EDITORS' CORNER
OPINION
Thanksgiving break can be a great opportunity to recharge but also to use the free time to brush up on apologetics.
The long Thanksgiving weekend, coupled with the drive to and from school, gives the young conservative student plenty of time to brush up on his apologetics and use the time vacuum known as YouTube to his advantage.
While reading books is highly recommended, it should be noted that the late Charlie Kirk once told Turning Point USA employees how he would watch a PragerU or similar video every day to learn about an issue. It certainly paid off as he accumulated a wealth of knowledge and deployed it with skill on college campuses and in other debates.
So for you who aspire to be the next Charlie Kirk, here are some recommendations for people and channels to watch – after you help your parents set up for the holiday, of course.
- PragerU
With thousands of videos on every subject, Prager U is a great place to start to get at least a surface level knowledge of an issue. In addition to their great videos on topics like oil and gas, abortion, and guns, there is content that is helpful for the young adult figuring out their next steps in life.
I highly recommend the video by Dana Perino about a “quarter-life crisis.” True story, I watched that video a number of times and it influenced my decision to move from Illinois to Virginia to take a job with Students for Life of America. This decision ultimately led me to meeting my wife – so overall, a great use of five minutes!
- “The Factual Feminist”
Just the other day I recommended these videos to a student to learn more about the controversy surrounding sexual assault statistics on college campuses. Most videos are done by former college professor turned commentator Christina Hoff Sommers. In just a few minutes, viewers can learn why they should be skeptical about the wage gap, microaggressions, and other claims about sex discrimination.
- John Stossel
With more than 750 videos on his YouTube channel, college students can learn the libertarian perspective on a host of issues. Though Stossel apparently “retired” years ago, he continues to make entertaining and easy to follow videos about current day issues. His Fox Business show was a favorite of mine years ago.
- “Free to Choose” series
In 1980, PBS broadcast a 10-part series based on Milton Friedman’s book by the same name. The episodes, freely available online, includes renowned economists including Friedman and Thomas Sowell discussing issues like the minimum wage, the welfare state, and school choice.
The episode also includes interviews with people impacted by various laws, such as a business owner explaining how he would hire more people without the minimum wage.
Now go enjoy some turkey and mashed potatoes!
