This article is part of the David Horowitz Freedom Center’s commemoration of the one-year anniversary of the passing of our founder, namesake and visionary. If you have memories of David to share, please leave them in the comments or drop Daniel Greenfield a line.
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As a high school student, I found myself facing two very different paths when choosing a college. One option was attending a woke university. That environment appealed to me: I enjoy debate, and being surrounded by people who disagree creates constant opportunities to test ideas. The prospect of sitting in classrooms where most students held opposing views and engaging with them directly was compelling. It was what I initially wanted from the college experience. There was also no shortage of options; nearly every university I considered fit that description.
The alternative was a conservative college, where the number of choices was far smaller. There, I expected a more serious academic environment—one that emphasized critical thinking, intellectual discipline, and the study of foundational ideas without ideological pressure. However, that path raised a concern. If most students shared similar views, meaningful civil discourse could be limited. The question became whether an intellectual rebirth—what college is supposed to provide—could replace the constant ideological challenge I valued.
College was never something I dreamed about. After reading The College Scam and similar critiques, I began to question the value of many universities. Tuition costs continue to rise, while academic standards and intellectual diversity appear to decline. Still, I understood the practical reality. If I wanted to attend law school and earn a law degree, I would need a college degree first.
I initially discovered David Horowitz through Charlie Kirk’s podcast and writing, where Charlie consistently pointed to him as a key influence. Horowitz helped shape Turning Point USA and influenced The College Scam, one of Kirk’s most impactful books. Charlie, however, was just one of thousands who have been strongly influenced by Horowitz’s ideas.
Both Horowitz and Kirk argued that colleges should focus on real education. It should teach students how to think, not what to think. In theory, higher education is meant to develop intellectual discipline and strong character. In practice, many institutions have moved away from that goal, offering diplomas that mean little beyond the piece of paper.
I found myself choosing between two priorities. One path emphasized debate and persuasion. The other emphasized depth, structure, and intellectual foundation. If given the opportunity, this is the question I would have asked both Horowitz and Kirk directly.
What ultimately shaped my decision was Horowitz’s Academic Bill of Rights. The proposal did not attempt to eliminate bias entirely, which is unrealistic. Instead, it focused on balance—ensuring that students are exposed to multiple perspectives on important issues. The institutions that most closely reflect that principle are often the same ones dismissed by the mainstream as overly ideological.
I began to understand that intellectual diversity is not evenly distributed. The modern right, shaped in part by Horowitz’s long effort to challenge conformity, now includes a wider range of viewpoints on foreign policy, economics, and culture than the monolithic progressive campus left. Internal disagreement within the Right exists and is often encouraged—a standard Horowitz worked to establish.
Ultimately, I chose Hillsdale College—a Christian, conservative classical liberal arts college.
As a Jewish student, I have always appreciated that America’s founders envisioned a nation in which religious faith upholds moral virtue. George Washington warned in his Farewell Address that religion and morality are indispensable supports for political prosperity. Horowitz echoed this in his writing and activism, arguing that aggressive secularism and hostility to traditional religion erode the cultural foundation necessary for liberty.
When universities remove religious perspective and Judeo-Christian heritage from the curriculum while imposing new secular orthodoxies, they do not expand intellectual inquiry—they narrow it. Horowitz’s Freedom Center and books like Dark Agenda exposed what he viewed as a coordinated effort to undermine traditional foundations—not out of intolerance for other religions, but from the belief that a society without virtue cannot sustain self-government.
Horowitz’s influence continues to shape the conservative movement. The right today includes a range of perspectives across major issues, and internal debate remains active. Through the Freedom Center, Horowitz’s legacy continues to defend Western civilization, expose radical ideologies on campus, and insist that students deserve more than indoctrination.
As I prepare for Hillsdale College this fall, I carry those lessons with me. Education must serve truth, not political power. Faith and virtue remain essential to a functioning republic. And campuses should foster civil discourse, not enforce conformity.
Horowitz never softened his arguments. He recognized that the left had captured key institutions and that reversing the trend would take decades.
I never met David Horowitz. Yet through his books, his campaigns, and the movement he helped shape alongside Charlie Kirk, Horowitz’s legacy remains an intellectual mentor—one that equips others with the tools to make decisions with clarity and conviction rather than imposing them.
Gregory Lyakhov is a high school student who is one of the youngest nationally syndicated columnists in the United States. He writes for outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, and serves as a columnist for Townhall Media, The Patriot Post, and The Gateway Pundit. He is also a co-host of The Patriot Perspective, a podcast on The Gateway Pundit, one of the largest conservative media platforms in the United States, which reaches over 1 billion annual page views.
Previous article in the series:
It’s Clearer Than Ever: David Horowitz Was Right All Along. -By Robert Spencer.
Why David Horowitz is More Relevant Than Ever. -By Daniel Greenfield.
The Triumph of David Horowitz. -By Lloyd Billingsley.
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