By Autumn Klein
June 18, 2020
On June 14th, we hosted Kate Obenshain, a popular campus speaker and member of our Board of Directors, for our weekly webinar series. As a staunch defender of conservative values, Kate has served as the first female chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, vice president of Young America’s Foundation, and founder of the Jennifer Byler Institute, a program that empowers women to strengthen their leadership skills.
In our webinar, “Crown Thy Good: The Hope of America’s Founding in the Face of Tumult,” Obenshain discusses the difficult topic of race in America, specifically focusing on the New York Times Magazine’s “The 1619 Project.” Here are her four big takeaways:
DON’T BEND TO THE MOB
Kate began the webinar by addressing the heartbreaking situation of George Floyd’s death and the protests, both peaceful and disruptive, that broke out across the country. The disturbing mob mentality that followed led many people to become fearful of the Left’s “cancel culture,” where saying the wrong thing could get you labeled a racist, attacked on social media, and in some cases, losing your job. To Kate, it doesn’t matter what you say, it is the wrong thing. It doesn’t matter if you say something, it doesn’t matter if you don’t say something.” No matter how hard you try to appease the mob, you just can’t win.
AMERICA IS GOOD
These past few weeks have been a dark time. However, Obenshain still believes America is good and exceptional at its core – an opinion often regarded insensitive, racist, and ignorant by the Left. Of course, our country is not perfect. But, throughout our history, we have diligently fought to stay true to the principles our Founding Fathers dreamed for America that would protect every individual’s God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This fight has not been an easy one. Despite a rocky history with incredibly low points, such as slavery, America has sought to rise above it all and better herself. Obenshain emphasizes the importance of recognizing that, “America still remains the best hope for man on earth.”
THE LEFT BUILT WALLS
Activists painting “Black Lives Matter” on the street or taking a knee in solidarity are ignoring some of the real, pressing issues that many Americans face. Conservative leaders who promote effective, common sense solutions are often discredited or silenced by the Left in attempts of the Left to shelter their own hierarchical claims on those of color. For example, police unions, guarded by the Left, are the very institution that makes it hard to fire bad cops – like the one who murdered George Floyd. In fact, the Left pushed to pass a rule that would erase records of police brutality after just two years. Although the Left claims to be the party that takes care of the disadvantaged, they have built district walls to prevent inner city children from receiving an adequate education. Or, they have incentivized the single-income household, particularly in poverty-stricken areas, that replace the need for a traditional nuclear family structure – which, has proven to be a leading factor in the development of children and their odds of escaping poverty. Obenshain notes that, “we are allowing our children to sit in dropout factories,” where kids are more focused on surviving the day than focusing on their schoolwork. Inner city parents tend to support school choice programs, yet the Left erases this choice.
The 1619 Project
Writers at the New York Times published a radical view of America’s founding in the form of the 1619 Project. They argue that because racism is so deeply tied to America’s growth as a nation, that our country was actually founded in 1619 when the first slaves were brought to America. Despite this idea holding no grounded support, it was awarded a Pulitzer Prize and is now mandatory curriculum for children.
1619 Project supporters argue that protecting slavery was a primary goal of the colonists which motivated them to declare independence from Britain. However, the very opposite is true. Our Founding Fathers were extremely concerned with how to deal with slavery moving forward. The Declaration of Independence affirmed the freedom of all men, making slavery a huge issue for the very first time. And Obenshain acknowledges the hypocrisy in the Founding Fathers owning slaves while acknowledging the freedom of man. But, as often quoted, John Quincy Adams said, “the wise rulers of the land began to repair the injustice of slavery,” the day the Declaration of Independence was signed. They knew it was wrong and were determined to make it right.
This issue is complicated. We’ve seen many scared to speak up in fear of the Left’s “cancel culture.” However, Kate Obenshain does an excellent job tackling the issues of race in America and making it easier for listeners to understand.
About the Author
Autumn Klein is a rising sophomore at Nova Southeastern University in Broward County, Florida. She is studying Computer Science, IT, and Math, and on campus, serves as the Vice President for the Association for Computing and Machinery. She is the Founder and President of Women in STEM, the Chairwoman of the College Republicans chapter, is a Freshman Rep. for NSU Chabad, and a member of Phi Alpha Delta.
Autumn has experience interning for Congressman Lee Zeldin, Congressman Gus Bilirakis, and has worked local campaigns for Congressman Gis Bilirakis and Governor Ron DeSantis. In her free time, she writes often for the online publication Lone Conservative.