September, 2008
What it Means to Be a Part of the Frontier
Nick Fitzpatrick
Barbeque, beer, books, and John McCain? This fall is a special time for the University of Florida. Not only are the Gators back on the football field doing what they do best, it is election year. Most fall semesters students only have to worry about getting a good tailgate spot and making good grades, but this fall politically involved students need to stand up and be heard, or risk having to say the phrase “President Obama.” That’s why the Florida Frontier is seeking new writers, editors, and staff.
The Florida Frontier was founded to fill a huge void in the student media on campus. The University of Florida has always prided itself on its principles of open-mindedness and the indispensable exercise of free speech. However, before the Frontier there was no conservative newspaper in the county, student or otherwise. Since it began, this newspaper has expanded to five newsstands on campus and a distribution of over a thousand copies a month. Students and faculty alike have taken warmly to the addition of a different viewpoint on campus. Whether liberal or conservative, most people can agree that having as many viewpoints and ideas as possible has many benefits, both pedagogical and for democracy.
The Florida Frontier is a non-profit newspaper and is legally restricted from endorsing any candidate; however there are many benefits to joining the team. College students are notorious for holding one of two political views: liberal or apathetic. The Frontier has no desire to change the minds of the ill-minded liberals, instead it exhausts its resources informing the apathetic and motivating the sizable, yet quiet, conservative population. By joining the Frontier, you can be apart of, to steal a line from John McCain, something greater than self. This newspaper advocates freedom of ideas, free markets, and family values that you aren’t ashamed to tell your grandmother about. When students pick up the Florida Frontier, they are reminded that they aren’t alone. They are given an oasis in the desert of liberal media. Most importantly, they are encouraged to vote and to be an active participant in this experiment called American democracy.
Do not let the government bureaucrats called professors or the obnoxious students that are trying to relive 1968 get you down; they are wrong. Che Guevara is a murderer, collectivism is not good, and you do not need to be ashamed for longing for prosperity and liberty. Conservatives are not usually activists, but this election is too important to not speak your mind. The next president will nominate at least two Supreme Court justices, must significantly change the tax codes, and he must lead us to victory over our most formable enemy since the British crown of the 1700s: radical Islam. Don’t forget to pass on the Frontier to any friends who might be interested. Lastly, consider this quote from a great man and great conservative, the late Charlton Heston:
“They prefer the America they built, where you could pray without feeling naive, love without being kinky, sing without profanity, be white without feeling guilty, own a gun without shame, and raise your hand without apology. They are the men and women who long for you to get some guts, stand on principle, and lead them to victory in this cultural war. They are sick and tired of national social policy that originates on Oprah, and they are ready for you to pull the plug.”