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NOTE: Tomorrow I will begin linking published-every-Thursday conservative political essays written by Mark Alexander, Executive Editor and Publisher of The Patriot Post. I'll begin today by posting Mr. Alexander's bio, which gives a pretty good overview of Mr. Alexander's life experiences and political beliefs. If political opinion bothers you, particularly conservative political opinion, there are plenty of other threads here on BadWeB, the overwhelming majority of them non-political, to peruse. Best, Ferris  Mark Alexander Executive Editor & Publisher, The Patriot Post Mark Alexander is executive editor and publisher of The Patriot Post the Web's "Conservative Journal of Record". His strong academic vitae in constitutional government and policy combined with his real-world occupational experience ensure his contributions as an essayist and analyst reflect the grassroots conservatism of the heartland revitalized by Ronald Reagan, rather than ubiquitous Beltway news and opinion. Alexander attributes the character-rich content of his compositions to the ethics and values modeled and instilled by his parents, the timeless traits of duty, honor, discernment, courage, personal responsibility, citizenship, generosity and compassion. He was raised to live the "third person" principle: God first, others second and self third — and notes that he "sometimes, by the grace of God, manages to conduct his life in that order." Typical of many in his generation, Alexander learned the merits of hard work and civic responsibility early. His elementary school afternoons were spent sorting and delivering groceries for a local produce store. He spent summers mowing lawns. At age 13, he became his community's youngest volunteer firefighter, and an EMT at age 16. In high school, he learned about publishing as a print-shop apprentice for a manufacturing plant. At age 19, he completed certification from a state police academy and worked four years as a uniformed patrolman while completing his undergraduate degree in psychology. Alexander's heritage is Scots-Irish, but he detests "hyphenated Americanism." His is among the "First Families" of Tennessee, having settled in East Tennessee prior to statehood (1796). He is the product of a proud military legacy, including veterans of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the War Between the States (the "right" side of each, of course). He is also a descendant of WWI and WWII Navy aviators. In fact, his Father, a Corsair pilot in WWII, took leave in 1945 to visit his sister at her college. One of his wingmen had a sister at the same college and he met her on that visit. Two years later, he married the sister of his wingman — Alexander's mother. Thus, Alexander owes his very existence, in large part, to Naval Aviation. (His Father's brothers were also WWII vets, one Army and one Marine.) Placing a high premium on that heritage, Alexander volunteered for military service in 1979 during the Iran hostage crisis, but his aspiration to become a Marine Aviator was cut short due to a disqualifying injury. Alexander went on to earn graduate degrees in both psychology and public affairs, and he is the recipient of prestigious national certifications from both military and civilian professional advancement programs. Between 1981 and 1996, he produced national and homeland security analysis for government and private sector consumers, and served with several delegations to Russia, the former Soviet Republics and states in the Middle East. In 1986, Alexander accepted an executive level federal appointment in a reserve national security capacity under President Ronald Reagan, and was reappointed to that post under President George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush. He retains that appointment today with the Department of Homeland Security. Between 1987 and 1994, Alexander consulted with presidential and congressional campaigns on topics ranging from critical national security interests to hot-button issues regarding the First, Second and Tenth Amendments. He was instrumental in the election of outstanding Tennessee conservatives like Sen. Fred Thompson, and Reps. Ed Bryant and Zach Wamp. In 1996, concerned about the degradation of our nation's political and social institutions under the Clinton regime, and the virtual monopoly of the mainstream media's influence on public opinion, Alexander merged his historical, political and national security experience and launched The Federalist online — now published as The Patriot Post. He did so foreseeing a day when the Internet would overtake the print and television media as a primary source for news, policy and opinion, and estimating its influence on public opinion would grow accordingly. Alexander assembled an impressive National Advisory Committee and recruited an editorial staff of constitutional constructionists to craft The Patriot's timeless message of individual liberty, its advocacy for the restoration of constitutional limits on government and the judiciary, and its promotion of free enterprise, national defense and traditional American values, as outlined in our Statement of Principles. The Patriot's' readers include high-level policymakers in the executive and legislative branches, leaders in state and local government, key thinkers in the community of conservative research and academic policy organizations, and, most important, grassroots conservatives across the nation. It is available free of charge to hundreds of thousands of military personnel around the world, and an ever-growing consortium of collegiate readers. Though The Patriot Post and our staff are regularly quoted on national radio and television programs, and republished in print and online venues across the nation, its opinion and feature sections are published without attribution, consistent with our objective to promote its timeless message of liberty and not writer personalities (humilitas). As was the case with The Federalist (Papers) in 1787, The Patriot Post is published under the pseudonym "Publius," and our editors and advisors publish likewise. Because of The Patriot's outstanding growth in readership across the nation and across the political aisle, his friends and foes have called Alexander both a political missionary and mercenary, respectively. In addition to his formal academic degrees, Mark Alexander is a graduate of the National Defense University and a regular national security forum participant at the Air and Naval War Colleges. He has been an observer for Operation Red Flag and on the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN76) in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He is a Life Member of the Air Force Association, Naval Institute and Navy League, and their academic foundations. He is a Life Member of the National Rifle Association and a professional member of other military, intelligence and law enforcement associations. Alexander serves on the boards of several companies, policy centers and Christian ministries. He is a member of Heritage Foundation President's Club, the Council for National Policy and United Way's Tocqueville Society. He is a Boy Scouts of America Executive Council Member and Troop leader. Mark and his wife, Ann, have three children. His favorite hobbies are shooting and flying, and he enjoys landscaping, gardening and household repairs — especially when the kids pitch in! He is a recovering Episcopalian — currently a visitor in a Presbyterian (PCA) congregation. He and his family reside in the mountains of the Great State of Tennessee. [Source: The Patriot Post (PatriotPost.US), http://patriotpost.us/about/alexander] | ||
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The Speech You Never Heard June 7, 2012
Patriots, I am in New Orleans today at the World War II Museum with my favorite War II Vet, my father. The guest column this week is from my colleague, Neal Boortz, a lawyer and nationally syndicated radio host. Given all of the commencement speeches delivered in recent weeks, I invite you to read the commencement speech Boortz has never been invited to deliver, as excerpted from his book by the same title. Pro Deo et Constitutione — Libertas aut Mors Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis Mark Alexander Publisher, The Patriot Post The Commencement Speech You Need To Hear By Neal Boortz I am honored by the invitation to address you on this august occasion. It's about time. Be warned, however, that I am not here to impress you; you'll have enough smoke blown your way today. And you can bet your tassels I'm not here to impress the faculty and administration. You may not like much of what I have to say, and that's fine. This isn't the first time you're not going to like what someone has to say ... your bosses, for instance. Things change today. There will be a lot less pandering to your every whim, and a lot more demands for performance. You will remember what I had to say though. Especially after about 10 years out there in the real world. This, of course, does not apply to those of you who will seek your careers and your fortunes as government employees ... or as college professors. Read more: http://patriotpost.us/alexander/13746 © 2012 The Patriot Post (PatriotPost.US) |
