Fighting liberal bias on an American high school campus

Insight on the News, Oct 29, 2002 by Christopher Moritz

As a senior at Santa Monica High School in California, for the last four years I have endured the stigma of being an outspoken conservative Republican in a sea of liberalism. As we all are well aware, the American educational system has been hijacked by the left.

When I entered high school I was astonished to discover the extent to which my school leaned in a singular political direction. Nearly all of the staff were liberal Democrats, as were the overwhelming majority of the student body, which is composed of more than 3,500 people.

In an attempt to promote the underdog of campus politics, I formed the Political Forum Club. Along with a small band of conservatives, we have dedicated ourselves to fighting the political status quo of our school.

One of the first steps I took was to invite libertarian talk-radio host and author of the New York Times best seller The Ten Things You Can't Say in America, Larry Elder, to speak at an assembly held at our school. The response following the assembly was frightening. Keeping in mind this was a voluntary assembly and that no one was forced to attend, many teachers and students were in an uproar.

I also have attempted to invite conservative author David Horowitz [see the last word, p. 56] to speak at our school. However, the day before the assembly was to occur the principal called my house to cancel the event claiming that he had believed we had invited David Horowitz the consumer advocate, not the conservative activist! I am attempting to bring Horowitz back this year.

In the meantime my compatriots and I have been working to bring to light another serious issue: rampant anti-Americanism. The lack of patriotism among the students is astounding and their animosity toward President George W. Bush is disturbing. I can recall one student recently stating that the terrorist acts of Sept. 11 were not nearly as bad as all the things the United States has done over the years to further its needy interests.

And so I am left with the task of opening the minds of my peers and bringing to light the desperate need for impartiality in education.

Christopher Moritz
Santa Monica, Calif.