About Us

"Not one place in the Bible did Jesus advocate it was the function of government to do what loving human beings ought to do on their own. As noted above, conservatives are not opposed to social programs. We shed our blood, donate our time, apply our labor, and voluntarily redistribute our income to the poor... Jesus was a conservative because he promoted charitable giving on behalf of individuals, not government. Jesus was a conservative because he promoted the hard work and success of the individual, not the legislative body of the government. Jesus was a conservative he saw giving as a ministry of the gospel, not a secular and spiritless exercise of government in order to level the economic playing field... It takes a lot more to give from your personal resources than it does to compel others to give through taxation." 1

Young Conservatives is a group with a devout mission to spread the love and logic surrounding true conservatism. Our greatest enemy lies in the lack of understanding of the conservative movement. In a technological era driven fiercely by the main stream media, those who vocalize the true conservative message of individual responsibility, moral absolutes, and small government are slanted as intolerant, racist, "bible and gun clinging", corporate fat cats who could not care less about the environment nor the well being of their fellow man. Being Christian or conservative or a combination of the two is viewed as unpopular in American Society. This group clearly proves otherwise. Do not feel afraid or silenced, and always speak your mind.

The inaccurate manifestations of conservatism cloud the real mettle in its core. Flawed politicians lay on both sides of the political spectrum, however, we believe the core conservative principles of Ronald Reagan and the founding fathers are needed to give the power back to the individual and rescue this economy. Young Conservatives should boldly ask questions about the past in order to learn about the best strategies for the future. We ask ourselves how Martin Luther King Jr. and Jesus would feel about the current state of affairs in this country. All that we can do is look to the principles and values that were held dear to our past leaders and decide for ourselves which ideology they seem to resemble.

"Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. King was no stalwart conservative, yet his core beliefs, such as the power and necessity of faith-based association and self-government based on absolute truth and moral law, are profoundly conservative. Modern liberalism rejects these ideas, while conservatives place them at the center of their philosophy. Despite decades of its appropriation by liberals, King's message was fundamentally conservative." 2

Stiltz & Serious C are a duo from Dartmouth College and co-founders of the thriving Young Conservatives Facebook group. In a day where conservatives are seen as close-minded and archaic, these fresh hip hop artists bring a new perspective to a long-standing philosophy. They are a bastion of progress in the liberal recesses of the northeast, throwing down their message amidst much adversity. Instead of sinking into the assemblage of the self satisfied, Stiltz & Serious C challenge our hearts and minds with lyrics that makes us think about the current evolution of our American society. The mile-high beats of Josh Riddle collide with the eastern flow of David Rufful to produce a dynamic fusion of hip-hop and a real, profound conservative message.

Josh and Dave met in Philadelphia the summer of 2007 before attending Northfield Mount Hermon School. While at Northfield Mount Hermon School, Josh founded the thriving Young Conservatives Facebook group in an attempt to encourage political discussion among young Americans. Dave shortly became a contributing officer to the Facebook group. They both have hopes of inspiring young Americans to think critically about the path of our country. Josh and Dave both committed to attend Dartmouth College.

Josh and Dave released The Young Con Anthem on May 28, 2009. Five days later, the YouTube video had accumulated 400,000 views and had already been played on NBC News, The O’Reilly Factor, and hundreds of blogs including The Huffington Post, USA Today, Powerlineblog and HotAir. Josh and Dave traveled to New York and performed on Fox & Friends, The Strategy Room, and Huckabee. They were also featured on VH1’s Best Week Ever and HBO’s Real Time. They were also invited as guests on CNN and various other networks during this busy time. They reached over 200 online blogs and 10 radio shows including 99.5 KKLA with Frank Pastore in Los Angeles, NewsRadio 740 KTRH in Houston, and 630 WPRO with “The Independent Man”, John DePetro.

The Young Cons released their second song, The Power of the Individual, in July 2009. In the summer of 2009, they performed their new song for the first time at the Staten Island Tea Party. They were also invited to Washington DC in August 2009 by Roger Custer and Young America’s Foundation to listen and meet with Ann Coulter, Newt Gingrich, Jim DeMint and various other conservatives. While in DC, they were featured in The Washington Times in an article by Amanda Carpenter.

The Young Cons released their third song, The Problem in January 2010.

The Young Cons believe the Bible is relatively silent on issues relating to supply-side economics, taxation and the proper role of government in our society. We are just sharing the different origins of our personal beliefs and are honored to have the chance to defend them on a massive scale.

The goals of Young Conservatives, recently dubbed "Young Cons", is to promote constructive debate and grow intellectually. Rather than bashing viewpoints that deviate ideologically, the purpose is to make both sides of the aisle think critically about their respective political and moral beliefs.

Ultimately, people will not listen to a man or woman shouting forceful and rude statements, no matter how "correct" said statements may be. True conservative views will hold up in any ideological debate, and turning positive discussion into hate propaganda and name calling is unacceptable. For real change to occur we must do as Jesus did and love those of opposing views with all our hearts. Once this happens our fiscal and social views will be easily recognized as undeniable truth.

Please post any good articles you've come across, books you've read, videos you've seen, or sound bites you have heard. The real views of change are making a comeback! You can either love us or hate us, but either way we love you and respect you as a fellow human being. Certain philosophical views of current politicians could not be more opposite than mine, but this changes nothing of my feelings for them as human beings as well as brothers and sisters under God. Young Conservatives is not attempting to force their religious beliefs onto anyone, but rather encourage discussion among the American youth. We do not claim to have all the right answers, but merely try to express their views through music. Our goal is to get young Americans excited about politics.

References:

1. "Was Jesus A Conservative"

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2258938/posts

2. “Martin Luther King’s Conservative Legacy”

http://www.heritage.org/research/americanfoundingandhistory/wm961.cfm

Joshua “Stiltz” Andrew Riddle

Born: October 21, 1988

Hometown: Denver, Colorado

School:

Dartmouth College ‘12

Northfield Mount Hermon School

Grandview High School