Letter to the Editor
(2022 March for Life Rally, Getty Images)
Re “Where Barstool Conservatism belongs in the Republican Party” (column, Sept. 20)
I vote Republican because their platform aligns closer to my views, and yes, many of those are religious. But if it came down to it, I would rather stand in a minority party with honest conservative principles than join a sweeping red wave of Barstool politicians who “sacrifice” principle for the electoral.
Cecchini is right, fewer and fewer Americans are religious. Most young people do not care about the same issues that their grandparents do, and it shows on this campus (ie. the upcoming Sex Week led by a popular student organization). It even shows in The Spectator, where of all the modern politics discussed in the last edition, none were about the greatest victory conservatives have had on the judicial level for decades: the overturn of Roe V. Wade.
Rather than celebrating, though, campus conservatives predict how harmful Dobbs will be to the Republicans in the midterms. We care so much about securing a red wave, to do what exactly? Sure, less taxes and lower gas prices are a nice consequence of the GOP. But I would rather “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” than to do the opposite: my checkbook means a lot less than the sanctity of life.
We should be seeking the straight and narrow path, which won’t necessarily mean we have electoral majorities. The government certainly did not favor Jesus’ views. But do not misunderstand me, I am not claiming that Christians simply get it right when they cast their ballot.
A lot of us (myself included) have a hard time turning the other cheek and loving thy neighbors. Polarization is a problem, and I applaud the young people who — by moderating their views — want to stop it. We have a lot of issues in our society that are not religious, and we do not need religious politicians to solve them. But by abandoning core religious principles, we doom the conservative party and the fate of America to apocalyptic reckonings.
An anonymous student
The opinions expressed in this magazine are the author's own and do not reflect the official policy or position of The Spectator, or any students or other contributors associated with the magazine. It is the intention of The Spectator to promote student thought and civil discourse, and it is our hope to maintain that civility in all discussions.