Voters in Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon, and Pennsylvania head to the polls today, and Glenn is particularly interested in the Kentucky Republican primary Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Matt Bevin. On radio this morning, Glenn spoke to a remarkable 15-year-old Rhode Island student, Holly Fraser, who has been working tirelessly through her organization, Youth for Bevin, to raise awareness for Bevin’s campaign.
To begin, Glenn asked Holly the obvious question: What brought her from her home in Rhode Island to Kentucky?
Holly explained that she is a homeschool student has been involved in various political groups including Generation Joshua, which seeks to “raise up the next generation of Christian leaders and citizens, equipped to positively influence the political processes of today and tomorrow.” During her time with the organization, Holly campaigned for Ken Cuccinelli’s 2013 gubernatorial run in Virginia, and she was “so disappointed” when he lost.
Following Cuccinelli’s defeat, Holly began looking at other conservative candidates she could support.
“So after that was over, I was looking up other candidates that were going to be running this year because… I don't want this to happen to any other conservative candidates. I had to do something,” Holly said. “So I found Matt Bevin, and he just stood out to me. So the more I learned about him, the more I liked him. Once I began to listen to him, I knew he's one-of-a-kind candidate, and I wanted to do everything I could to help him win.”
That led Holly to found Youth for Bevin, “a national conservative student led grassroots movement for young Americans who stand with Matt Bevin.” According to the group’s website, they “believe young people have a duty to take action and shape the political culture of our nation.”
Holly has mobilized several dozen students from all over the country to make calls and spread the word about Bevin’s campaign. Holly and her mother, Elizabeth, have spent several weeks in Kentucky, and Glenn asked Elizabeth what she believes her daughter is gaining from her experiences on the campaign trail in several races.
“As a mom, what do you think you're teaching Holly by having her do this? Basically we'll back it up. She started this youth for Bevin in November 2013… As a mom, a home schooling mom, that's a wonderful thing to hear. I encouraged her. I said, ‘Go right ahead. We'll incorporate this into your home schooling,’” Elizabeth explained. “This is real life experience. This is changing not just Holly, but all of the students that have come. It's opening their eyes to what it's like to be actively involved, and I don't think a single one of these volunteers would ever become complacent when it comes to what's taking place in our country.”
When you consider everything that is happening with the American education system today, Glenn believes Holly’s story demonstrates the incredible opportunities that can come from homeschooling.
“Look, you may not want your kids going out and campaigning for somebody. You might want your kids to go out campaigning for Barack Obama. Homeschooling allows your kids to find their passion and follow it,” Glenn said. “You know your kids… Washington doesn't know that. Bill Gates doesn't know that… Everything that is being preached to us now as the way we have to do it is enslaving people, is dumbing people down, is putting them in a box, is medically unhealthy for them, spiritually detrimental. You use any label you want. None of it is good.”
“Teach your kids about freedom. Teach your kids to walk with the spirit, to listen to that inner voice, and pursue the things – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” he concluded. “Pursuit of happiness kind of makes you think you're never really going to find it. You're never going to arrive there. It is all about the chase and the pursuit. That's what makes us great.”
