Conservative Smokeshow of the Day

Academically, I was especially interested in English, American history, and government. I loved writing essays, analyzing speeches, and learning about the founding of the United States. One of my favorite teachers challenged us to read the Declaration of Independence and portions of the Federalist Papers rather than simply memorizing facts for tests. I became fascinated by the idea that America's system of government was built around protecting individual liberties and placing limits on political power. That was probably when my conservative beliefs began developing into something more personal.

My faith also became more meaningful during my teenage years. Like a lot of kids raised in Christian households, I eventually reached a point where I had to ask myself whether I believed these things because my parents did or because I genuinely believed them myself. During a church retreat when I was sixteen, I spent a lot of time thinking about my relationship with God and the direction I wanted my life to take. I came home with a renewed commitment to prayer, reading Scripture, and treating Christianity as something more than a family tradition.