Conservative Guidance

By Amanda Morris | Wednesday, November 27, 2002

Dinesh D'Souza's recent book, Letters to a Young Conservative, provides a fictional correspondence from D'Souza to a young college student. The book is the latest in the series, 'The Art of Mentoring,' and it is written as if from mentor to public. Casted as a veritable bible for young conservatives, the book seeks to 'explain not just what conservatives believe but also what it takes to live as a conservative.'

The structure of the book is a series of thirty-one letters written to 'Chris,' a hypothetical conservative college student; each letter concerns a different topic, many of which appeared in greater detail in D'Souza's other books. However, this book should not be dismissed as a mere synopsis. It is remains engaging and entertaining, as well as informative. D'Souza's anecdotes are often hilarious, especially his descriptions of his adventures at The Dartmouth Review and his handling of protestors while speaking at liberal campuses.

Although the book has a fragmentary nature—thirty-one distinct letters—D'Souza makes his objective quite clear: 'It is threefold: to inspire and invigorate the conservative students, who often feel besieged; to flummox and bewilder the radical students, who are for the most part immune to persuasion; and to persuade the students in the political middle, who are the majority on most campuses.' He seems to target two groups of students: the practicing conservatives and the aspiring conservatives. For the practicing conservative, D'Souza preaches to the choir. But, for the aspiring conservative, this book is an excellent primer on conservative thought, and a very diverse reading list is provided at the end to allow for the continued study of conservatism.

D'Souza paints a distinct portrait of the American conservative—and not of the Buchanan variety. The American conservative, according to D'Souza, seeks to uphold to conserve the principles introduced by the American Revolution. He believes in certain standard 'conservative virtues,' such as patriotism, family values, merit, and self-reliance. People are flawed, D'Souza acknowledges, but this is not an excuse for abolishing moral standards. He upholds capitalism and believes in personal freedom while recognizing a greater moral structure that should guide actions. He recognizes that there are good and evil forces in the world, and feels that we are justified in using force in trying to abolish the latter. Conservatism is not only a set of political convictions; it is 'a philosophy of life,' according to D'Souza.

The letters are dedicated to many different issues, such as feminism, gun control, abortion, and gay marriages. D'Souza does not belabor refutations of contrary opinions, but he is speaking to those who have already chosen conservatism as a personal philosophy. Thus, the bulk of the text is devoted to the opinions of those he is trying to mentor. Dissenting opinions do gain mention in the context of warning young conservatives of the attacks they are likely to face, and suggesting intelligent responses.

The Dartmouth Review has long been the target of heavy criticism, and Mr. D'Souza staunchly defends The Review in his chapter, 'Pig Wrestling at Dartmouth.' He freely admits that some of their earlier antics were 'sophomoric', noting that they were, as William Buckley has pointed out, sophomores at the time. However, he makes two important points. In the early years of the Review, the paper provided an invaluable service to the Dartmouth community by moving the political center to the right. Since the Review occupied a strongly conservative position, it became possible for a student to consider himself a moderate conservative. Prior to this, the very notion of a moderate conservative on campus was something of an oxymoron. Also, the Review promoted free speech on campus in a way that none ever had before. D'Souza's stories from the Review's founding expose the hypocrisy of the Left, who claim to advocate free speech and open discussion while their actions show otherwise.

D'Souza also takes higher education to task, decrying multiculturalism and affirmative action. He points how affirmative action and multiculturalism are condescending to minorities. For example, while reviewing the curriculum for courses on non-Western literature, he found the conspicuous absence of the great works of non-Western culture. This is so because the themes of the non-Western classics are just as 'politically incorrect' as the Western classics the intellectual elite seek to undermine, according to D'Souza. He supports a true understanding of non-Western culture, while the multiculturalists support a condescending toleration.

His criticism of affirmative action is similar. As a minority, he mentions how often he has had to endure the question: 'Mr. D'Souza, has it occurred to you that you are a beneficiary of affirmative action?' His response is finely tuned: if he has received affirmative action, he regrets it since it 'puts all my accomplishments into question. No matter what I achieve in life, there will always be someone to snicker and say: Well yes, but he only got there through affirmative action. And, look, it isn't some Ku Klux Klan guy saying that, it's liberals like you! So the premise of your question illustrates the ways in which racial preferences harm those of us who are minorities.'

While the concepts in this book are not novel, the presentation is. D'Souza not only captures the college experience for conservative students but provides some form of moral support in an uphill battle. This book provides young conservatives with clarity and focus, bringing them back to the basics and reminding them that someone before them has shared their thoughts.

Conservative Guidance

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