Conservative author Peter Schweizer spoke to mostly members of Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) about liberal hypocrisy last night in the Wartik Building.
"The liberal left poses as our moral superiors," he said. "But do they actually practice what they preach?"
Schweizer promoted his latest book, Do As I Say (Not As I Do), for which he investigated 11 prominent liberal figures to expose incidents in their personal lives that contradict the ideals they support on the public stage.
Schweizer criticized filmmaker Michael Moore for advocating affirmative action but hiring all-white staffs for his own projects. He said that out of 134 total positions hired, only three were filled by blacks.
"One of the white people he hired majored in African-American studies, so maybe that counts," he said.
Schweizer also bashed Moore for living in Central Lake, Mich., an all-white community, and for owning Halliburton stock.
He also criticized radio show host Al Franken, U.S. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass. "Nancy Pelosi's commitment to the environment goes about as far as I can throw Michael Moore, and that's not very far," he said.
Schweizer said Pelosi constantly promoted environmental values in Congress, but owns a golf course in California built over the habitats of two endangered species.
"Conservative principles are like guard rails on a windy road," he said. "They may be irritating, but they are there for your own good."
Schweizer said conservatives also engage in hypocrisy, but unlike liberals, they are more apologetic and never benefit from abandoning their principles.
"Liberals have richer lives for not taking their own advice," he said. "Maybe that should lead them to question the validity of their ideals."
He said liberals get away with hypocrisy more often because of a biased media.
"Conservatives deal with it more honestly, which makes it easier to expose," he said. "Being a liberal means never having to say you are sorry."
Schweizer also touched on affirmative action and liberal bias in the classroom.
"The liberal left has a monopoly on college campuses, and they do not want that to change," he said. "That is not a sign of someone who is confident in their views."
He said American taxpayers and students should not be subsidizing a political movement.
Laura Warg (sophomore-biology) said she does not share the views of most people in YAF, but she thought Schweizer's speech was fairly balanced. "I am happy he also included some examples of conservative hypocrisy, but I do not like when conservatives wear their ignorance as a badge," she said.
YAF Chairman Laura Maynard (sophomore-landscape contracting) said she was impressed by the turnout because the club is in a transition phase.
"It's unfair that liberal politicians can live by these double standards while imposing their policies on the average American citizen," she said.
