How Conservatives Can Create A Cultural Renaissance Among Today’s Youth
On Sat, Dec 1, college football was the center of attention in many American households as the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs squared off in an intense battle for the SEC Championship. During the game, Marco Rubio, the 41 year-old GOP senator from Florida, sent several tweets related to the game. I thought to myself, ‘This guy gets it!’ Not that a college football game resembles politics, but sports do reflect culture, and culture is essential into making political gains in the ever so changing demographics.
Making politics acceptable, in part, is realizing that most voters do not live in a political space but yet are immersed in culture. Therefore, even politicians, especially politicians must reach out to that culture in whatever means available and Rubio’s engagement on social media and footbal is part of that effort. Whether it’s keen knowledge of sports, music, spirituality, or the arts, the intertwining of culture and politics will produce a renaissance in the 21st century.
Nothing irritates me more than seeing old, half-bald men, who are only accustomed to phone banking and door knocking in an election year, trying to lead the narrative on engaging the youth. It’s not to say that there isn’t wisdom to be gained from seasoned activists, but new voices must emerge. Millennials should be the most active, energized and engaged and advocate for cultural appeal among the conservative movement. Politicians are a synopsis of their society. Culture is a synopsis of society. If we want more politicians elected that inhabitant a moral conscious and a law of ethics, we must be willing to change the cultural environment.
Many youth are reluctant to obey rules that are set before them, it’s why I’m positive that they would be hesitant to embrace a nanny-state America if they truly understood what liberties were at stake. Letting young people know what the power of free markets and individual liberty looks like and how it can empower them will enable them to boldly tell the government “hands-off” of their freedoms.
Young conservatives have done quite well in engaging in technological euphoria of social media. There is an immense amount of conservative talent that amasses Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The intellect and wit of conservatives on these websites are undeniably second to none. However, it is quite easy to abide in the political bubble of social media and not change a single heart or mind.
It can be entertaining and comfortable to use social media as an outlet to vent frustration and to bring awareness of the liberal agenda within the mainstream media, but it will not change anything if there is no actual engagement in culture. We must feel obliged to not just use social media, but to be physically active in our cities and communities. It’s time to dispose of the coat and tie, and appeal to the youth.
Within our own political circle of trust, we find it easy to discuss taxes, budgets, deficits and use mathematical statistics to prove our points. However, this is only appealing to political enthusiasts, not the average millennial. I sincerely believe that the message of freedom and liberty is universal and transcends to all generations. Young people, who I believe by nature are driven by self-interest, should be informed of the rising student loan crisis and the lack of jobs being awarded to college graduates, as well as the entitlement crisis to which they are footing the bill. These are issues that are front and center in the lives of today’s youth. The bigger the government, the less of a chance that today’s youth will have the opportunity to exercise their God-given rights.
Conservatives are known for talking about the corruption of culture that exists in Hollywood, schools, colleges, etc. But let’s not just talk. Let’s activate change. Culture will remain contaminated unless we vocalize our alternatives. We should be present in the areas that are dominated by liberals. If we’re going to win this culture war, we must define the narrative. Because the future of the youth is at stake, a cultural renaissance must occur within the conservative movement. It must be bold, courageous, fierce and unprecedented.
