Hey all! Here's a brief fact sheet on me:

Born: July 20, 1979 in Sonoma, CA

Family: My parents currently live in Northern Virginia. My father is retired Navy, my mother a costume designer. I have one brother who is currently a college student residing in Northern Virginia- he is also a Republican. :)

School: William and Mary, Class of 2001

Occupation: Administrative Assistant

Ambition: Punditry- spending a year on the staff of a conservative student publication helped me discover a love of writing.

Things I Do in My Free Time: READ, READ, READ- now accepting good book suggestions.

How I Became Republican:

Well, that happened by degrees. First of all, I must give some credit to my upbringing- I seem to remember watching the returns for the 1996 election with my little brother and cheering for Dole. Or rather, cheering against Clinton- at that time, I was a little reluctant to identify myself as a GOP supporter. I didn't start getting cozy with my inner Republican until my junior year in college, when I got seduced by the staff of the Remnant (the conservative student publication mentioned above). When the first column I wrote (against speech codes) got me branded as a racist, I started shifting to the dark side. :) My senior year, having run across one too many ridiculous leftists, I officially joined the College Republicans, and I have identified myself as a Republican ever since.

I think Thomas Sowell's characterization of the "tragic vision" aptly describes my worldview. I don't think human nature can simply be reinvented, nor do I think the problems of the world can be solved without trade-offs in other arenas. As John Adams wrote (on the subject of the French Revolution): "Amidst all the exultations, Americans and Frenchman should remember that the perfectibility of man is only human and terrestrial perfectibility. Cold will still freeze, and fire will never cease to burn; disease and vice will continue to disorder, and death to terrify mankind."

Reflections on Our Current President:

I admit, I was unsure about Bush at first- but over time, I have grown to love him in a profound, deeply passionate way. I just finished reading _Ambling Into History_, and despite the author's best efforts, I came away from the book loving our president EVEN MORE. He comes through as a sweet, sincere, and funny person- SUCH a relief after 8 years of Clinton feeling our pain. All of Bush's speeches since Sept. 11 have brought me to tears- his love of America is without question.

A lot of people in the press react as if the leader we have in Bush just came out of the blue. But when I read about how Bush got misty during his innauguration speech (and I was there among the masses, sinking into the mud, joints stiffening from the cold rain), I really don't think it's a mystery. Only a "sentimental patriot" could lead us with such resolution in times like this.