Conservatism Emerges Across College Campuses

In the wake of the United States’ financial crisis and the endlessly rising national debt, conservative college students have made the decision to take action. The national organization entitled Young Americans for Liberty has launched a “Visualize the Debt” campaign, which entails strategically placing a 50 foot debt clock on a main part of campus.

The purpose of this event is to help make students aware of the national debt crisis – from a politically unaffiliated standpoint; the event is seeking to ignite a sense of understanding of the crisis and motivation to help in finding a solution. It is meant to attract not just identified conservatives or identified liberals or staunch independents, but to alert everybody who will be taking on the responsibility of this unspeakable debt – which is virtually every college student. By “visualizing the debt,” students will be able to physically see the dim future ahead of us.

Young Americans for Liberty professes beliefs that are mostly in line with those of the Tea Party: limited government and fiscal responsibility. The organization was stemmed from groups of students who campaigned for Ron Paul’s presidential nomination, but they are currently not openly supporting any political candidate.

It is a national campus-based organization that advocates the proliferation of liberty in American politics and government. The chapter at my school, Ramapo College of New Jersey, began its framework in spring of 2010 and became an official club this semester. The group is open to anybody who feels politically misplaced, or even unidentified, as well as those who already have their established beliefs. YAL’s openness will hopefully attract students across the political spectrum that have one goal in mind: to defend liberty in America.

In addition to the erection of a debt clock, Ramapo College’s chapter of YAL will be hosting a lecture given by one of our finance professors that will explain how we got ourselves into this crisis and why it’s important for students of our time to be aware of how it will affect them.

This is a strong step to battling the liberalness that plagues college campuses everywhere. However, the ultimate challenge is overcoming the apathy that is so present among college students. Many students aren’t even aware that the debt is so high, and even if they are aware, the chances that they care are very slim. Apathy is built in to most students’ minds and because of this they are easily corrupted by those didactic professors with a liberal agenda. With our debt clock being 50 feet long, with big black numbers, we hope to catch the attention of those students who may make the effort of inquiring about the severity of this situation.

Despite the stigma that college campuses have earned, Young Americans for Liberty is an inspiring organization that allows for conservatism to shine through those students who were born with the motivation to care and the sense to stay informed.

For more information about this organization, you can visit www.yaliberty.org. If you know a college student with conservative beliefs, urge them to start a chapter on their campus or join one if it already exists. We are hoping for this effort to be beyond beneficial.