Have you ever wondered where all those liberal reporters come from? How about the leftist leaders in Washington?  

Those who undermine traditional American values, eviscerate conservative leaders who champion these values, and mock the every-day Americans who share them–these people don’t just come out of thin air.

If you’re tired of the left-wing media attacking conservatives, of being made fun of for supporting American values, and of Hollywood celebrating the hippy culture of the 1960s, blame higher education.

America’s college and high school campuses are where leftists hone their skills of intimidation, coercion, hatred and dirty tricks which are then used on a national level.

Liberal professors and administrators have free reign over the young people in their classrooms.  In a poll conducted by Young America’s Foundation earlier this year,  liberal professors outnumber conservatives 3-to-1; in 2008, professors supported the incoming Obama administration by a 9-to-1 ratio.

On today’s campuses, liberal activism is applauded, and conservative activism is looked upon with skepticism at best–outright derision at worst. Here are a few examples:

At North Carolina State University, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Warwick A. Arden announced in a message posted on NC State’s website that “faculty are encouraged to allow excused absences, as appropriate, for students attending the event.” What was that event? It was an on-campus rally featuring President Obama.

Alternatively, when Karl Rove was invited by conservative students to speak at Loyola University, the school banned him because they feared his appearance would jeopardize the school’s tax status. Never mind that the school previously welcomed Obama appointee Eboo Patel the same semester.

The Conservative Movement faces challenges on many fronts, but we can’t afford to ignore our college campuses.

Conservatives, especially young conservatives, are not natural activists. We generally want to be left alone and let others run their own lives. Young conservatives are not prone to participate in demonstrations and boldly confront those with whom we disagree, unlike liberal students who have a number of liberal professors cheering them on and providing support.  

We need young conservatives to speak out more than ever. With youth unemployment still at record highs, increasing national debt, and the Youth Misery Index at an all-time high, students need to hear alternatives to the failed, big government agenda pushed by the Obama administration. 

Young America’s Foundation’s latest edition of The Conservative Guide to Campus Activism gives students the information, techniques, and inspiration to advance their ideas on campus. This book includes insightful advice from leading conservatives including Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, Ann McElhinney and Karl Rove. 

Breitbart News Contributing Editor Peter Schweizer explains to students how they can maximize coverage by the media. Managing Editor of Breitbart News Alexander Marlow underscores the importance of new media and how young activists can master it. 

The guide teaches conservative students how to avoid common activist traps including unintentional use of leftist terminology and not understanding university procedures. 

To change our country, we must change our classrooms first. In the long run, we need new professors, but for now, we must make activism easy for today’s conservative students. 

Patrick X. Coyle is vice president of Young America’s Foundation and a co-author of The Conservative Guide to Campus Activism. Order the book here: YAF. ORG