WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017
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THE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS Volume: 60 Issue: 22
unodriftwood.com
APRIL 19, 2017
Bestselling author and high-profile conservative figure J.D. Vance gives talk at UNO Alumni Center living in a period where we’re waking up to the fact that a lot of things are not working, a lot of communities are left behind. That recognition can be incred-
would like it to in the United States; and again, it’s not happening for extremely complicated reasons.” “One of the things that bothers
me about these conversations is that it framed human beings as being only motivated by two emotions. People are complicated; people are voting for Trump
family you grew up with and all of the negative experiences and take some responsibility.’ That internal monologue has to happen On Monday, the University of for a lot of people who grew up New Orleans hosted J.D. Vance, in these kinds of the New York Times families.” best-selling author The alternative of “Hillbilly Elegy,” right the Trump which was arguably campaign brought the most popular to the forefront of book of 2016 in American politics the Homer L. Hitt was brought up as Alumni Center as well. part of its ongoing “I think the way Tocqueville Project. the alternative right Vance touched on recruits people who topics like religion’s are searching for place in citizens’ meaning is akin to communities, lower terrorist groups. It income Amerimakes me think: can problems and What is it about possible solutions as Western society that well as the current can raise someone in and highly divided incredible comfort political climate. and leave them with Admission was such a deficit of free, and the alumni meaning they find it center was packed. in an ISIS or alterChris Surprenant, native right message a philosophy profesboard online?” sor at UNO and host “These kids get of the forum, said he caught up in this believed the event tribalism. I’m worwent well. “Our ried our society is community here failing to give exisat the university is Author J.D. Vance, left, spoke at the Homer Hitt Alumni Center on Tuesday about his literary smash hit, “Hillbilly Elegy.” Rod Dreher was tential meaning.” vibrant, and many Vance talked about -Photo by Christopher Walker people were excited also present and spoke about Christianity in a secular environment. the solutions he to be here tonight. ibly powerful; you can’t solve a me about the way we talk about for all kinds of different reasons believed would help the kind of We had a great turnout.” problem unless you recognize it’s the problems of lower-income – half of them they are not even communities around the country “It’s always an honor to have there.” Americans in the country is we consciously aware of.” akin to the kind he came from and the opportunity to listen to a New Vance expressed his distrust have decided on this either-or Although Vance made it very give meaning to those struggling York Times best-selling author and fundamental dislike of Trump, framing. Either the economy is clear he considers himself a to find value in their lives. and talk about a topic of current whom he compared to an opioid unfair and government policy is conservative, there were multiple “What we should do is try to interest and significance,” Surfor his people: not a real solution inadequate, or there’s a failure of times throughout the talk Vance find ways to be really involved prenant continued. to problems. “When criticized the in a community – however you “Hillbilly Elegy” is a memoir I see the problems Republican Party define it. If you’re a religious perthat chronicles Vance’s childhood in my community, and the ways they son: some sort of church. If you’re upbringing in two extremely povdealt with modnot a religious person: a commuerty-stricken Rust-Belt towns. Af- they are incredibly complicated – 20 or ern-day issues. nity organization or working with ter graduating high school, Vance 30 factor problems “It always underprivileged kids.” enlisted in the Marine Corps and that requires a combothers me when “There is something missing in served in Iraq before graduating plex and thoughtful folks on the a life that is completely divorced from Ohio University and Yale intervention from right talk about from the larger American comLaw school. nonprofits, churches, the problems of munity. There is value to being The memoir came out late last communities, and lower-income involved in something bigger than June and had modest sales until policymakers.” Americans in yourself. My child is coming in Trump clenched the Republican “It does not strike morally condemseven weeks, and I want to instill nomination. Afterward, the book’s me that Trump will natory ways.” in him that it wasn’t just our famisales exploded. deal with these prob“If you think of ly versus the world.” Vance said, “The book got lems with the complexities they personal responsibility.” the way I grew up and some of the “I’m optimistic about the fuwrapped up in this political-viral require.” “I think that is an incredibly ways I interacted with my wife ture; I think people are recognizmoment and had a lot of people Although Vance made it out short-sighted and incomplete way when we first started dating, that ing maybe we’ve lost something asking questions about the white of his small town and graduated to talk about the problems of low- was not really my fault, in a moral in being a little too obsessed with working class in this country; from one of the most prestigious er-income Americans. It reminds sense; I was doing the same thing getting the next shiny jewel in our Americans wanted to know more universities in the world, he said me of the conversation a lot of people in my family had been professional crown. Maybe there about the people that voted for he is acutely aware success stories folks were having about what was doing going back generations.” really is something valuable in Trump.” like his are few and far between. really driving attraction to Donald “However, I also think I benfinding a home and planting your“I think there’s a weird way “The fundamental thesis of the Trump. Was it economic anxiety efited from this idea that ‘look, self there and making a difference both the declinist and the optibook is that upward mobility is or was it racial anxiety?” J.D., you eventually have to cut in it.” mistic narrative of America have not happening as much as we “The thing that always annoyed the link from the past, from the something to offer. I think we’re
Christopher Walker Editor-in-Chief
“There is something missing in a life that is completely divorced from the larger American community. There is value to being involved in something bigger than yourself.” - J.D. Vance