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Dear
John,
Conservative political leadership has fallen on hard times. Experience and principle rarely combine now to form recognizably conservative statesmen. What’s to be done?
For our part, this past March 23-26, the Kirk Center held its first conference for legislators and related leaders on the theme “American Conservatism, Statesmanship, and the Politics of Prudence.”
The genesis for this event occurred when a Michigan state representative posted on Facebook that in this age of political fanaticism he wanted to learn more about Edmund Burke. He was directed to the Kirk Center and contacted me to explore the possibility of a legislators’ “ideas retreat” in Mecosta. The goal was to learn about and discuss conservative principles with a view toward securing sounder ground for public policy, and, ultimately, more effective conservative leadership.
The result was a rare opportunity for a select group of legislators and policy makers to join together in a discussion of American federalism, Edmund Burke, Russell Kirk, portraits of principled statesman such as Tocqueville, Lincoln, and Churchill, and reflections on current topics in conservative reform. The readings throughout were timeless and timely.
The format of the colloquium encouraged the exploration of ideas through informal yet serious conversation. We were fortunate to have experienced discussion leaders in Dr. Michael Federici of Middle Tennessee State University and Dr. Justin Garrison of Roanoke College.
The response from this group of working politicians was extremely positive:
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“The weekend as a whole has inspired my studies of conservative political philosophy in entirely new ways. Since the seminar wrapped up, I’ve read two Kirk books and have vastly expanded my reading list related to the topic.”
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“In my current position, little time is spent developing my understanding of the foundations of conservative thought. The ability to discuss in a Socratic environment these ideas with people from a wide range of backgrounds was truly invaluable. Holding the event in the library of Russell Kirk was a great experience. Even simply walking around the library was both interesting and informative. I added several books to my reading list as a result of the event being held there.”
- “I wish I was exposed to the Kirk Center earlier in my life and prior to being elected.”
- “I would say that if you want to dive into conservatism and have a well-rounded experience, then give the Kirk Center a look! It is a fantastic opportunity for team building and learning about what conservatives believe, and why.”
This group intends to keep the good results of this seminar going forward through recurring meetings and events discussing the contemporary challenges to statesmanship and political leadership. Demand also exists for another Politics of Prudence Seminar in Michigan as well as in several other places across the country.
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