Colleges are held as a higher institute of learning for any subject with one notable exception: politics, at least politics that are right-leaning. Liberal professors outnumber conservative professors nearly thirteen to one and the odds are that a student’s only exposure to conservative politics are from left-leaning professors ranting against it. Throw in student protests against nearly any conservative speaker and it becomes clear college campuses are not places where diverse politics are tolerated.
If college campuses will not teach these ideas then students must go outside and expose themselves to smart intellectual conservative thinkers. There are many worth listening to but three in particular stand out especially among college students: Ben Shapiro, Candace Owens and Jordan Peterson.
Ben Shapiro is a Harvard grad who runs the Daily Wire newspaper along with his podcast, the Ben Shapiro Show. He is best known for his debates where his sharp logic allows him to systematically pick apart arguments, especially from left-leaning students. Watching any one of his debates, its nearly impossible to argue with his logic, even if there is a disagreement on his ideas.
Shapiro is also a rare political pundit who has no problem breaking with the status quo. He left Breitbart over what he felt was bias towards Trump. He will call out anyone who breaks from conservative ideas, including the president and was one of the first who highlighted the dangers of the growing alt-right, something that earned him their ire. He is passionately conservative and will defend that with the skills of a fighter. For young people especially, Shapiro has risen as a philosopher. Brilliant and well-read, his content is absolutely worth discovering for one’s self.
Candace Owens, the communications director for Turning Point USA is another young conservative who appeals to college students. She might frankly be the most controversial person on this list. While she has received much love for her work since switching to a conservative platform in 2017, many of her positions and opinions have invoked the wrath of the left. Owens, a black woman, has been routinely characterized as a token, Uncle Tom, race traitor or stuck in the sunken place—a reference to the movie Get Out.
Despite this, Owens routinely offers scathing analysis on a variety of issues, such as criticizing Black Lives Matter, ending welfare programs and compared modern day black Democrats to slaves on plantations. She uses harsh rhetoric that can be inflammatory at times but makes interesting points. Owens thrives at using emotion on her YouTube channel, Red Pill Black, where she debunks various liberal and leftist philosophies. She is worth a read for anyone interested in a unique—albeit controversial—view of politics.
Jordan Peterson, a Canadian clinical psychologist and a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, shot to fame in 2016 while criticizing political correctness around the Canadian government’s Bill C-16, which added gender identity as a prohibited ground of discrimination. Since then, he gained a considerable following as he rails against topics like identity politics.
He shows great intellect as he talks about masculinity, differences between sexes and other gender-based issues. Unlike the other two on this list, he is less about politics than about changing culture itself. He offers well-reasoned analysis and solutions to problems a right-leaning, mostly male audience can see. His greatest appeal seems to be men who have grown increasingly disillusioned with the liberal status quo. He is extremely adept at appealing to and offering advice to this demographic. Though his book 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos is geared towards men, it is an absolute must read for anyone who feels lost in society today. Peterson brings another strong keen mind to young conservatives.
A cursory google search on these individuals will bring up any number of articles slamming them for thinking differently and labeling them as part of the alt-right to spook any curious minds. Readers should reject this notion and seek out these individuals’ content for themselves. For those who feel their ideas are being stifled, these three can offer some relief.
Not all talking heads are worth giving your time, especially if one wishes to educate themselves on a new perspective. These recommendations give a starting point worth the time of any curious young person trying to find material outside of their everyday campus exposure.
– Jordan Drake is a communications senior