My Favorite Conservative Reads

(Bailey is a new friend of mine over at Smart Girl Politics. When she posted this great blog post yesterday, I asked if she'd be willing to let me re-post it here for my readers. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!)

by Bailey Osborne

When a liberal writes a book, they are featured on The Daily Show. Conservatives don't get that kind of press. So, how does the aspiring young conservative or independent find the *right* books? Here, I'll help!

It's important to get this information into the hands of all Americans, but most especially to younger conservatives and independents. Our generation, and a great deal of the one before, have had liberal, "progressive" and politically correct ideals shoved down our throats from the moment we arrived in Kindergarten. From "multicultural" (and often entirely unrelated) additions in text books to lessons on the causes of the Civil War, school kids are relentlessly bombarded with the left's song and dance.

At colleges and universities, the bias not only becomes more pronounced and overt, it also becomes more radical and militant.While leftist professors ramble on about the need to socially engineer all traces of inequality from our society, sycophantic liberal students learn regurgitate their professor's ideology - but not to think for themselves. Being a college freshmen is a very dangerous time in a young person's life - when their outlook on the world becomes fully shaped. For many freshmen, this may be the first time their belief system is influenced more by their mentors and peers, rather than their parents.

In 2004, I was one such college freshmen - finally free of my parents tyrannical rule, I was ready to take in any viewpoint offered by my professors - those venerated gatekeepers of knowledge (as well as the lords and masters of my GPA). I was lucky, however, to be at Texas Tech, a large state school right smack dab in the heart of "Bush County". A great majority of the students I encountered were proudly conservative, and as the '04 elections approached it was not uncommon to hear about a car with a Kerry/Edwards sticker being shoepolished, or worse. To be fair, however, I spent most of my time on Greek Circe - I'm sure the political environment was a bit different at, say, the theater or philosophy departments.

The political climate drew me in, and I had to learn more. I understood, innately I suppose, that the conservative ideals and beliefs I'd inherited from my parents were right and just - but I wanted to understand the logic behind them. I wanted proof that the views I was coming to believe in so passionately were superior to those on the left. That is when I discovered the one and only - the amazing - Ann Coulter.

Coulter's book, How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must) set my world on fire. All of a sudden, I was absorbed by issues like state's rights, welfare, market restrictions and - most of all - gun control. Once I had devoured the rest of Coutler's works, I looked, and looked, for works by other right-minded authors. Amazingly, none of my professors could offer any recommendations.

You see, conservative authors aren't nearly as trendy or politically correct as commentators who slant to the left. Rush Limbaugh may rule talk radio, but Jon Stewart has Comedy Central on lock-down. Neither academia nor the media are at all interested (or even tolerant) of the conservative point of view. If we, the youth of the conservative movement, wish to preserve the ideals of fair play, equality of opportunities rather an outcomes, and the individual liberties we hold dear, we have to educate ourselves on the issues. No one is going to hold our hands.

To that end, I have compiled a list of a few "starter" works on conservative thought, which will clearly outline the basic arguments of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy- as well as why those on the left are, for lack of a better word, "B.S.C.".  Personally, I would start with Dinesh D'Souza - first with Letters To A Young Conservative (The Art of Mentoring), then Illiberal Education: The Politics of Race and Sex on Campus. D'Souza is the master of spelling things out in the most logical, (and often hilarious) terms. After D'Souza, you're ready to move onto Coulter. She's brilliant, but she tends to throw 983,593 facts into a 3-line paragraph. Without at least a cursory knowledge of conservative thought you might drown, as well as completely miss a lot of her humor.

So what about you? Are there any awesome right-wing authors who have opened your mind to your own political beliefs? Leave comments and let me know what book or author helps to get YOU into knock-down, drag out political debates!