Post Election Thoughts

Over the past couple week, many right-of-center college students have felt disappointed. The Republican Party many of them supported has now lost power in both houses of Congress. But is this really a time to be gloomy?

Being a conservative is not about having some kind of power. For, as Lord Action reminded us, "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Being a conservative is something different. It is holding on to an idea and keeping that idea alive no matter where the tide of history takes us. As T. S. Eliot told us, "We fight for lost causes because we know that our defeat and dismay may be the preface to our successors' victory, though that victory itself will be temporary; we fight rather to keep something alive than in the expectation it will triumph." With these thoughts in mind, we must continue to educate ourselves on the principles of a free society and do our part to expand this education to others around us. Excerpt from the ISI Director's Dialogue, Nov, 2006 monthly newsletter for Campus Representatives & Faculty Associates High School & College Students May Join for Free the Intercollegiate Studies Institute

---

Tags: colleges, Intercollegiate Studies Institute, ISI