Lately it seems like every time I open the Manitoban I am confronted by a plethora of conservative articles. This is not my complaint. I am not a conservative myself, but I am open to divergent interpretations and a sense of balance in my newspapers. What I find interesting, however, is how many of these articles seem to be less about a particular conservative perspective than they are about conservatism itself. It is an endless parade of conservative apologists, each trying to explain to their predominately liberal fellow students both what it is to be conservative and why they are in the first place.

Can I just say this: express your ideals; stop defending them. I am tired of reading articles authored by people attempting to either express their uniqueness among the opposition or else trying to dispel their discomfort with it. In short, none of us care that you’re conservative. Rather, we care that your arguments are conveyed in a reasonable, well-considered, intelligent fashion. You’re young, you’re idealistic, and you’re conservative – we get it. Now start owning it.

-Mary Steepen