Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

Sure, most of us are aware that John Quincy Adams was the son of Founding Father John Adams and the sixth POTUS with a long and illustrative career in public service and diplomacy.  Some might even recall that he was the brains behind the Monroe Doctrine, or that he nearly drowned during one of his many multi-hour swims in the Potomac River, or that he is undoubtedly the former president Americans would least likely want to have a beer with, or that he was considered by some to be a freak show.  But all of that's just trivia. More importantly, John Quincy Adams was a prolific writer whose musings and thoughts contain a rich understanding of what America represents and what it means to be an America.  Jeffrey Tyler Syck joins the show to discuss his new book, A Republic of Virtue: The Essays of John Quincy Adams, offering a composite of John Quincy Adams' most impressive political and philosophic writings.   About Jeffrey Tyler Syck Jeffery Tyler Syck is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Pikeville. Tyler's academic research focuses on the development of American democracy and the history of political ideologies. His essays and articles on politics, philosophy, and history have appeared in several public facing publications including Law and Liberty, Persuasion, and the Louisville Courier-Journal. Tyler's academic work has recently been published in the journal Pietas. A native of Pike County Kentucky, Tyler's political thought and writing are strongly shaped by the culture of Appalachia. With their tightly knit communities, the mountains of Appalachia have instilled in him a love of all things local. As such his writing most often advocates for a rejuvenation of local democracy and a renaissance of rural culture. Tyler received a Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Arts in Government from the University of Virginia. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Government and History from Morehead State University where he graduated with honors. His book, A Republic of Virtue: The Essays of John Quincy Adams, is available wherever fine books are sold. You can follow Tyler on Twitter @tylersyck  

Whether it's Zohran Mamdani's win in NYC last year or the slew of Democratic Socialists of America electoral victories this year, the DSA is having a moment. Is this the beginning of the socialist utopia displacing the patriarchal/capitalist system in the United States or the latest ill-fated iteration of a party out of power attempting to redefine itself? Saving Elephants assembled another august panel to discuss this very issue, including: Brooke Medina serves as Vice President of Communications for State Policy Network. Prior to joining SPN, Brooke was the Vice President of Communications at the John Locke Foundation, a state-based think tank in Raleigh, North Carolina. Brooke's writing has been published in outlets such as Fox News, The Hill, Entrepreneur, Washington Examiner, WORLD, Daily Signal, and other publications. Eric Kohn is Chief Executive Officer at America's Future, the talent accelerator and social club for liberty-minded young professionals. Prior to joining AF, Eric was Chief Marketing Officer at Empower Illinois. He has also previously served as Director of Marketing & Communications at the Acton Institute, and Director of Community Management at the Illinois Policy Institute. Lura Forcum, Ph.D., is a researcher, writer, and strategic advisor whose work explores how identity, relationships, and belonging shape our communities and political lives. Previously, Lura served as president of the Independent Center and spent seven years as a marketing professor, studying social perception—including why we humanize brands and products while dehumanizing other people. She writes How to Human, a newsletter about relationships and the social fabric of everyday life, and co-hosts the podcast We Made This Political.

Former President George W. Bush was wrong when he iconically stated "Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?" Actually, it's asked all the time (dubious grammatical structuring aside). Politicians and social influencers are quick to bemoan the state of education, but thoughtful conversations on how we might meaningfully change things for the better are few and far between. Saving Elephants has assembled an all-star panel to have a real conversation about education: Have we failed to educate our children? To what extent are problems in education a matter of bad policies, structures, or philosophy? What is the purpose of education, and do our schools align with that purpose?   The panel includes:   Brooke Medina From spn.org Brooke Medina serves as Vice President of Communications for State Policy Network. She is SPN's on-the-record spokesperson. Prior to joining SPN, Brooke was the Vice President of Communications at the John Locke Foundation, a state-based think tank in Raleigh, North Carolina. Brooke's writing has been published in outlets such as Fox News, The Hill, Entrepreneur, Washington Examiner, WORLD, Daily Signal, and other publications. In addition, she is a contributor to The Digital Public Square: Christian Ethics in a Technological Society, published by B&H Academic Press. Brooke was also the executive producer of Sowing Resilience, Securing Our Food Supply from Farm to Table, a feature length film about North Carolina's food systems and agriculture industry, as well as A Letter to the King, a film highlighting the historical significance of the Edenton Tea Party, America's first all-female political movement.   Luke Sheahan From lukesheahan.com Luke Sheahan is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Duquesne University, Non-Resident Scholar at the Program for Research on Religion and Urban Civil Society (PRRUCS) at the University of Pennsylvania, and editor of The University Bookman. Luke's research and speaking focuses upon civil society and freedom of association. Luke is the author of Why Associations Matter: The Case for First Amendment Pluralism.     Caylan Ford From caylanford.com Caylan Ford is a documentary filmmaker, writer, researcher, charter school founder, and a former political candidate. Born in Calgary, Canada, and earning a Bachelor's degree (Hons.) in Chinese history at the University of Calgary, Caylan obtained a Master's degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and worked on and off as a senior policy advisor for Canada's foreign ministry. Between the birth of her two children she earned another Master's in International Human Rights Law at the University of Oxford. In 2022 Caylan founded Canada's first tuition-free classical charter school network, Alberta Classical Academy. Here is a short video introduction to their work and how they aim to promote knowledge of things that are true, good, and enduring.

In recent weeks conservative social media has been aflurry debating that nebulous phrase, the Common Good. Does the New Right have a monopoly on the concept of the common good? If we can agree on the common good, does that alone grant us the political authority to impose it? What is the relationship between liberty and the common good? Saving Elephants welcomes two guests to set the record straight for good and all. Dan Hugger, Editorial and Research Fellow and the Host of Acton Line Podcast at the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion & Liberty. He writes and speaks on questions of education, history, political economy, and religion, and is the editor of two books: Lord Acton: Historical and Moral Essays and The Humane Economist: A Wilhelm Röpke Reader. Andy Smarick is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, where his work focuses on education, civil society, and the principles of American conservatism. Smarick has authored or edited four books: The Urban School System of the Future: Applying the Principles and Lessons of Chartering (2012); Closing America's High-achievement Gap: A Wise Giver's Guide to Helping Our Most Talented Students Reach Their Full Potential (2013); Catholic School Renaissance: A Wise Giver's Guide to Strengthening a National Asset (2015); and No Longer Forgotten: The Triumphs and Struggles of Rural Education in America (2018). His work has also been published in outlets such as The Atlantic, Washington Post, Education Week, among others.

Fellow Millennial, Stephanie Slade, has been in the trenches of various factions on the dissident Right lo these past several years to share with the uninitiated normies just how unhinged the Right has become in certain quarters.  She joined Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis earlier this year (back in episode 193) to explore this phenomenon.  But since that time she's written a book, Fusionism: Liberty, Virtue, and the Future of the American Right, which offers the antidote to the rise of rightwing radicalism.  That antidote is fusionism, a largely forgotten idea that once defined American conservatism.   About Stephanie Slade From Reason.com   Stephanie Slade is a senior editor at Reason, the magazine of "free minds and free markets," and the author of Fusionism: Liberty, Virtue, and the Future of the American Right, forthcoming from University of Notre Dame Press. Her writing has appeared in America magazine, The New York Times, U.S. News and World Report, the Online Library of Liberty, and elsewhere. She covers the intersection of religion and politics.   Slade is best known for her piece "Why I Am a Pro-Life Libertarian," her magazine feature on booze-producing monks, and her defenses of fusionism (which probably isn't what you think!). Don't miss her discussing the differences between comprehensive and political libertarianism on The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie.   In 2013, Slade was named a finalist for the Bastiat Prize for Journalism. In 2016, she was selected as a Robert Novak Journalism Fellow. She has been a guest on a variety of podcasts, including Jonah Goldberg's The Remnant, Charlie Sykes' The Bulwark Podcast, and The New York Times' Ezra Klein Show. Prior to joining Reason, Slade worked as a speechwriter and pollster. She's a proud graduate of the University of Florida, where she studied economics and political science. Follow her on X: @sladesr.