property, they would be responsible.

Reports and analysis have proved that the CBS newsmagazine strayed far from objective or even competent reporting. CJR said:

Chevron’s beef against 60 Minutes is that the news magazine unfairly implied that Chevron was responsible for sites that actually were Petroecuador’s problem. And our Martha Hamilton found the oil giant had a point. Among other things, she found, the segment began by showing a polluted well owned by a local resident, Manuel Salinas, near a drilling site that wasn’t Chevron’s responsibility to clean in the first place.

On the show, one of the main on-camera experts, Douglas Beltman of Stratus Consulting of Boulder, Colo., was shown denouncing the behavior of Chevron’s predecessor, Texaco, saying, among other things, “It’s a disgrace. They treated Ecuador like a trash heap.”

Former CBS reporter and media expert Bernard Goldberg wrote in his 2002 book Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News that in his experience, CBS did not usually intentionally inject bias.  He claimed that bias there came from the liberal-left orientation of the newsroom.  Since everyone there was liberal or left wing, they had no balance.  They saw their orientation as centrist and reported as such.

This particular piece, however, seems to show a reporter who has not nailed down the thesis of his story.  So they pressure experts in interviews, use film clips that do not match the narration, and go well beyond producing a product that could merely be dismissed as sloppy.

Why was the story stretched to such lengths as to threaten the show's credibility?

The narrative is an old one.  Big bad American company trashes Third World nation.  Grab and go.  Chevron was supposed to be established in public perception as a dastardly company with no concern for the environment.  Diligence on the part of media watchdogs helped to save Chevron's reputation in this instance.

Interestingly, Chevron recently invested heavily in shale gas sites in the United States.  Environmentalists, despite studies to the contrary from Penn State and Duke University, have developed a storyline of shale gas drilling's threat to water supplies to fight against it.

It is not hard to speculate that if Chevron actually had adulterated water supplies in Ecuador, a case could be made that they could not be trusted to behave in Pennsylvania, Texas, or West Virginia.

Fortunately, the liberal agenda of this 60 Minutes report was exposed.  But how many other stories go unexamined and feed into public opinion?

Nick James, the group's chairman, has come under fire on his Facebook page because of the event, from Clemson professors, no less. Here is some of the arrogant hate:

 It's important to reiterate that this event has been sanctioned by the university and that the gun will not even be on campus when the giveaway takes place. Anyone above the age of 18 can go out and purchase the same exact weapon anytime they wanted. Nick's group has gone above and beyond to make sure that they have followed all the correct laws. They are working through a licensed retailer who will conduct a background check on the winner.

If "Doctor" Coggeshall wants students to have a good sense of history, he should practice what he preaches. April 19, 1775 was an important day in the history of our country. The American Revolutionary War began on that day with the battles of Lexington and Concord.

Also, more reactions. Some folks are embarrassed to be a Clemson graduate? Why? It's a student group, conducting an activity that has an OK from the school. No illegal activity is going on here? You're embarrassed because people are following the rules, or are you just showing how inconsiderate you are of other people's views?

Winters, 87, passed away late in the evening of April 11.

From the New York Times:

Jonathan Winters, the rubber-faced comedian whose unscripted flights of fancy inspired a generation of improvisational comics, and who kept television audiences in stitches with Main Street characters like Maude Frickert, a sweet-seeming grandmother with a barbed tongue and a roving eye, died on Thursday. He was 87. A family friend, Joe Petro III, said he died Thursday evening at his home in Montecito, Calif., The Associated Press reported. 

Here are some pictures from the Roundtable event:

Mr. Winters will be sorely missed.

 After a year-long free speech battle, the Young Americans for Freedom chapter at Grosse Pointe North High School has finally received approval for a flyer campaign that was rejected by former principal Tim Bearden.

In March 2012, the school's YAF chapter president, Grant Strobl, requested Bearden's approval of a "Respect ALL Women" flyer campaign, which highlighted conservative women like, Michelle Malkin and Sarah Palin, who had been verbally attacked by the Left. The campaign was an effort to celebrate Women's History Month.

After glancing at one of the flyers, however, Mr. Bearden deemed it "vitriolic" and "inappropriate," and barred the chapter from posting the fliers. Interestingly enough, the "Black Power" display in the main campus bulletin board didn't have to go through the same approval process as the "Respect ALL Women" posters, permitting liberal staff members to put up "politically-related statements" without direct permission.

Grant fought back and exposed this hypocrisy of this decision on the Young America's Foundation blog. It was subsequently picked up by several news outlets, including Breitbart, The Daily Caller and Yahoo.

One year later, Grant has continued his fight and emerged victorious. Bearden has been relieved of his duties, and the current principal-Mrs. Murray-has allowed the posters to be placed on school walls with some minor adjustments to the original plan.

Murray requested that the YAF chapter post the "Define Yourself" posters next to all the "Respect All Women" posters in order to put them "in context."

The posters have been placed in the showcase at Grosse Pointe North, and have generated a significant amount of campus dialogue.

"We feel that this is a good step towards free speech and civic minded discussions on campus," Grant commented." Grant commented. "These posters will provide the intellectual diversity that education has been lacking." 

Brendan Pringle is a development officer at Young America's Foundation

• The Detroit Free Press
• The Associated Press
• The Detroit News
• The Daily Caller
• WXYZ ABC 7 (Detroit)
• Breitbart.com
• The Washington Times
• Fox News Radio
• Christian Post
• MLive.com
• The Blaze
• Deadline Detroit
• Detroit CBS Radio 62
• The Frank Beckmann Show
• Patheos
• Grosse Pointe Patch (AOL)
• The Right Scoop
• CainTV

And Senator Santorum appeared on the O'Reilly Factor Wednesday evening discussing the controversy:

Plus, we received this picture from a home in Grosse Pointe who stood with us during the controversy. Thank you for your support!

We will update the list on a daily basis.

On April 19, the Clemson Young Americans for Freedom chapter will host its first ever Second Amendment Banquet and give away a free "assault" rifle.  The sad part about this event is that we can't even give the winner their prize the night of the event because firearms are banned from campus by state law.  This unfair restriction of our right to bear arms is one of the reasons our club decided to host this event.

The idea for this event all started with a discussion at a chapter meeting.  After months of planning, our big idea is finally coming to fruition.  Our main motivation in putting this event together has been the recent talk of gun registration, which aims to limit our Second Amendment rights.  The amendment states: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."  The framers of our great nation took great care in how they worded our founding documents.  With this in mind, I focus on the final portion of the text "…the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."  In my opinion, it doesn't get clearer than that: the right to own and use weapons should not be infringed. 

But what is our government doing today? 

The current powers in Washington are trying to take away our "assault style rifles," put limits on our magazine capacity, and increase the cost and difficulty of owning a weapon.

Recent attempts at legislation have focused on a few, key issues. First, there has been a strong push to outlaw menacing-looking rifles, which gun control proponents falsely label as "assault weapons." These guns are no different than any other firearm. Sure they look a little more menacing and can be designed for tactical use, but I just can't fathom why this would make them illegal to own?  Students on our campus have already made comments along the lines of "Opposing an assault weapons ban is one thing, but giving one away is totally different." 

Second, the federal government also wants to limit our magazine capacity, this way when a group of criminals breaks into our homes, we have less ammunition with which to defend ourselves.  For this reason, my club has decided we will include a 25-round magazine with our gun, not the standard 10-round magazine.

Finally, some of the politicians in Washington want to put up more red tape before you can purchase a gun.  Again I quote, "…the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed", these acts are clearly unconstitutional.  Every extra background check and registration process the gun owner must go through further increases the cost of ownership.  Americans have a right to enjoy the benefits of gun ownership, whether it be hunting, sport shooting, or simply ensuring the safety of their homes and family.

Next week our banquet will bring awareness to the importance of the Second Amendment and help make people aware of the current movements against it.  The two key points I hope to call attention to are as follows: the Constitution directly protects our right to own weapons, and the officials in Washington shouldn't attempt to take that right away.  Secondly, no matter what laws you pass, the criminals are always going to have whatever kind of weapon they want, by definition, they disregard laws.  Don't strip good Americans of their right to bear arms and make our homes and families easy targets for those with no respect for the law.

Nick James is the chairman of Clemson University's Young Americans for Freedom chapter

In a phone call with Young America's Foundation's Vice President Patrick Coyle on Monday, Grosse Pointe Public School System Superintendent Dr. Thomas Harwood will not allow the already-approved speech at Grosse Pointe South Public High School by Santorum because of the senator's stances on some policy issues, namely traditional marriage and education. The school's Young Americans for Freedom group, the chapter affiliate of Young America's Foundation, invited Santorum to the school.

"The Freedom chapter came to us and wanted to see if Senator Santorum could come to the high school and speak to the students. Weeks ago, I participated in a call with the school principal, Dr. Matt Outlaw, and the chapter chairman, Langston Bowens. During the call, Outlaw signed off on the event," Coyle said.

But on Monday's call, Superintendent Harwood told Coyle that they were canceling the event.

Coyle explained to Harwood that the school district already approved Senator Santorum's speech and its topic on leadership. But when Senator Santorum's speech was announced, teachers within the school district sent videos to administrators showcasing some of Senator Santorum's past statements on traditional marriage and education.

As the conversation continued, Coyle said that the administrators became more and more agitated as Coyle hopelessly explained that Senator Santorum's speech would be about leadership. Harwood then said that he supports traditional marriage, but has a brother who is gay, and he finds Santorum's views "extreme."

"Superintendent Harwood is injecting his own personal views into the situation and subsequently keeping students from hearing from an American public policy leader discuss the importance of being a leader in their school and community," Coyle said.

Langston Bowens, chairman of the school's Young Americans for Freedom chapter, who contacted Coyle to see if Senator Santorum could come to the school, said: "I personally view this action an inherent censorship of student voices at Grosse Pointe South. These actions are shameful."

Late Monday, Outlaw e-mailed parents informing them of the decision:

Hi everyone,

As a follow-up to the proposed assembly on April 24th, I wanted to thank the many staff members that shared additional information about the potential speaker. Based on this information and a few other items, I am announcing that we are declining the invitation to have Rick Santorum speak to our student body. Dr. Harwood is very supportive of this decision and we feel that we were mislead [sic] in a few areas with this. Peter Fox [the vice chairman of Young Americans for Freedom], in particular, was amazing through this process and showed such maturity today as we declined the invitation for the speech. I am so sorry for the angst that this may have caused, but please plan for a regular day of school on April 24th.

Dr. Matt Outlaw

"Education is based on the free flow of ideas. I am disappointed with the position the school has taken regarding the proposed event, and I stand fully behind YAF," Grosse Pointe South YAF vice chairman Peter Fox said.

Squelching freedom of speech isn't new in this school district. At Grosse Pointe North High School, YAF chairman Grant Strobl wanted to hang "Respect All Women" posters in the high school to celebrate Women's History Month, but the school principal, Tim Bearden, initially refused to sign off on the posters because he found them "vitriolic and inappropriate." This week, however, the posters were finally approved, only after being heavily modified.

On Tuesday, Bowens met with Outlaw, who, according to Bowens, remains supportive of bringing Senator Santorum to Grosse Pointe South.

Going back centuries, a liberal arts education consisted of studies "worthy of a free man, those studies by which we attain and practicce virtue and wisdom."  The Greeks divided liberal arts into two forms.  The Trivium aimed to develop excellence in expression. Grammar, logic, and rhetoric taught the student to write or speak clearly, coherently, and persuasively. Other subjects considered necessary for the advancement of the free individual were arithmetic, music, astronomy, and geometry.  

Medieval and Renaissance scholars fine tuned the formula. The Italian teacher Petrus Paulus Vergerius in 1404 laid out a revised liberal arts curriculum.  Free men needed to master history, moral philosophy, and literature. Techniques of rhetoric articulated by Aristotle required examples and moral truths to succeed at persuasion.  The three added subjects helped the student to learn about traditions, ideas, and human nature.

Liberal education was meant to free the mind for free inquiry and debate and "to discern fallacy from truth in discussion."  Has American liberal arts education lived up to that lofty standard?  

Over a half century ago, William Buckley answered that question.  In God and Man At Yale, he wrote that "if the recent Yale graduate, who exposed himself to Yale economics during his undergraduate years, exhibits enterprise, self-reliance, and independence, it is only because he has turned his back upon his teachers and texts."  Studies of economics emerged in the modern period.  They certainly belong in the pantheon of liberal studies since understanding how to create and keep wealth adds to the security and liberty of the individual.  Yet economics classes still, as in Buckley's day, teach that only collectivism is just and that individual wants are avarice.

The NAS study, which runs over 350 pages, indicates that the situation has degenerated even further over the past 50 years. 

A true liberal arts education is like a flower garden.  Stimulating arrangements have a variety of species with different shapes, sizes, and colors.  Who wants a large garden with all the same type and color? Ideologically speaking, Bowdoin's faculty, although they may physically look different, are monotonously similar. The study reports that of the 182 professors and instructors, four may be considered conservative.  

Students who experience a variety of ideologies, liberal, conservative, leftist, libertarian, will be better suited to meet an intellectually diverse world.  An atmosphere with varieties of thought challenges them to think logically about their beliefs.  Then it encourages them to argue in defense of their ideals.  

Bowdoin fails in this most basic area.  Professor Henry Laurence in 2004 wrote that Bowdoin liberals and leftists understand conservative ideals and do a fine job in covering them.  Then he showed his ability to tolerate dissenting opinions by saying those who disagreed were "intellectually bankrupt, professionally insulting and, fortunately, wildly inaccurate."  He then compared ideological differences to being a fan of either the Yankees or the Red Sox.  

Understanding ideological differences is one thing.  Fairly representing them is quite another.

But if the differences are so minute, why not hire more professors of different worldviews?  Professor Marc Hetherington attributed it to conservatives being less likely to pursue advanced degrees. Fair enough.  But instead of describing the logical, interest-based reasons for this, he simply says that conservatives do not "place the same emphasis on the accumulation of knowledge [as] liberals do."  Which is interesting considering the growing ubiquity of conservative and libertarian reference to philosophy and history to battle liberal talking points handed out as if inscribed on holy tablets.

Again, a defender of Bowdoin's tolerance defaults to prejudice instead of evidence.

NAS also describes the sparse requirements to take what used to be considered foundation courses in history, economics, and other needed subjects.  A curriculum once designed to liberate the mind now is used to instill a monotonous languor. Such is the case across much of the landscape of higher education.

Individuals do not need to be carried off by the evil wind of conformity.  No one has yet memory holed the campus libraries or sites online with full text files of great works.  In the early Middle Ages, the word university referred to any realm where learning takes place.  With the help of great thinkers from before and now, break through the peculiar brand of left wing sameness of thought and actually train your own free mind.

And Yeshiva University, a respected Orthodox Jewish institution of higher learning, is caught between a campus publication and rising anger from students and alumni alike.

The award comes from the student published Journal of Conflict Resolution, which is run through Yeshiva's Benjamin Cardozo School of Law.  The journal itself has no direct affiliation with the university.

Respected legal scholar and frequent Carter critic Alan Dershowitz ridiculed the award.  In an interview with Haaretz, he argues that the former president ignored the genocidal horror of Pol Pot while president.  Many claim that Carter at least deserves credit for the landmark Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt.  Dershowitz, however, says that "he almost ruined it."

Yeshiva president Richard Joel also criticized the selection. While reiterating the institution's commitment to free debate and discourse, Joel also said in a public statement,

I strongly disagree with many of President Carter’s statements and actions in recent years which have mischaracterized the Middle East conflict and have served to alienate those of us who care about Israel. President Carter’s presence at Cardozo in no way represents a university position on his views, nor does it indicate the slightest change in our steadfastly pro-Israel stance.

Cardozo Law School alumni have used social media to alert other opponents while planning a protest for the event.

This is not the first time that an honor granted to Carter has been questioned by prominent members of the Jewish community. When Carter was invited to speak to the Democratic National Convention last summer, National Democratic Jewish Council president and CEO David Harris shared his shock,“When it comes to Israel and the Middle East, President Carter has unfortunately embarrassed himself — as his analysis and commentary has been stubbornly wrong, harmful to the peace process, and getting worse all the time.”

Yesterday afternoon, the YAF chapter sent around this e-mail to the entire campus, inviting anyone to come to the ceremony:

Freedom lost a courageous leader today and we ask you to join the Young Americans Foundation in honoring her legacy. Lady Thatcher was a champion for free markets, limited government and individual liberty. She stood with President Reagan in staring down communism and made our world more free and prosperous. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Prime Minister for her friendship, dedication to principle, and determination to make the world secure for freedom. We daily reap the blessings of her dedication. The Hillsdale Chapter of Young Americans for Freedom asks that you take a moment to remember her work in defense of freedom. We must all learn from her example and further dedicate ourselves to defending the freedom she, and so many others, have labored to preserve for us.

The chapter was kind enough to send along some pictures of the event. The entire album will be uploaded to our Facebook page.

One hundred years before Lady Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Party won its House of Commons majority, elevating her into the office of Prime Minister, one of her predecessors defined freedom.  “By a free country I mean a country where people are allowed, so long as they do not hurt their neighbours, to do as they like. I do not mean a country where six men may make five men do exactly as they like. That is not my notion of freedom.”  In describing freedom as the result of enjoyed rights, rather than simple majority rule, Lord Salisbury argued for a conservative tradition of liberty in Britain dating back to the high middle ages.

In taking up that same cause as Prime Minister in 1979, Lady Thatcher did nothing new, nothing radical.  She was taking her country back to its best traditions.

Great Britain shocked the world in the spring of 1945.  After the defeat of the Third Reich and before the vanquishing of the Empire of Japan, Britain’s Conservative Party lost its majority in the House of Commons.  Winston Churchill’s first go-round as Prime Minister ended.  With it went his goals of rebuilding British power and retaining control of their Empire.  But the biggest loser in that election was the notion of economic liberty.

Britain steadily constructed a welfare state and an economy held hostage by powerful labor unions.  The speed at which socialism set in disturbed economists, such as F. A. Hayek, who cautioned that state economic planning leads to tyranny.  Britain itself saw gradual economic decline, slipping far behind the United States as an industrial power.

Lady Thatcher had to attack the privileged position of interest groups.  Much like her American counterpart and close friend, Ronald Reagan, she struck at the power of unions to destabilize British society.  The closed shop was outlawed, as were “flying pickets” that shut off access between factories and public highways. 

To battle runaway inflation, she constricted the money supply while deeply cutting government spending.  Like in the United States, the shock of a new direction produced short term pain, but lengthy prosperity benefitting generations. 

While echoing Lord Salisbury’s ideas on freedom, she departed sharply from his description of the ideal foreign policy.  Lady Thatcher could not be content to let her Britain “float lazily downstream, occasionally putting out a diplomatic boat-hook to avoid collisions.”  Britain in the 1980s confronted a vastly different world, with greater threats to freedom everywhere, than when she controlled much of the land and sea.

Lady Thatcher formed part of a highly exclusive club, joined by Pope John Paul the Great and President Reagan.  This triumvirate rejected the "wisdom" of leaders who came before, that liberty loving peoples had to accept the existence of Soviet tyranny and abuse of Eastern Europe and elsewhere.  Patience, pressure, and persistence paid great dividends when, in the early 1990s, Communist rule from Moscow disintegrated. Hundreds of millions in Europe and Asia enjoyed freedom for the first time in their lives.

Her warnings about a too strongly integrated European Union have proved almost prophetic.  The fragile currency union threatens almost monthly to snap, with potentially serious consequences for Europe and the world. 

Unfortunately, like an invasive species in a neglected garden, some problems return.  Unions started to roll back important free market reforms almost a decade ago.  Argentina’s thirst for revenge and hunger for oil have led to renewed truculence over the Falklands.  “By much slothfulness the building decayeth.”  Again, as in the United States, freedom’s ramparts need careful and repeated attention.

Lord Salisbury ministered to a Britain at the height of its power and productivity.  Lady Thatcher led Britain out of its lowest nadir in centuries to restored prosperity and hope.  Between the two of them, and stretching back centuries, were the basic conservative principles of the natural rights of the individual and economic liberty.  Only with such pillars can a happy and free people remain so. 

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This week, The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), a taxpayer-funded college near the state capital of Trenton, permitted the TCNJ Chapter of PRISM, the campus "queer-straight alliance,"  to dedicate an entire week to gender-neutral bathrooms. This campaign involves making most of the bathrooms located on the first floor of the school's student center, library and other heavily trafficked buildings all unisex. The purpose of the campaign is to bring awareness to the lack of "equality," according to PRISM's website, "for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people, and the heterosexual people who support them." However, the campaign for equality is nothing more than a social experiment right out of the cultural Marxist playbook. Ironically, PRISM's struggle-for-equality narrative actually infringes on the liberty and equality of the rest of the student body.

What's happening here on the TCNJ campus this week is far from original in its origins, though many of the supporters of the unisex bathroom campaign fail to realize, or at least acknowledge, the paradigm that they're actually promoting. By taking a look at history, the paradigm of cultural Marxism came from the German Marxist Frankfurt School, where influential political philosopher Herbert Marcuse believed that the purpose of college students is to "radicalize the departments inside the university." More importantly, Marcuse's philosophy was very influential in shaping the sexual revolution of the 1960s here in the U.S. According to GLBTQ.com, "the world's largest encyclopedia of gay lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer culture," Marcuse believed in encouraging new social forms of "erotic communities or pleasant and fulfilling work environments." In other words, further dividing our country into groups that would allow for new ways to organize the workplace. As GLBTQ.com notes, Marcuse's political philosophy on gay rights "was compatible with the American emphasis on 'civil rights' [while also providing] a viable basis for community organizing and development of ethnic group politics." Organizing the community and using what we do in the bedroom to further divide us as a nation, in actuality only divides us more. Abraham Lincoln even once said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand."

Specifically, if a student group is going to push a particular agenda on campus that's funded by not only the taxpayers of New Jersey but also by student tuition of the college, the public and the student body should be aware of the greater context of their campaign. And by the way, does TCNJ PRISM even know that they are promoting a belief that is descendant from Marxism, which is totally against the core values of our nation and to those that fund the school? Student privacy and safety are most importantly affected by the group's effort to promote their cultural Marxist ideology whether intentionally or not. One female student said that she feels vulnerable should a guy walk in while she's using the bathroom. One liberal student said that though he believes in the LGBT movement, the measures that PRISM is committed to on campus is where he "draws the line."

This is Marcuse's radicalization of college campus at work or cultural Marxism at its finest. Many students feel that their rights of privacy and well-being are threatened as result of the few who are either unaware or pushing a particular political philosophy that goes against the very foundation of our great nation. The equality of the student body is also at stake where the ability to voice our safety concerns is silenced out of fear of being labeled insensitive or ignorant.

Matthew is CNJ Young Americans for Freedom chapter founder and chairman and former TCNJ College Republicans chairman.

Former Weather Underground radical Kathy Boudin - who spent 22 years in prison for an armored-car robbery that killed two cops and a Brinks guard - now holds a prestigious adjunct professorship at Columbia University's School of Social Work, The Post has learned.

Boudin, 69, this year won another academic laurel - being named the Sheinberg Scholar-in-Residence at NYU Law School, where last month she gave a lecture on "the politics of parole and re-entry."

So, what do you have to do get this gig, you ask? Well, obviously being the wheelwoman for the armed robbery of a Brinks armored truck didn't hurt. 

In 1981, members of the Weather Underground (the same folks who bombed the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitol) and Black Liberation Army unsuccessfully tried to rob a Brinks armored truck outside a mall in Nanuet, New York. An armored truck guard was killed in the botched attempt, along with two police officers. Boudin and the others were caught. Boudin ended up pleading guilty to a lesser charge and face a lesser penalty: 22 years in prison.

“She doesn’t deserve a job at all,” Josephine Paige, wife of the murdered Brinks guard, Peter, told the New York Post. “She doesn’t deserve anything, nothing at all. I think she should be back in an institution.”

She teaches on the issues facing citizens reintegrating into society after being in jail for many years.

“I’m happy that she’s doing something positive with her life,” said Robert Van Cura, Rockland County’s undersheriff, to the Post. But he said, “I believe there’s probably other people that are available to provide education beyond someone who is on parole for murder.”

I couldn't have said it better myself, sheriff.

Once you've got your conservative chapter started and armed with all of the tools and activism tactics that Young America's Foundation provides, you should strive to expand your organization even further ­­- pushing for efficiency and effectiveness. Here are some goals that I set for my club to grow your Young Americans for Freedom chapter:

Goals

Speaking of which, set them high and achievable. Whether in recruitment or activism, goals are important to set because once a plan is constructed, it is easier and more likely to achieve them. My group takes the approach of monthly goals, so that we can reflect on the effectiveness of our projects at the end of each month.

Committees

Don't underestimate their power. Established groups should look to committees as a great way to utilize the talents and skills of each member while investing them in the process. My group has four committees­- Activism, Charity, Recruitment, and Public Relations- that actively engage each member and allow for members to become leaders. Starting out, any group will have its growing pains and members will be few, but don't let that get in the way of involving people in the process and building up to a larger and stronger organization.

Connections

You can't have enough. Strive to identify as many conservative students on campus as you can and stay connected with them, so that when the "troops" need to be mobilized, they are only a simple text message or email away. This can be achieved many ways: by petitioning students, tabling, Facebook/Twitter, and the overall presence of your YAF chapter on campus. An inviting and engaging chapter is more likely to attract new members and allow for greater connections. My group strives to balance the activism and social aspects of our group so that our activism attracts members as well as provides intellectual diversity on campus and our social value retains our members.

Messaging

Your message should be attractive and unifying. The conservative message is a very simple attractive message­­-freedom. Strive to create an activism force that won't engage in trivial internal battles, which has commonly hampered the conservative cause. Your organization should have a message that isn't, for example, just socially conservative or just libertarian. Have a message and pick issues that unify your members around conservatism in order to provide a true force on campus.

It's also important to relate with your target audience and use culture to advance conservatism. My group has effectively used targeted messaging that ties in culture. For example, our "Respect All Women" poster series, which exposes the misogynist attacks against conservative women and our Black History Month poster series, which showcased conservative Black American leaders, have been quite successful. These are both examples of taking two months that are culturally mainstream and using them to advance conservative ideas.

Stay Active

Having a visible presence on campus is the golden rule. When your chapter is active, you are more likely to receive publicity, make and sustain connections, set higher goals, increase membership, create workable committees once your chapter is more active, and become the hub for conservatism, not only on campus, but also in your community.

Because of our activism with projects offered by Young America's Foundation, such as inviting conservative speakers to your campus and school, the 9/11 Never Forget Project, Freedom Week, Respect ALL Women Month, Black Conservatives Month, we have been able to garner attention from students, student-run media, local media in our community, as well as national media. Because of this, membership has expanded significantly; we receive donations and support from community members and have valuable allies on the school board.

I encourage you to entertain this advice and set these goals for your organization. Conservatives need to be on the frontlines­-out-organizing, out-competing, and out-numbering the Left and it all starts with you.

Don't tell that to Stephanie Shriock, president of Emily's List.

According to National Journalism Center intern Molly Braswell reporting in Red Alert Politics, Shriock said:

“We have so much energy, particularly among Millennials, that I actually think we’re going to see a growth, and it won’t be based just as previous generations on the issue of choice, but on the issue of women’s leadership.  I am counting on a partnership with the Millennial generation to really push a lot of this old thinking out the door.”

 Braswell, however, explains that pro-abortion advocates are whistling past the graveyard if they count on a spike of support among millenials.  She writes:

 Fewer Americans of all ages identified themselves as pro-choice from 2009-2012, compared to 2001-2008. More than 50 percent of 18-34-year-olds said they were pro-choice in the earlier years, compared to only 46 percent from the later years. Schriock may think that young people, women in particular, are throwing their weight behind the pro-choice movement, but the facts just don’t support her opinion.

Shriock's comments came during the "Gender Matters" symposium at American University.

Since the early 1990s, public support overall for abortion has plummeted.  Education about the procedure and advances in ultrasound technology have made abortion far less palatable to increasingly large percentages of the population.

Which could spell deep trouble for young people trying to break into the job market

National Journalism Center graduate and Reason columnist Vera Soliman explained in a post last week that some small businesses are already anticipating the hike.  One Virginia Beach shop owner already plans to lay off 10 employees, replacing them with touch screen menus.  This follows the trend of chains such as Sheetz, which has eliminated person to person ordering. 

According to the Washington Post, businesses in the United States last year averaged a 7.6 percent profit margin.  Obama demanded that Congress raise the minimum wage by 24 percent.  The Detroit News said in February that this idea had to "come from an alternate universe."  To simply survive, many businesses must raise prices (which Obamacare has already forced in some sectors) or trim labor costs. 

The Detroit News also emphasized the effect on young workers.  It said

The result was a plunge in working youth. Teen unemployment today is at its highest levels since records were first kept in 1948 with only 25 percent of 16-19-year-olds working. Black teens in cities like Detroit are already reeling from last year's 42 percent unemployment rate, a significant increase from just a few years ago.

After the last spike in the minimum wage, Dunkelberg claims teen jobs disappeared.

Congratulations to Kevin P. of Eldersburg, Md., Joel R. of Huntington, W.Va., Kristina J. of Newport News, Va. and Melissa L. of Athens, Ga. for being selected as this month's quiz winners!

Check out our quiz here for your chance to win an autographed copy of bestselling author Jason Mattera's latest book, Hollywood Hypocrites: The Devastating Truth About Obama's Biggest Backers.

The school's Health and Human Rights Student Group has circulated a petition, asking that Dr. Carson be pulled from this year's commencement line-up of speakers.

"At the time of his nomination, Dr. Carson was known to most of us as a world-class neurosurgeon and passionate advocate for education. Many of us had read his books and looked up to him as a role model in our careers," the group said. "Since then, however, several public events have cast serious doubt on the appropriateness of having Dr. Carson speak at our graduation."

"Marriage is between a man and a woman," Carson said. "It's a well-established, fundamental pillar of society and no group, be they gays, be they NAMBLA, be they people who believe in bestiality -- it doesn't matter what they are, they don't get to change the definition." 

Not really sure what the group circulating the petition had a problem with in regard to that quote. Remember, these are his personal views, he isn't pushing his views on anyone else, or his school. I doubt that his remarks will even remotely address the issue.

Freedom of speech is always under attack and it seems that no one can stand up for their beliefs without being criticized and denigrated, even from within. Carson has since clarified his remarks, but only time will tell whether or not he will end up speaking. Isn't college supposed the arena for ideas? 

As we reported first yesterday, Dagel, who chairs the school's Young Americans for Freedom chapter, is opposing the 8th Annual Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning) Youth and is calling for the school to pull its $1,000 sponsorship during a press conference announcing his chapter's position. Dagel exposed that conservatives and Christians will be bullied at the event. The event will have a panel that will show attendees how to fight back against "right-wing bias" called "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Right Wing."Another is a seminar that will have attendees watch the documentary "For the Bible Tells Me So," a documentary that shows how conservatives have "warped" their interpretation of the Bible to stigmatize homosexuals.

Dagel told Young America's Foundation this afternoon:

"My friend, who is not a DMACC student, and myself where passing out the attached flyer to students. After about 20 minutes a campus security officer came up to me, handed me a copy of the school's policy on solicitation and escorted me to the student activities office. I was told I hold my first amendment right, but to distribute flyers I had to have a table which required a two week notice and approval by the school." 

This sounds eerily similar to a YAF chapter at Palm Beach State College that experienced the exact same type of anti-free speech behavior. In 2010, college officials denied Young Americans for Freedom members permission to distribute Heritage Foundation literature at a student organization fair and also prohibited them from handing out information within the "free speech zones" on several PBSC campuses. The officials cited PBSC's speech policies as their reason.

Also today, Dagel and 16 state legislators and various pastors held a press conference this morning to object to the conference. Their statement is below:

Based on our desire and commitment to be faithful stewards of our tax dollars, we cannot in good conscience vote to give taxpayer dollars to people or groups who pervert the Bible, teach our youth to engage in dangerous behavior, and target individuals like Jan Mickelson for hatred and bullying.

We have proof that the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) Diversity Commission is using tuition and taxpayer monies to sponsor the Governors LGBTQ Youth Conference, as a result of information obtained by the DACC Young Americans for Freedom chapter, through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

Therefore, we Representatives of the people of Iowa, will vote against appropriations for (DMACC) unless they withhold taxpayer's dollars from the Governors LGBTQ Youth Conference.

At the right is a picture of the flier Dagel and his friend tried to hand out. This is a clear violation of Dagel's first amendment right. We will keep you posted as things develop.

Without question, the debate over guns - and specifically concealed carry laws - is one of the hottest issues on Georgia college campuses. Last week, the Georgia State House passed HB 512 by an overwhelming majority - a bill that gives college students with a Georgia Weapons License the right to carry concealed weapons to defend themselves, as long as they do not carry in a Greek house, athletic venue, or dorm.

At Georgia Tech we have a considerable crime problem, and in recent years students have faced numerous dangerous situations including a string of armed robberies.  While everyone acknowledges the safety risks in and around campus, opinions on how best to prevent and defend against these crimes differ sharply. At a recent Georgia Tech Student Government meeting, elected student representatives spoke out on all sides of the issue, with no decisive outcome. In recent days, however, the greatest opponent of the student voice has been Georgia Tech Student Body President Eran Mordel and his executive board.  

In a letter dated March 13, Mordel petitioned the Georgia legislative body to oppose HB 512. He supposedly formed his opinion based on personal convictions and conversations with student activist groups.  While we do not know exactly who he talked to, we do know that he ignored a few conservative, pro-concealed carry groups on campus.

Where was student opinion on this matter? Where were the campus surveys or resolutions voted on by our elected Student Government Association? Mordel has, in fact, unilaterally issued a blanket statement opposing HB 512, without gauging the actual viewpoints of the crime-riddled student body.

And it gets even worse. Several days before Mordel released the letter, he sent an email to the student body presidents at all the major Georgia universities asking for their support of his petition. This would not have been so bad if Mordel had actually informed Tech's student body of exactly what he was doing in their name. Not only did Mordel, of his own accord, decide to lobby on behalf of the entire student body based on his personal beliefs, but he hid his agenda and actions from the students themselves.

In our conversations with several students and campus groups over the past few years, it is evident that many students are worried about their safety and want a way to defend themselves.  Criminals know that students are unarmed, often carrying expensive laptops, cell phones, and textbooks, so they are an easy crime target.  The notion that campuses should be "gun free zones" is absurd and only puts students at greater risk, and the support for concealed carry on campus continues to grow.  

Mordel's letter incorrectly spoke on behalf of all Georgia Tech students without a prior and proper survey of campus opinion.  While he continues his personal fight against the Second Amendment, students are left without an official voice on this issue.  It is a sad day when students at a leading public university are misrepresented and robbed of the chance to express our concerns on a matter that affects us all - personal safety.

Andrew Mullins is a 4^th year biology major and a leading conservative activist on campus.

Challenge your campus Left with a petition to "redistribute" their personal grade point averages! 

DEADLINE APRIL 19, 2013

Your liberal classmates believe it is moral to confiscate money from hard-working Americans and entrepreneurs and give it to those who didn't earn it, yet what will they say when you ask them to apply that same philosophy to their grade point averages? 

Young America's Foundation invites you to film your fellow students' reactions when you ask them to pledge their support to grant your school's administration the power to redistribute grade point averages to those who are not high academic achievers 

We have a created a " petition" for your group to use on tax day, April 15, to educate your peers about the immorality of socialism.

*Film students' reactions while you ask them if they would voluntarily redistribute their grade points to a failing student and turn their A to a B or B to a C in the name of  "fairness." The hypocrisy is obvious. Liberals embrace socialist policies when their own property is unaffected, but when socialism affects them personally, watch them become advocates of free enterprise instantaneously!

*Video entries cannot include the word or words Democrat(s), Republican(s), vote, elect, election, campaign or reference anything political in nature. 

Go ahead, watch what happens when you ask them to "spread their grades around" to lower performing students.

Entries must be submitted to Young America's Foundation by April 19, 2013. Please email the video link to Patrick Coyle.

The creator(s) (limit of up to three students) of the best video will win FREE tuition to Young America's Foundation's 2013 National Conservative Student Conference in Washington, DC, July 29 to August 3, 2013.

2012 GPA Video Contest Winner 

Young America's Foundation's fourth annual GPA Redistribution Petition and Video Contest produced yet another stellar student entry, this time from Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The video was showcased on a segment of THE FIVE on Fox News Channel.

Des Moines Community College student Jake Dagel, who chairs the school's Young Americans for Freedom chapter, is opposing the 8th Annual Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning) Youth and is calling for the school to pull its $1,000 sponsorship during a press conference announcing his chapter's position. Dagel claims that conservatives and Christians will be bullied at the event.

“Any conference or event that attacks individuals for their beliefs is not diversity,” Dagel told the Iowa Republican. “We, the DMACC Young Americans for Freedom...believe that he LGBT community has every right to host this conference due to their First Amendment rights. However, as long as the conference hosts workshops that attack individuals, we will demand that DMACC revoke its sponsorship of tuition and taxpayer money from this conference.”

Dagel's concern stems from two different workshops during the conference. One entitled, "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Right Wing," which according to the Iowa Safe Schools website (which founded the conference) attendees will "Learn messages and methods to fight back against propaganda from the extreme right wing, from Fox News and Rush Limbaugh to Bob Vander Plaats and Jan Mickelson. Discover resources to get the most up-to-date information available and work toward a more progressive Iowa." The other is a seminar that will have attendees watch the documentary "For the Bible Tells Me So," a documentary that shows how conservatives have "warped" their interpretation of the Bible to stigmatize homosexuals.

Dagel's YAF chapter has received support from the Iowa GOP and Dagel told Young America's Foundation that he hopes to receive support from state legislators.

DMACC Diversity Commission member Marlana Schnell attended the press conference and her discourse with Dagel was videotaped by the Iowa Republican:

In the video, Schnell is asked why the school is using taxpayer funds on a panel (at a conference that hopes to end anti-bullying of individuals, no less!) that will aim to "fight back against propaganda from the extreme right wing." Schnell didn't really have an answer and said that the school supports the entire event and referred Dagel to contact the event organizer.

Dagel told Young America's Foundation that if the school doesn't pull funding, he will host a Christian event and ask for similar sponsorship from the school and he has launched a Facebook page to support the defunding the April 3 event.

The legend says that John Henry beat the machine, but blew up his heart in the process.  And, thus, machines took over from man.  In the long run, the steam engines of the Industrial Revolution brought more prosperity to American companies and workers than they ever enjoyed when working by hand. Now that the robotic revolution may be upon us, some are spreading the alarm that robots will take the jobs now needed by unskilled laborers and young people.  History tells us that advances spur opportunities for the young instead of diminishing them.

National Journalism Center graduate Luca Gattoni-Celli reported this week in American Spectator that Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes took his cues from the "Luddites" who once smashed their looms, fearing automation. Gattoni-Celli writes

 Kroft’s piece focuses on machine learning, which allows computer systems to use trial and error to understand how to process information and complete tasks. His main interview subjects are two MIT business school professors who published a book called Race Against the Machine in 2011. Their thesis is that robotic systems, which can be hardware or solely software, are fundamentally undermining the labor market’s recovery from the Great Recession. Robots are permanently replacing mid-skilled domestic (and, increasingly, unskilled foreign) workers; the rate of technological innovation is so high that workers are having trouble retraining and adapting to the changing economy. Though the story also notes that U.S. manufacturing employment has increased in the last few years, it emphasizes a narrative worthy of Ned Ludd.

Gattoni-Celli added that

The Luddites were wrong to destroy looms two centuries ago because technology increases productivity, and thus wages, but also creates new opportunities and industries that ultimately dwarf the short-term losses of creative destruction. It is this process of radical transformation that yields radical increases in human welfare.

Resistance comes not only from the media, but also the Obama Administration.  A recent Chronicle of Higher Education article described how academics working on developing robotic laborers argued against skeptical attitudes from officials concerned about job losses.  Henrik Christiansen of Georgia Tech's School of Interactive Computing said that producing advanced robotics requires skilled manufacturers that only the United States and a few other countries produce.  The manufacturing sector would expand because someone has to build the robots.

Increases in productivity, profits, entrepreneurship, and jobs will go hand in hand.

Writers of utopian and dystopian books have devoted thousands of pages to the potential altruistic benefits or nightmares connected to technological advances. Both extremes are wrong. History shows that with each major step forward that chances to thrive increase. Young people today understand, for example, the power of the internet to drive opportunity.  Imagine yet another technological breakthrough on that scale within a lifetime!

Liberals, however, fear change. Growth of prosperity, opportunity, and wealth brings independence to each individual. No greater threat exists to the liberal status quo of expanding individual dependence and government control. 

Stephen A. Smoot is Director of Academic Programs at the National Journalism Center

The head of an Ohio Roman Catholic university has promised to appeal a federal judge's decision denying its lawsuit challenging a provision of ObamaCare mandating employer-provided birth control.

"We will not stop fighting this unjust mandate, and we are in this for the long haul," Father Terence Henry, the president of Franciscan University of Steubenville, said in a statement released Friday.

The small Catholic school near the Ohio/Pennsylvania border is just one of the many Catholic institutions that have filed suit against the provision of the law mandating employer-provided birth control. But because the law is changing so frequently, the U.S. Appeals Court sided with the government saying that the school lacked jurisdiction and could not prove that the law would ultimately effect the school.

"It is gravely unfortunate that Franciscan's students have lost the opportunity to receive health insurance coverage from the University," Judge Algenon Marbley said.

"To the extent Franciscan claims its decision to discontinue providing student insurance is a hardship to itself, however, the hardship is self-inflicted," Marbley said.

Franciscan University dropped it's student health insurance program in May.

"We are very confident in the merits of our case, and we will continue to do everything in our power to protect our constitutional right to religious freedom," Henry said.

It will be interesting to see how it all plays out, especially come 2014 when the law kicks in, but good on Franciscan University for standing up for its beliefs.

by Grant Strobl

"Change comes from power, and power comes from organization," said Saul Alinsky in his handbook Rules for Radicals. It is no secret that the Left has nearly perfected activism, and has nearly perfected the indoctrination of young Americans across the nation. It is time for Conservatives to stop playing catch-up, and lead -- controlling the dialogue on campus and out-organize the Left.

Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky is the activism handbook for the Left, and a genius one at that.  But, why is it a handbook just for the Left? I argue that we should use some these tactics as conservative activists and perfect them.

Let's examine a few of Alinsky's power tactics as outlined in his book Rules for Radicals:

·         Make the enemy live up to their own book of rules.

·         A good tactic is one that your people enjoy.

·         A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag.

·         Keep the pressure on.

·         The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.

·         Maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition.

·         The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative.

·         Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.

·         Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have.

These are just a FEW of the points and tactics outlined in the book that the left is playing by to this day. It's time for Conservatives to stop re-inventing the wheel; rather, we need to perfect it.

Every YAF chapter in America should be advancing conservatism while utilizing and perfecting these tactics.   This shouldn't be too hard considering we have the truth on our side. Using these tactics may actually make a difference on your campus, in your community, and in our nation; because if you don't they will.

Grant is a student at Grosse Pointe North High School and chairman of the school's Young Americans for Freedom chapter

To be more exact, the university sent out an e-mail outlining some specifics regarding the ban:

(1) The use of tobacco will be prohibited in all buildings and vehicles owned or leased by UMass Amherst, regardless of location.
(2) The use of tobacco will also be prohibited on all University grounds and in any outdoor area controlled by the University.  This includes all University land, parking lots and parking ramps, athletic fields, tennis courts, and recreational areas.
(3) The use of tobacco will be prohibited inside any vehicle located on University grounds.
(4) When any person enters the grounds of the University, any smoking material shall be extinguished and disposed of in an appropriate receptacle at the perimeter of the grounds of the University.

"When I first heard about (the tobacco ban) I thought they were joking because it seems pretty widespread, the number of people who smoke on campus," Vitulli said. "I do not think it should be an issue of whether it is good or bad for you, it is your right to smoke outside," freshman Nick Vitulli told the Massachusetts Daily Collegian earlier this month. 

More from the Daily Collegian article:

           Wilmore C. Webley, who has been leading the campaign to make the campus smoke-free, said he polled students and 78 percent favor a smoke-free campus. He is a member of the health council and teaches a class called "Biology of Cancer and AIDS," and has repeatedly conducted smoking surveys among students.   

 
    The campus banned smoking in buildings 26 years ago. 

Smokers now must be 20 feet away from a building to smoke, but some say that's hard to enforce. The new policy will ban all tobacco products, and would apply to anyone coming on campus, including staff, faculty, contractors and visitors. It would include parking lots and athletic events. The policy is similar to policies that have been adopted at more than 466 colleges and universities across the country, including at the universities of Florida, Kentucky, Oregon and Michigan.   

Talk about overreach! Whatever you think about cigarettes, good or bad, does it seem right to change the already established rules? If you don't like smoking, you won't smoke and try to avoid as much contact as possible. Just give people the opportunity to decide for themselves.

What do you think of this ban? What would you do if it was your school?

The private college has allowed adjunct faculty to organize under the Part Time Faculty Association, connected with the National Education Association.  In the past two years, instructors at the college found their course loads sliced and filed a grievance.  Many higher education institutions have been forced to cut adjunct faculty courseloads due to Obamacare mandates set to kick in next year. 

Columbia was forced to reinstate the course hours to the instructors.

 At the time, union president Diana Vallera was quoted by the Chronicle for Higher Education as saying it was "a tremendous victory for part-time faculty" that "recognized the severity of the situation."  The most recent ruling against Columbia College concerned their attempt to cut Vallera's hours.  An administrative judge found the decision discriminatory because of her role in the college's earlier legal setback.

Last fall, House Republicans held hearings to raise concerns about the NLRB's apparent targeting of private colleges. At this hearing, according to a Chronicle of Higher Education story, Representative Phil Roe of Tennessee characterized the NLRB as "utterly determined to advance a culture of union favoritism.  The chair of the labor subcommittee accused the labor board of "now exploring actions that could bring significant changes to private higher-education institutions."

While Democrats at the time claimed the worries had little substance, the ruling last week indicates otherwise.

David Baime, senior vice president for governmental relations for the American Association of Community Colleges told the Chicago Tribune earlier this month, “With almost 70 percent of our (classroom) credits now taught by adjuncts, the colleges are extremely concerned about how the law will be interpreted and the extra costs they might get hit with.”

Clearly private colleges, like other businesses, need to shift labor costs.  The NLRB ruling, however, penalized the college for shifting the burdens of Obamacare in such a way as to not harm student learning. 

Obamacare has forced every college and university to make tough decisions about the future of part time faculty.  The NLRB is forcing unionized private campuses to shift the burden of these costs somewhere other than labor.  Adjuncts can get teaching jobs at more than one campus.  Students are stuck with either skyrocketing tuition and debt or a less effective learning environment.

Blame, however, should fall on the campuses that allowed unionization in the first place.  They should have known that this was a snake when they picked it up.

Although there seems to be nothing sinister at play here, why would a very popular class be canceled?  

"The Center on Ethics in Society will play a role in supporting the creation of new courses and existing courses in ethical reasoning, and the Center decided to allocate its limited resources (human and financial) to this task in the coming years," Professor Rob Reich, Director of the EiS program told the Stanford Review.

          While there was steady interest for the course throughout the three years the class was offered, the type of students that it attracted varied. 

        According to [the course's Professor John] McCaskey, the class was largely made up of competing conservative students in the first year, 

           largely because two students-one Catholic and one Ayn Rand Objectivist-extensively promoted the course before registration. By the third year, 

          however, the class was much more balanced. 'The class attracted all sorts of students, right and left wing,' said the junior. 'Some objectivists,

           a couple of libertarians, a member of Stanford Democrats, and even two Marxists.'"

McCaskey told the Stanford Review that the reason he started to teach the class in the first place was after America's financial collapse in the late 2000s.

"I thought it was a wonderful opportunity to get students to explore how Americans have historically defended the morality of capitalism," McCaskey said.

Do you have any stories similar to this one on your campus? Make sure to let us know in the comments or by e-mailing atragone (at) yaf (dot) org.

The Left declared victory at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia after the administration tentatively decided to kick Chick-Fil-A off its campus.

The  Atlanta Journal-Constitution, however, noted on Wednesday that the change is not final.

According to the school's administration, its decision was not political. As Emory's Food Advisory Committee co-chair Michael Sacks commented in an interview: "A chicken sandwich isn't very popular, so we want to do a burger place."

But given the university's location, the excuse seems a bit baffling. When was chicken ever unpopular in Georgia-home of the Zac Brown Band ("and a little bit of chicken fried…")?

Another co-chair, Karoline Porcello, even told the campus newspaper that a contributing factor was that the restaurant didn't rise to the standards of campus life and student values.

So who's telling the truth?

While Emory University's real motivation remains unclear, the Left argues that it has a lot to do with pressure from gay advocates at the university over the past six months. During a protest in November, a student activist named Grant Schleifer told reporters that he felt that Chick-fil-A's presence on campus is hurtful to the gay [LGBT] community and reflects poorly on the student body's morals.

"A hateful group can't live in our home because it makes it a toxic environment. It's uncomfortable for gay people and their allies," Schleifer said.

For one, Chick-fil-A is not a hate group; it is a restaurant, and its leadership has said nothing "hateful" about gay people.

Moreover, it hasn't been demonstrating on campus. It has only been serving chicken.

In December, the Student Government Association passed a resolution opposing Chick-fil-A, and despite a response from the SGA, they continued their relentless assault on the chicken eatery for its mere existence on campus.

It's fair to suspect that these attacks motivated the Food Advisory Committee's sudden decision.

Hopefully, other universities will not acquiesce to the same liberal pressure. In the meantime, students may want to "Eat Mor Chikin" while they still can.

In the course of events, the 10,000 participants identified their foes: Democrats, liberals, progressives,  Chris Matthews, New Jersey  Gov. Chris Christie, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and anyone in the White House and not necessarily in that order.

The crowd reaffirmed their heroes with gusto: God, Ronald Reagan, the late Andrew Breitbart,  Barry Goldwater, the Founding Fathers,  William F. Buckley Jr., Sen. Rand Paul, and a new entry to the traditional roster:

The young.

But often a liberal worldview emerges in subtle ways.

This morning, I was talking to my son about his world history class.  He said that he had finished the assigned textbook readings on the Roman Republic and Julius Caesar.  I commented on how the Founding Fathers feared an American Caesar.

My son responded quizzically, "wasn't he considered a good guy?  Wasn't he merciful to the poor?"

And there you have it.  Liberal bias.

Julius Caesar was not a "good guy" when it came to the traditions of rule of law and liberty in the Roman Republic.  He helped to lead civil wars that shredded the body politic of Rome.  Julius Caesar's economic policies followed an emerging practice of ignoring the Roman constitution.  If the Senate dared to object, he had the ability to terrify it into submission.   Julius Caesar's destruction of the Roman constitution paved the way for Caligula, Nero, and a horde of evil emperors unchecked by the bounds of law or government. Whatever he did for the poor and the indebted in Rome, Julius Caesar finished off the annihilation of the laws that protected freedom and restrained rulers.

How a society remembers historical figures reflects its values.  Shakespeare's England, a country with partial representative government, rule of law, and an emerging ideal of natural rights, remembered Julius Caesar negatively.  The Bard represented one of his assassins, Marcellus Brutus, as a noble man who chose the freedom of his country over his deep personal friendship with Caesar. 

Renaissance Italy's most famous poet, Dante Alligheri, depicted Brutus more malevolently.  In the deepest pit of Hell was placed the four most vile traitors to their masters.  Lucifer, a grotesque dark three headed monster, chewed eternally on the bodies of the worst human offenders in history.  Brutus, along with his fellow conspirator Cassius, ranked only slightly below the most malevolent human being, Judas Iscariot.  Dante lived in an Italy torn by war and ruled by absolutism.  The ambition and power was to be respected as a gift from God, not a threat to liberty.

How do our left wing academics and teachers remember our nation's heroes?  Was Thomas Jefferson ahead of his time in convincing Congress to ban slavery north of the Ohio River, or was he another hypocritical slaveowner?  Did Ronald Reagan decisively seize a moment in history to lead the free world to victory over the evil empire, or does he get no credit for the fall of the Soviet Union?  Our memory of great men and women in history says a lot about who we are and what we stand for.  Allowing the academic left to define these people without challenge will affect how future generations view America and its values.

And so it became a teaching moment.  I got a chance to teach my son that a constitution that protects rights is paramount. Even if the goal may be to do good for some, ignoring and tearing up the constitution only results in overwhelming evils.  We live in a time where some educated men and women want to see our leaders follow the model of Julius Caesar and ignore, maybe even destroy the Constitution.  What happened to Rome taught the Founding Fathers and reminds us that we must value the protector of our rights and liberties.

But it still bothers me that the textbook's main lesson was to emphasize that Julius Caesar helped the poor.

It is not that professors, teachers, and textbooks can be objective.  Everyone has a worldview.  This, however, is where conservatives need to educate themselves and counter the narrative.  Be able to describe how Reagan helped us triumph over evil Communism.  Understand that constitutional protections have much more value than liberal good intentions whether it is 60 BC or 2013 Anno Domini. 

The battleground lies in the minds and hearts of fellow students who may never hear anything other than the liberal and left wing narrative.

This is why we fight.

Molly Braswell, a National Journalism Center intern writing for Red Alert Politics, reports:

At a Heritage Foundation event in Washington, D.C. today, Five Guys Burgers and Fries franchise Mike Ruffer said the costs incurred to comply with Obamacare was forcing him to make some very difficult decisions about how to financially manage his business.

“Likely, any added cost to the business is going to have to get passed through to the customer,” Ruffer said at the “Part Time America? – Impact of Obamacare” panel  Monday afternoon.

 This means that the average cost of food ordered at Five Guys will rise.  This, however, is not unique to one company.  Prices will rise across the board in many areas because businesses cannot shoulder the increased burdens of Obamacare.  Braswell also wrote:

Ruffer, who owns Five Guys francises in North Carolina and Virginia, explained that he signed a deal in 2004 to build 11 of the burger joints, not knowing the economy would come crashing down a few years later and that the government would mandate that he provide healthcare to employees working over 30 hours a week.

Ruffer said he thought he would be safe from the repercussions of Obamacare because he opened each restaurant under a separate Limited Liability Company (LLC) and no more than 20 people worked at any one burger place. Unfortunately, under the umbrella of Obamacare, if a person or family members own all the establishments, then they are considered one entity, bringing small businessman like Ruffer under the purview of the law.

The Five Guys owner said he employs 147 people, 60 of whom work more than 30 hours per week, which is considered full-time under Obamacare. Ruffer said he will either have to fire or reduce the hours of 31 employees in order to avoid paying for their insurance. The cost of paying for their healthcare would be added on top of the roughly $2.4 million he spent on last year’s payroll.

The burden gets worse for residents of states who accepted the "deal" in which they expand medicaid for three years under 100 percent federal funding, then pay the costs afterward.  New Jersey and Ohio, among other states, accepted the deal.  Florida indicated it would, but its legislature killed the enabling bills in committee. 

States that do accept the Obama deal will rely upon those in their twenties now to pay for their bad decisions down the road.  So those who are in college now will be hit the hardest by the ever growing costs of this disastrous legislation.

For years, the school's grade inflation policy made it somewhat of a joke among fellow Ivy League schools.  Too many As, too little actual learning.

Recently, the school's student paper lashed out against Senator Ted Cruz and others who complained about the Marxist leanings of many faculty members.  Of course research proved that Cruz was dead on accurate.

Harvard's reputation suffered from a cheating scandal that broke last summer.  Over 120 students allegedly cheated by copying answers on a take home exam.  Apparently the honor system was not effective in this case.

Now it has come to light that the Harvard University administration snooped into the email accounts of 16 resident deans to discover who leaked last summer's cheating story to the media.

The New York Times reported that

Last fall, the administrators searched the e-mails of 16 resident deans, trying to determine who had leaked an internal memo about how the deans should advise students who stood accused of cheating. But most of those deans were not told that their accounts had been searched until the past few days, after The Boston Globe, which first reported the searches, began to inquire about them.

Rather than the searches being kept secret from the resident deans, “they should’ve been asked openly,” said Richard Thomas, a professor of classics. “This is not a good outcome.”

According to the blog of Dr. Harry Lewis, a long time professor of computer science at the school, Harvard University does have the legal right to snoop.  The New York Times did quote him as calling the practice "dishonorable." Lewis also said that “People are just bewildered at this point, because it was so out of keeping with the way we’ve done things at Harvard.” He said that it also made it more likely that professors would use their own personal accounts rather than the university's system.

 Faculty and students alike should understand that university emails generally are subject to policies that can make them available to administrators.  In the case of Harvard University, a user must login before seeing the policy. 

Harvard's actions were within the university's rights, but many faculty and students alike believe that they violated its values.

 Many thanks to Chairman Brendon Najm, Vice Chairman Kevin Pope and the rest of the crew for sending the video along. 

 If you are looking to start a YAF chapter on your campus or in your school, please call Kate Edwards or Patrick Coyle at 800-USA-1776.

Even though the Colorado state Senate will pass some gun control measures, including a ban on high-capacity magazines and stricter background checks, college students gained a victory when a lawmaker pulled his bill that would have banned concealed carry on state campuses.  

State Senator Rollie Heath pulled his own legislation off the floor late Friday evening, after 7 hours of contention debate on gun control-related bills. 

"In committee, we heard from young women, who had tragic situations on campus where they felt a gun was needed for self- defense," Heath said. 

From The Denver Post post: 

The Colorado legislature in 2003 passed the Concealed Carry Act, which states a person with a permit may carry a concealed weapon "in all areas of the state," except for a narrow list of exceptions, such as federal properties, K-12 schools, the state Capitol. 

            But the law didn't include colleges, and three University of Colorado students sued in 2008 in a case that went all the way to the state Supreme Court, which unanimously ruled the CU Board of Regents overstepped its authority by banning permitted concealed weapons on campuses. 

            House Bill 1226 would have specifically banned concealed weapons in any building or structure used by a public institution of higher education. Further, the bill would have banned. 

 A great victory for freedom and the Second Amendment!

Young America's Foundation has released its list of bully schools in America, schools where the rights of conservative students have been assaulted and affronted. Bullying is a hot topic in education today, especially in middle school and high school, but sadly harassment towards conservative students is one of the most common and consistently overlooked forms of bullying in schools today. 

Places of education, whether it's high school or college, are the forums where ideas from all walks of life are to be heard and respected. Our nation's very own founding document re-affirms every citizen's right to speaking their mind. Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing, but as we have seen time and time again, some schools, whether people in leadership or other students, have infringed on the rights of so many students who just want to let their voice be heard.

Just as we list the top schools for conservatives, we feel it's necessary to list the schools that students should avoid. We have collected the worst instances of free-speech-loving students being attacked by administrators and/or fellow students. You'll want to stop back as we add to the list.

To see the list, click here.

These schools undermine students rights and treat young conservatives as second-class students.  No measures have been taken by these schools to stop bullying against conservatives.  Be sure to contact us at (800) USA-1776 if you've witnessed conservative bullying at your school. 

By Ben Smith, with contributions by Alex Thomas

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - On March 5, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Student Congress passed a controversial bill by a hastily maneuvered procedural vote only would severely affect the Tar Heel Rifle and Pistol Club on campus by raising the requirement obtain funding for purchasing ammunition for the group from a simple majority to a 3/5 majority vote. 

In the days leading up to the vote, there was speculation that the bill's author, Rep. Austin Root, was possibly passing off his personal dislike for the group. Many of the other members of the Student Congress believed that he was discriminating against the Rifle and Pistol Club. 

"It is my opinion that there was absolutely discrimination involved.  Individuals in Student Congress have openly expressed their opinions in taking a stance against Tar Heel Rifle and Pistol Club by attempting to stop the funding of ammunition and create precedent prohibiting this in the future," Brittany Best, the Chair of the Finance Community said.

As the Tar Heel Pistol and Rifle Club's members filed into the room where the Student Congress was meeting, an email was sent through the Congressional listserve, containing a conversation between Speaker Pro Temp Connor Brady and Mr. Root. The conversation is a heated exchange in which Mr. Root admits he is discriminating against the group. 

"I do not like funding ammunition," Root said in the Facebook exchange. After another exchange in the message, he goes on to write,"to clarify I am ok with my student fees going something that I don't support, so long as I do not have control over it." He concludes by stating that, "Since I cannot get other to strike THPRC (Tar Heel Pistol and Rifle Club) to zero (funds), I want the power to appropriate funds to THRPC taken away from me, while still, of course, still remaining on Finance (Committee) and Congress."

Knowing that the email was circulating, Rep. Root and his colleagues acted fast. As Root's time expired, while he was introducing the bill, Mr. Brady was writing down the order of speakers, which had upwards of twenty members of the Student Congress waiting to speak. The first on the list was Rep. Daniel Rojas, of the off-campus housing district. 

Rep. Rojas yielded about 75 seconds to Mr. Root to finish his introduction. Despite the numerous members of both the Rifle and Pistol Club and his fellow members waiting to speak, Mr. Rojas moved to close debate and vote. The motion was quickly seconded, but objections were heard from around the room. Division was called and the roll call vote commenced. Despite the numerous objections, the vote passed and the bill was agreed to without debate. Shocked and stunned, members of the Rifle and Pistol Club quickly left the room. 

Members of the Student Congress who were not allowed to speak were outraged. Finance Committee Chairwoman Best was yielded the floor in which she admonished her fellow members.

"I am totally disgusted by the body's decision to move to previous without allowing for a fair and informative debate.  As elected representatives, it is our duty to speak for our constituents and allow for their voices and opinions to be heard.  Regardless of how a representative was going to vote, each of them should have stood up for the rights of their constituents and given them the opportunity to speak," Best said.

Rep. Nitin Goel of the mid-campus district added, "Had debate been allowed, I would have listened to my constituents and their opinions, and may have reconsidered my position."

Rep. Peter McClelland summed up the entire process, "This is an abominable and disgusting bill meant to persecute an individual student group, and that representatives did not allow their constituents a voice is beyond contemptible."

Grant Anastas-King, President of the Rifle and Pistol club released a statement to the Carolina Review, the campus' conservative magazine, condemning the "shady" practices of some members of the Student Congress:

I am incredibly disappointed in the shady actions of Student Congress. Should this bill get signed into law by the Student Body President, our club has effectively been prevented from going to the shooting range. This is a perfect illustration of what a totalitarian regime looks like. A governing body that is supposed to be representative of constituents instead broke the rules to pass a discriminatory bill. I'm sure that not every sponsor of this bill was aware of the true intentions, but they were not given a chance to be swayed through debate. Instead, in a violation of procedure, a vote on the bill without debate was pushed through despite objections from many Student Congress representatives. This bill was only passed by ONE vote, and the representatives supporting us as well as the 50+ members of my club in the room never had a chance to have their voices heard. Here at Carolina, we should be better than this.

The Rifle and Pistol Club has filed a suit against the Student Congress in the Student Supreme Court. The plaintiffs are, Rep. McClelland, Rep. Aristy, Rep. Crayton, and Grant Anastas-King with Speaker Pro-Temp Brady as their counselor.

Reps. Root and Rojas did not return requests for comment.

Ben Smith is a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill double majoring in political science and history and a member of UNC's conservative club.  Alex Thomas is a freshman at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in political science. He is a writer and the online editor for the Carolina Review, as well as he vice chairman of finance for UNC's conservative club. 

The Washington Examiner, March 6, 2013

by George Allen 

  At his 2013 Inaugural, President Obama was described as the "Democratic Ronald Reagan" by ABC White House correspondent Jonathan Kent. 

With his clear vision for freedom around the world, his message of lower taxes and reversing the flow of power to Washington, his optimism and character, and his faith in the goodness of the American people, Reagan defined conservatism for generations and secured his place in history as one of America's most consequential presidents -- a transformational leader both at home and on the world stage. 

Will Barack Obama leave a similar imprint? 

To read more, visit the The Washington Examiner 

Nearly 100 workers went on strike on June 1, 2012, when the company refused to recognize an effort by workers to form a union. At the same time, Palermo's Pizza was going through an audit by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. On June 8, 75 workers were fired for failure to submit necessary paperwork that would grant them a legal work permit.

The efforts have been led by the far-left group Voces de La Frontera, a key supporter of Governor Scott Walker's recall election. Voces submitted a grievance with the National Labor Relations Board immediately following the workers' firings. In November, the NLRB ruled in Palermo's favor stating that the company acted lawfully when firing the undocumented workers.

Very active in grassroots organizing, Voces has 14 student groups around the Milwaukee area, including Youth Empowered in the Struggle, a group which is recognized by Marquette University as a student organization.

Palermo's Pizza is the exclusive pizza of Marquette University and the BMO Harris Bradley Center, where the Marquette men's basketball team plays. YES protested at the recent men's home game vs. the University of Notre Dame on Saturday March 2.

According to a Facebook event to remind supporters, the rally was organized by the Marquette University Coalition for Worker Rights. YES announced the event Friday on Facebook. A Marquette administrator said that the event was not registered with the Office of Student Development and moreover, the MU Coalition for Worker Rights is not recognized by the university. University regulations do not allow any club to use Marquette or MU as the first word of their name. These liberal students may have intentionally skirted University rules. If a club wants to host any event on or off campus, they must pre-register and get approval from OSD. 

The club wrote in a February 14 op-ed to the Marquette Tribune: "In order to pressure Palermo's into honoring the strikers' reasonable demands and to rehire the workers that they illegally fired, Youth Empowered in the Struggle is supporting the national effort to boycott Palermo's products."

Palermo's Pizza provides thousands of dollars in their contract with the university. Furthermore, the family-owned company is active in philanthropic efforts, including a focus on fighting hunger and helping children in need in Haiti. Palermo's also offers non-profit groups a fundraising program.

The liberal students are looking to destroy a business that has spent supporting the local community, not to mention the students at Marquette University. Palermo's was vindicated by the NLRB in November, and as of now, Marquette is sticking with Palermo's.

 Ethan Hollenberger, age 22, is a conservative activist from Wisconsin. While in college, he was a founding member of the campus' Young American's for Freedom chapter.  He can be contacted at ethan.hollenberger@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @EHollenberger.

Fears of witches grew from a core of truth.  Evil does exist in the world.  Some people choose to do wrong and seduce others away from good lives.  In modern times, the phrase "witch hunt" describes fear based persecution based on pure fantasy.  More factually, however, witch hunts happen when fear of a real event pushes groups of people to respond  harshly and without reason. The aftermath of the Sandy Hook shooting in Connecticut has driven public school authorities into both archetypes from the Salem Witch Trials, the authorities relentlessly investigating any possible deviance and the hysterical young women shouting accusations.  Two incidents just in the past week show that schools must regain a sense of perspective and reason.

On the Tony Katz Show last Saturday, actor Joseph C. Phillips (a Young America's Foundation speaker best known for a role on The Cosby Show) related abuse suffered by his son at the hands of his school.  Phillips' son, a 15 year old, had worked, saved money, and purchased a BB gun.  Proud of his work and its rewards, the young man showed a digital picture of the BB gun to his friends.  A passing teacher saw the photo.  That's where the hysteria kicked in.  Phillips told Katz:

You see, Tony, and this is the reason I called you… I know there is sensitivity now about children coming into the school, shooting up their classmates. I get that. But at a certain point, people have to stand up and say “Enough with the hysteria! Enough is enough!” We are not going to sacrifice the dignity of our children, our own dignity… What they (the school) did is not keeping anyone safe.

In a letter to the school principal, Phillips wrote:

It may come as a shock to Mr. DeLarme (the teacher who initiated all the problems), It may even be news to you, but my son is not the only boy in Woodland Hills with a BB gun.  There are quite a few boys attending your school who not only own BB guns, but own real guns as well. (Some of them play air soft with my son!) Their fathers, mothers, and brothers also own guns and shoot regularly.  Owning a gun is NOT a sign of mental illness.  Owning a BB gun is NOT an indication of mental instability! Certainly, showing friends a photograph of a gun is NOT a warning sign that a student is a potential danger to his classmates! I object, in the strongest of terms, to my son being treated as a potential danger and to his being threatened with law enforcement.

These teachers may not want to go anywhere between the California state line and the Northeast.  In most parts of the U.S. it is very common for young boys and girls to get their first real firearm at the age of 12 or so.

An even stranger incident happened near Fort Myers, Florida.  A football player in a dispute with a teammate on a school bus pulled a .22 RG-14 revolver and threatened to kill him. Thinking quickly, a nearby 16 year old tackled and disarmed the would be gunman. 

A hero, right?  Worthy of thanks from parents, administrators, and everyone else, right?  Maybe the school gave him a medal?

Nope.  He got a three day suspension for being part of a weapons incident. 

The incredulous student asked a reporter from a local TV station, "How they going to suspend me for doing the right thing?"

So long as the hysteria lasts, students will be harassed for owning a BB gun, suspended for making finger gun gestures, given poor grades for writing papers on guns.  This is not policy or rational response to a real concern, but hysteria. 

Just like a real witch hunt, hysteria claims real victims.  Bullying by faculty members and knee jerk responses do not make anyone more safe. Schoolteachers and administrators who are worried should educate themselves from legitimate sources on guns and gun violence.  Information generally reduces hysteria and helps people to make reasonable decisions.

Students cannot respect schools that react and punish without thinking.

After a semester-long battle to force Chick-fil-A off the UNM campus, the board governing the Student Union Building on Feb. 27 voted to keep the popular vendor.

As many probably remember, in June and July of last year, Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy was brutally attacked by the Left after making several public comments in support of the traditional family structure. Chick-fil-A's throughout the nation have continued to "offend" leftist groups by their mere existence.

The debate at UNM started in October when Miquela Ortiz of the Associated Students of UNM introduced a student Senate resolution demanding that the SUB board cancel its contract.

"Students started expressing to me they felt unsafe to go into their own campus union building. When they said they felt uncomfortable on campus, I felt it was an issue that I should bring up. Supporters of the resolution said that the restaurant's very presence made gay students feel 'unsafe,'" Ortiz said.

Hmm…was it the menacing cow costume or might it have been the threatening motto of "Eat Mor Chikin"?

Nonetheless, the student government passed the resolution 15-3 despite the results of a survey finding that 85 percent of participating students wanted to keep Chick-fil-A on campus.

Ortiz and the other students who voted for the resolution apparently did not care that cancellation of Chick-fil-A's contract would have cost the SUB at least $175,000. Associate Vice President for Student Life Walter Miller said funds would have come from student fees and SUB revenues since SUB cannot ask for funding from the state legislature or from UNM's repair fund.

In other words, tuition would have increased.

The student government's vote advanced it to the SUB board, and students flocked to support the fast food restaurant. The room was packed with students, appalled with the student government's treatment of Chick-fil-A.

After considering all sides, the board voted 8-3 in favor of the establishment.

UNM student Steven Ybarra told the student newspaper that he agreed with the board's decision.

"If they feel unsafe, it's because … they created a symbol of oppression that they feel they need to protect themselves from," Ybarra said. "Nobody is in imminent danger in this campus because of chicken. The majority of students do want to keep Chick-fil-A here on campus."

This incident is simply another example of the Left playing the "offensive" card in order to squash successful conservatives in the world of business.

Kudos to the many students on campus who didn't chicken out under the pressure.

Brendan Pringle is development officer at Young America's Foundation's Reagan Ranch Center