The Tower Receives Journalism Award at 43rd Annual YCT State Convention.

The Young Conservatives of Texas held their 43rd annual state convention in Austin over the weekend of February 24-26. Bringing together chapters from all over the state, YCTers celebrated another year of hard work and dedication to the Conservative movement. 

Senator Bryan Hughes kicked the convention off with an eloquent talk, followed by a casino night as YCTers loosened up and got to test their luck in the games of chance. 

The Saturday schedule started early at 9am with a panel of seasoned legislators Senator Brian Birdwell and State Representative Matt Shaheen talking about their priorities in the 88th Session. School choice was next, as a trio of women with lots of experience in the fight for school choice explained the importance of the issue. The Higher Education panel hit close to home for college students, with Cherise Trump reminding students of the importance of protecting free speech on the campuses. 

The career panel gave YCTers a look at the career options available for them, and the desperate need for more true conservatives in DC, Austin and beyond. Mark Morgan delivered a passionate critique of the Biden administration’s handling of the immigration crisis on our Southern border during the lunch keynote. 

Former State Senator and founder of the Texan political news organization Koni Burton gave the keynote speech during the Gala on Saturday night to a packed audience. Newly elected Chairman Nate Dunning handed out awards recognizing the chapters and individuals for the accomplishments over the preceding year. 

Your very own Tower received the John Parker Award for Journalism, an award given to “a YCT publication that showed outstanding dedication to their craft.” This award was only possible thanks to the hard work of our staff, and due to the support of readers like you. Our editorial board wants to thank each and every person who contributed to this award by writing, editing, or just reading articles here at the Tower. 

Christian Watson Criticizes Critical Race Theory

When Christian Watson, spokesperson for Color Us United, came to Trinity University to talk about critical race theory (CRT), it was evident that the event would be controversial. Color Us United is an organization that advocates for a “race-blind America.”  The audience gathered in Chapman Great Hall was composed of Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) members, a table of liberal students, and a handful of other students interested in hearing Watson’s take on CRT. When asked how he decided to come to Trinity, he replied, “It wasn’t hard at all. I was invited, and I came.” 

Watson was raised by a liberal single mother, but as he grew older, he was exposed to alternative perspectives and started attending seminars that sparked his interest. When asked how he became interested in critical race theory, Watson explained that as an African American man, he interacted with CRT in his personal life and tended to have conversations about it, which led to “a deeper intellectual interest.”  Watson says he approaches his viewpoints from the perspective of  “philosophy, reason, and debate.”

Watson’s thesis is that the so-called diversity that is popular in America does not reflect true diversity. Today’s idea of diversity is limited to identity, a superficial way to sum up an individual. Judging someone simply on external criteria, as many institutions are prone to do for diversity action programs, ultimately gives an incomplete picture of a nuanced human being. He explained that diversity is naturally all around us, in our skills, abilities, personal beliefs, and interests. “Everyone has unique abilities and certain gifts which they must identify.” The problem is that society tries to push people away from their natural gifts and make them conform to a stereotype of what they’re supposed to be and how they’re supposed to behave. Watson concluded with a statement echoing the transcendentalists of time gone by: “Knowing yourself is the most important tool that you could possibly have in this life.”  

After he finished his lecture, a question and answer session followed. As mentioned before, a group of liberal students came to question him. They asked him about the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson, to which he replied that Biden nominated her based on race alone, rather than qualification, a perfect subversion of how it should be. When questioned about police brutality against African Americans, Watson countered, “What police brutality?” He said that the idea of systematic racism in the police force was a myth contrived by the leftist media and that the police were inherently good people. Another question came up about intentional inclusivity in the workplace, and he said it was absolutely not a good idea; people should be hired based on abilities rather than identity. This all goes back to the concept of the color-blind system Watson promotes, to ultimately treat everyone equally. 

Christian Watson’s key takeaway is to judge people based on their ideas and what they have to offer, rather than based on external criteria, a lesson that the world desperately needs to hear. His personal experience as an African American in a world distorted by critical race theory drives home the true significance of his message. Watson was an excellent speaker, convicted in his beliefs, which he explained clearly and concisely. Christian Watson delivered a refreshing and thought-provoking critique of critical race theory to the Trinity University students who gathered to hear him and his ideas.

Cover photo taken by Ellis Jacoby.

University of North Texas Protesters Cancel Event on Child Gender Transitioning

Far left activists disrupted an event put on by the Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) at the University of North Texas last week on Wednesday, March 2nd. YCT invited Jeff Younger to speak on the medical gender transition of children in an event titled “Criminalize Child Transitions,” but he could barely get any words in edgewise. 

Younger, a candidate running for Texas House District 63, has attracted nationwide attention after he lost custody of his 9-year-old twins because he opposed the medical transition of one of them. His ex-wife has been pushing for the child’s gender transition since the child was 3-years-old.

The room was filled with the chants, screams, and yells of the left wing protesters who refused to let Younger speak. In attendance was about 30 supporters along with some 90 protesters, but there were hundreds more protesters outside. 

Younger tried to speak for about 45 minutes, but he was eventually escorted through mobs of protesters to a waiting vehicle outside. The left wing protesters reportedly harassed the leaving conservative students, but the protesters biggest target was Kelly Neidert. 

Kelly Neidert, the former Chairman of the Young Conservatives of Texas chapter at UNT, organized the event and invited Younger to come. She was forced to hide in a closet with a police officer due to the aggressive protesters preventing her from getting into a vehicle to leave.

“Before the event, the police assessed the situation and decided that if things seemed to be getting dangerous, Jeff and I would be evacuated. When police took us out, I was separated from the police escort because some of the protestors blocked me with their signs. I missed the car that was waiting for me, so two other officers ended up helping me and tried to get me in another car. That didn’t work, so they put me in the closest building. Protestors breached that building so I was put in a janitors closet while protestors looked around for me.”

This isn’t something new for Kelly though; she has been subject to threats, doxxing, and a petition to have her expelled from the school over the past year.

UNT President Smatresk issued a statement after the event stating it was “particularly difficult for the transgender members of our community” because of “the intolerant views of a handful of campus members.” About a hundred leftist students didn’t think this was good enough, and demanded he go further in denouncing the event by protesting outside the administration building.