Standing Up to Liberalism in High School

FrontPageMagazine.com ^ | Feb 19, 2004 | Judd Rosenblatt

[babble-on]

I’m a ninth grader at Edgemont High School in Scarsdale, New York. As such, I live in a town, and region, of the country that is largely populated by liberals. In fact, in my social milieu, it has become a custom to be liberal. This custom alienates me because I am not a liberal. I have chosen to cleave to my own conservative principles. In my community, being conservative is viewed as a character flaw. But, even when I feel discouraged, I try to stand up for my beliefs.

The vast majority of my student peers at Edgemont are liberal. They assume that everyone is liberal and were surprised when I first disagreed with them. Not only do people dislike my being conservative, they also blame me for the faults they perceive in the world and in the Bush administration. My peers often approach me and ask, “What do you have to say about Bush doing …(something of which they disapprove)…? You put him in office.” Many people repeatedly pick verbal fights with me but shun productive discussions. When asked difficult questions, they simply utter something about the “idiotic Republicans.” When someone says, “That’s stupid,” the next words spoken are often, “Not as stupid as George Bush.” They label a ninth-grader as the cause of the world’s problems and make President Bush, a man I respect, the butt of their jokes. This makes me feel alienated from them and sad that they hold these ludicrous beliefs.

Though the teachers of Edgemont are older and presumably wiser than the student body, they are no less liberal. Sadly, the faculty is worse. One of my teachers, upon overhearing me talking to a classmate about the media’s liberal bias, lectured me for 10 minutes on the error of my conservative ways.

Another teacher suggested that to gain perspective, his students should not only read mainstream media, but the ultra-left publications such as The Nation and Extra as well. He did not suggest reading the right-of-center press. Why not? He told me after class that he believed mainstream media to be conservative.

A former teacher of mine often spoke out against Bush and in support of environmentalism, providing a liberally biased classroom atmosphere. However, the teachers are not wholly responsible for teaching with liberal biases because the school curriculum also emphasizes liberal values. Take environmentalism. In sixth grade, we completed two detailed units about whales and watched the entire video series, The Voyage of the Mimi, which I believe had segments that were no more than environmentalist propaganda. A great amount of the material I have learned at school has been influenced by both liberal teachers and curricula. Therefore, I must be a knowledgeable (not just a “knee-jerk”) conservative to be able to present a different point of view to my self-righteous teachers.

I am a Jew and one of the few conservatives in my religious community. The conventional wisdom at my Scarsdale synagogue, Westchester Reform Temple, is that Reform Jews should be politically liberal and that conservatives are--dare we say it?--evil. Although I disagree, my temple remains liberal.

The rabbis’ sermons are sprinkled with remarks that deride President Bush, conservatives, and business. One rabbi at my temple implied in a sermon that Republicans and businessmen care only about profits and not about people. Several years ago, I had an excellent and exciting Hebrew School teacher who surprised me when she said that good Jews are liberal and should vote for Gore. I often argue with the opinions that my teachers state as facts and defend my own opinion. Recently, my teacher, who had graduated from Yale, told us that he was not proud that someone as stupid as George Bush had gone to his college. I raised my hand and stated facts that tended to indicate that Bush is smart. Such actions have exposed my political leanings and have clearly lowered my social status at Hebrew School. The people at Hebrew School now view me as a lower form of life, thinking that I want to starve the poor, destroy the environment, reenact segregation, and kill the whales. I do not; I share many goals with the liberals, but I have different, conservative approaches to attaining them.

I have a dream that one day my teachers and peers will realize that all prejudice must be eliminated, not only against certain skin colors, but also prejudices held against those with certain political beliefs.

about the author: Judd Rosenblatt is a ninth-grader at Edgemont High School in Scarsdale, New York. A version of this essay was written for an English class to fulfill a course requirement to write a paper which explained a custom which detracted from his dignity.

[babble-on]

You think you have it tough? Try being a Jewish, Republican 9th Grader in Scarsdale!

[LiteKeeper]

read later

[Afro_conservative]

This seems kinda lame, when I was in high school no one talked about politics or the president, what type of friends/associates do you hang around. Maybe in college I can understand the liberal tag, but in high school? I think you are reading into yourself too much study and do some sports and join the chess club.

You are too young to worry about politics, worry about making yourself better spiritually, mentally, academically, etc.

[Fintan]

Does this lad have an email address?

[GiveEmDubya]

You are too young to worry about politics

Ahem. Some of us just happen to like it.

[Mugwump]

I agree. I haven't seen writing of this caliber from a ninth-grader in 30 years! Amazing, and a most pleasant surprise.

[awakened]

This kid is going to be someone someday..... actually he already is. My hat is off to this extremely bright and courageous young man, and if we could get his email, I'd gladly write and commend him. He needs encouragement in knowing that someday he'll be in a better position to be among his true peers and his values will be treasured!

[Blood of Tyrants]

"Many people repeatedly pick verbal fights with me but shun productive discussions. When asked difficult questions, they simply utter something about the “idiotic Republicans.”"

All I can say is keep your facts straght and grow a thick skin.

[anniegetyourgun]

"I have a dream that one day my teachers and peers will realize that all prejudice must be eliminated, not only against certain skin colors, but also prejudices held against those with certain political beliefs."

From the writers pen to God's eyes.

BTW, I understand it's not unusual for kids these days to talk about pols. Apparently Clinton's "behaviors" made it fashionable. According to many of the high school-age kids I talk to, most American public school kids think the President is a dunce. On the other hand, they are completely uninformed as to the issues - including was in the news cycle the previous 24 hours. So where could this attitude be coming from?

[Blood of Tyrants]

You can send a note to Front Page Mag and ask them to forward it.

[Afro_conservative]

Yeah, but why would you waste your time with politics in high school when you have so much more to learn about yourself besides the evils of politics. What I am basically trying to say is that yes politics are important but don't get your hopes up about our government. Even though I consider myself a Christian-Conservative I don't always follow the "party-line" because the party isn't always right.

Think for yourself and don't get caught up in the names of being liberal and/or conservative like some of us old fogies and expand your mind. You might be losing some good friends because you disagree with them politically. Remember some of the old guys here are set in their ways and will never change, you are old and should find out for yourself.

[onedoug]

Too many kids are being indoctrinated that society is their greatest ill. This kid realizes that one's principle struggle is with the self.

Major maturity difference.

[VOA]

This kid should listen to The Larry Elder Show (over the web at www.kabc.com).

Elder occassionally has a student (named Steven, IIRC) who fought the good fight
with lefty-nutburgers at a high school in Santa Monica.

I don't know how he survived, but I think he even managed to get into Duke U.
this year or last.

I suspect that if he hadn't gone public and gotten on Elder's show, he'd been
the victim of lots of punitive grading.

[Bacon Man]

This seems kinda lame, when I was in high school no one talked about politics or the president, what type of friends/associates do you hang around. Maybe in college I can understand the liberal tag, but in high school?

I recall talking politics quite frequently in junior high, especially during the Carter/Reagan race. Granted there weren't alot of us but we were out there.

[Bacon Man]

Awesome post!

[Bacon Man]

Check this guy out!

[Captain Rhino]

>>I haven't seen writing of this caliber from a ninth-grader in 30 years! Amazing, and a most pleasant surprise.<<

I agree about the quality of the writing...makes me suspicious...but the end note does say it was a class assignment, so the quality may just reflect many preliminary drafts and careful revision. Nice read.

Yeah, Jewish Republican 9th grader in Scarsdale...better develop a thick hide.

[paltz]

My dad is a jewish conservative from scardale. He went into the marines in the early 60's and no one in the community has ever messed with him.

[Xenalyte]

My goodness - he's better with words than any of my college students. I'm impressed!

[mgist]

This kid has a great future. From the mouths of babes. . .

[finnman69]

You think you have it tough? Try being a Jewish, Republican 9th Grader in Scarsdale!

Hey try being a Republican Christian at the Dalton School in NYC.

[Esther Ruth]

Well that was SURE an encouragement to read!!! How brave, how strong - I am inspired. Now I want to know why all those kids are being so mean to a republican in the 9th grade???

I thought they all grew up listening to Barney sing, "I Love You, You Love Me, We're a Great Big Family, with a great big hug and a kiss from you to me". What in the world happen. I thought Barney teaching all this love was going to reign in Peace. Darn!!

[Ignatius J Reilly]

There was not much (if any) political discussion in my high school. I think most of my peers liked Reagan because their parents did. I learn from my friend who is a school teacher (NEA and very liberal btw)that politics is actively discussed among many of his students and he is very careful to remain nuetral when discussions of a political nature emerge in his classroom. I think it is awesome that the younger crowd is taking an interest in politcs, after all how are you going to decide how to vote on you 18th birthday if you haven't been following what's happening.

Kudos to this kid, he's obviously very sharp.

[Quix]

THANKS.

[CatoRenasci]

It was almost as tough being a Christian Goldwater Republican in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1964, the very year Goldwater was nominated at a Republican Convention held in San Francisco, and when the town still had a Republican Mayor (George Christopher).

My high school social studies teachers back then were all Kennedy-ite Liberals opposed who believed the Republicans were against truth, justice, the American Way, Mom and Apple Pie. Taking Conservative positions in class was dangerous. When several of us who were taking US History in Summer School (ahead of time so we could take more electives) managed to get an opportunity to go to the Convention and work with the various campaigns, we had to get the Board of Education to override the teacher and let us get credit for it.

A great experience! I got to meet Goldwater, Nelson Rockefeller, Nixon, and, of all people, Elijah Mohammad, the head of the Black Muslims!

[TaxRelief]

You can't be Republican until your 18.

[babble-on]

I am not the author of this piece! I am a 42 year old Republican in suburban Nashville, where such folk are quite at home. I just thought people would be interested in his saga.

I don't know his e-mail address. You could probably get in touch with him through that school he refers to, or through frontpagemag.com, who must have a way of contacting him.

[Teacher317]

Liberalism thrives on Hate

[Trust but Verify]

I have two children just out of high school. Both are conservative and had similar, if less in-your-face encounters with teachers and students while in HS. Both stood their ground well, using facts and figures to support their statements and gained a lot of respect in the processs. Still, there were difficult days for them, especially during the aftermath of the 2000 election debacle.

My daughter would sometimes call me in tears after being 'ganged up on' by a bunch of kids in class while the teacher did nothing to moderate the debate. I salved her 'wounds' by telling her these experiences would only make her a stronger advocate for her beliefs.

[ladylib]

I bet she just has so much respect for that teacher and her ability to moderate a class discussion fairly.

Teachers like this one gives the profession a bad name -- a reputation that public school teachers don't need today.

[oldtimer]

Yes babble on - keep your eye on the ball. You are going to go a long way leading those poor sheeple out of wolf country.

[Trust but Verify]

And this was her freshman year in college! She left that school and is much happier in her new one.

[Trust but Verify]

She's a FReeper, BTW!

[Qwinn]

Great read! Very well written, and -man-, can I empathize. I grew up as a middle class conservative kid in an upper class liberal town (in New Jersey). I feel your pain.

Let me do the only thing I can for you - give you at least one weapon with which to fight the many battles you are sure to face in your future.

When you are confronted with an attitude as mind-boggingly moronic as the following:

"He did not suggest reading the right-of-center press. Why not? He told me after class that he believed mainstream media to be conservative."

Just look him back in the eye, and say "The New York Times, the Gray Lady, the paper from which all other media sources take their cue, hasn't endorsed a single Republican President on their editorial page since Eisenhower. They endorsed McGovern. They endorsed Mondale. They endorsed Dukakis. And you think they're conservative?"

If that doesn't make them shut up and think, they're hopeless, just write them off.

Qwinn

[roadcat]

You are too young to worry about politics

I've been reading newspapers and politics since I was 4 years old. No typo. You're never too young. This gentleman student has a bright future ahead of him, and he is making himself better mentally because he has opened his mind to listening to multiple viewpoints. That's something the liberal mindset is often incapable of doing.

[shhrubbery!]

The people at Hebrew School now view me as a lower form of life, thinking that I want to starve the poor, destroy the environment, reenact segregation, and kill the whales.

LOL! I know exactly how he feels.

I love this kid!

[Quix]

THANKS for your kind words . . .

only to the degree that HIS SPIRIT

operates on the hearer end will my poor words have any lasting import.

Thankfully, HE IS FAITHFUL TO

HIS WORD AND PURPOSES!

[Arpege92]

"What do you have to say about Bush doing....(something of which they disapprove)....? You put him in office."

You put him in office? The last time I checked, ninth graders are not allowed to vote.

You seem to be a sharp kid and I don't see you having problems dealing with your so called friends!

[CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC]

This seems kinda lame, when I was in high school no one talked about politics or the president,

You're kidding! Where and when did you go to school? You lucky dog!!

In the 7th & 8th grades in an English-speaking school in Japan (1966-68) I argued politics practically every day with my best friend. The big argument of the day in the fall of 1966 was whether to "de-escalate" in Vietnam. (I took the conservative point of view). Even as far back as 1964 I remember that kids whose parents were going to vote for Goldwater had lots of subtle pressure to keep their heads low.

In the 9th grade in Junior Hi in Boulder, CO, I was one of the very few holdouts in "Civics Class" arguing against the ABM treaty (among many other examples).

In High School, also in Boulder, I was forever getting into arguments with my classmates - most of whom ranged from mildly liberal to derangedly liberal. Many claimed that the solution to the Cold War and the only way to World Peace was for the US to unilaterally disarm. That way the USSR - which was ONLY building nukes because they were afraid of us (it was all our fault of course .... only takes one country to wage an arms race) - would say, "Oh, gee! Here we were building nukes and fomenting revolutions all along solely to defend ourselves against your aggression! But now that we see the way you really are, we will immediately destroy all of our nukes too and the world will live happily ever after!"

I kid you not! They would tell me this with a straight face! They bought hook, line and sinker the commies' propaganda, as parroted without modification on our college campuses. The last political discussions I remember before graduating in June of 1972 was the adamant claim by most of my fellow Political Club members that there was NO WAY POSSIBLE that Nixon could win the election a few months later. He would get swamped. His election in '68 was a once-in-a-millenium freak occurrence of nature that he would not be able to repeat that fall. Wish I coulda seen all their faces that November when Nixon took 49 states to McGovern's 1 state! Ha!!

My US History teacher and also adviser to the Poly Sci club read us an article written by some prominent political scientists (these are the EXPERTS, don't you know) that predicted the imminent demise of the GOP. There was no way they could survive, can't you see? Nixon's '68 victory was an aberration due to the Vietnam issue and the Chicago riots. In just a few months Nixon would surely lose re-election to whoever the Dem candidate was. It was inevitable. One only had to look at the numbers. The Dems had an absolute lock on "The Solid South" - which had voted straight Democrat tickets for generations and would for many more generations. They had a lock on the entire Blue Collar vote. They had ALL the racial minorities. Etc, etc....

The only blocs remaining who would vote for GOP candidates were a few rich white people and a steadily diminishing number of suburban voters. Very soon the GOP would disappear, these authors said, and the scenario of the early 1800's would repeat (where John Adams' Federalist Party died out). There would only be the one major party for a few decades. But eventually the centrifugal forces generated by having ALL political opinions coexisting in a single party would be too great, and it would split up into multiple parties, just as happened with Jefferson's "Democratic-Republican Party" finally in 1824.

In college at Colo State U, my sophomore Composition teacher filled up the margins of my papers plus more paper with red ink as she argued with everything I said on political issues. She never did her job, which was to critique writing style, spelling, grammar, paragraphing, and so on.

At CU/Boulder my Jr & Sr years I had to fight the urge to throw up when Anthropology profs would make their little snide remarks (one Prof referred to churches as "God Boxes"; another one told us that missionaries were about the worst thing that had ever happened to the world because, you see, with all of these primitive tribes, their religion is an essential part of their entire culture and so when you convert any of them to Christianity it's the same thing as Cultural Genocide .... another Holocaust if you will).

All right ..... time to quit hyperventilating here. I 100% completely empathize with this poor Jewish conservative kid in Scarsdale! I know what he's been through. Except I didn't have 1/10th the guts he did to argue with teachers in front of the whole class. Good for him!!

[GiveEmDubya]

I don't immerse myself in politics 24 hours a day. Some people I know do, and frankly, they're usually wrong. With all the other things I do, I really don't consider looking into politics as a waste. For 90% of my age group, it is a waste of time, without a doubt. These are the people I fear in the voting booth.

A friend of mine was debating some classmates who say they'll vote in November (yeah, right) and they were railing on Bush till the cows came home. My friend didn't have a whole lot of facts, but he didn't need more, because the people he was arguing with had none. That's why they're liberals. As I said on another thread, "Bush is REEEALLY bad" is enough facts for them.

And you are right when you say that I might lose friends over politics. It does happen. I usually do try to put politics aside in school but ever since I did a class-organized debate defending the president in January, I have had so many people try to pick arguments with me it's absurd. It's really not in my nature to start something along the lines of an argument or a debate. I don't do that. I do my best to ignore people completely when they do things like that but jeez those leftists are angry. Upon being asked WHY they think what they think--you know, some evidence or facts to support their opinions--they stutter or say something nasty (i.e. Republicans are evil, Bush is a Nazi, etc).

All of my views are my own, by way of reason, logic, and common sense. That's a whole lot more than I can say for a handful of people I know.

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

This seems kinda lame, when I was in high school no one talked about politics or the president, what type of friends/associates do you hang around. Maybe in college I can understand the liberal tag, but in high school? I think you are reading into yourself too much study and do some sports and join the chess club. You are too young to worry about politics, worry about making yourself better spiritually, mentally, academically, etc.

If only you could have taken a page from this young man's book and focused a bit more on high school English, Afro. The abundance of grammatical errors in your post indicates either a distaste for proofreading or a tenuous grasp on the English language. Mr. Judd Rosenblatt is just beginning his high school journey and already his prowess at written expression is light years beyond your own.

I admire Mr. Rosenblatt for his courage and tenacity in the face of so great an opposition. Evidently, Judd Rosenblatt has the courage of his convictions.

A tip of the hat to you, Judd Rosenblatt.

[Afro_conservative]

First of all I am on a forum I will not carry my MLA grammatical checklist to impress those on the Internet much less . Second you probably couldn't hold a candle to my academic work, and third try to attack my argument instead of me personally. A word to those who spend their lives on this forum, try to attack the argument instead of the person as it really negates any point you are trying to make. Now to counter your idiocy with ad hominem attacks(since that seems to be the only appropriate way around here) the abundance of logic errors in your post either shows that you have a distaste for reality or you are just plain stupid.

[Afro_conservative]

"much less you"

[Afro_conservative]

Thats good that you don't immerse yourself in that type of environment 24 hours a day. It seems that you are pretty active and I praise you for that but what I am trying to say is that you should enjoy being young while you can because the road gets a little bumpy as you go along. Now I went to Catholic School and we where pretty conservative so talking about politics wasn't really warranted as we all had similar views.

Keep up the good work and stay conservative and never compromise your views, but remember no matter how pure your ideology is politics in general make people ill willed(I believe). Put more faith in Christ and your family and your own ideology. Don't let people tell you this is what a conservative is and let them try to make you adhere to it. Be strong and be your own man.

Also a word of advice most of those kids probably will end up being conservative in the end as the #1 goal of adolescents is to be defiant of those who have authority(its only a stage unless you are a true LIEbral). It seems you have your head on right and I have nothing but high hopes for you. God Bless.

[King Nothing]

I feel his pain. I'm a high school senior with AP Government/Economics this semester. At least once a week the "teacher" bring up leftist political cartoons belittling the President, when I asked to see a cartoon parody of Ketchup Boy I was completely ignored. She even went as far as to put Fascism in between Conservatism and Libertarianism in a political spectrum. I didn't let that one go unchecked. I argued that there is no way Fascism falls anywhere near that area and that she was unfairly smearing my beliefs. Her only arguement was that "they (conservatives/libertarians and fascists) have similar goals." When I inquired as to what those goals were, she backpeddaled and said she "didn't have time for this." ...there was an hour left in class. My "teacher's" friend that has a classroom next to her told our class that "Jaques Chiraq is a wacko right-wing fascist" for the whole muslim veil thing. Public education is no longer education. It is blatant indoctrination. The mission of these people is not to prepare us for life, but to turn us all into good little marching leftists. I for one, am fighting back and throwing a small dam in the river of kool-aid she's spewing. I could not care any less if my grade suffers.

[King Nothing]

(((PING)))