Liberty 21 Institute, an Illinois-based policy group dedicated to promoting liberty through market-based institutions, is hosting a panel discussion about conservatives and culture in Dow A&B on Tuesday, April 16 at 7 p.m.
The panel discussion, open to the Hillsdale College community and the public alike, will tackle the question, “Can conservatives reclaim the culture?” Distressed by what Liberty 21 calls the areas of cultural influence “dominated by the liberal left,” the panel will offer solutions as to how the conservative movement can reclaim these cornerstones of society.
The event features four prominent conservative cultural commentators, moderated by Liberty 21’s Executive Director Larry Kaufmann.
On the panel is bestselling author Jonah Goldberg, who is editor-at-large of National Review Online and a Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research in Washington, D.C. Goldberg, known for his wit and vast popular cultural knowledge from “The Simpsons” to “Star Trek,” writes frequently about culture in his nationally syndicated column and also in his most recent book, “The Tyranny of Cliches: How Liberals Cheat in the War of Ideas.” Goldberg has spoken at the college numerous times, most recently at the 2011 Center for Conservative Alternatives on “The Great Society.”
“What conservative doesn’t love reading Jonah Goldberg?” said Liberty 21’s Vice President of Development and Marketing Mike D’Virgilio, laughing. “He approaches politics with real cultural savvy. His knowledge of both conservatism and the culture is deep, and his perspective is unique.”
Hillsdale College’s John J. Miller, director of the Dow Journalism Program, will also contribute to the panel discussion.
Miller, called by The Chronicle of Higher Education “one of the best literary journalists in the country,” is also the National Correspondent for National Review. Of the event, Miller said “it’s a great opportunity for conservatives to discuss an underlying issue in all political conversations.”
The other two panelists are Brad Lips, CEO of the Atlas Network, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit group, and S.T. Karnick, the director of research for The Heartland Institute. Karnick’s work has appeared in numerous publications, including The Weekly Standard and The American Spectator.
Junior Gabrielle D’Virgilio, whose father works for Liberty 21, believes Hillsdale is the perfect place to host the event.
“Preserving our culture and its institutions is consistent with our college’s mission statement and the philosophy of much of our student body,” she said.
