Parker talks on welfare failures

After seven years on welfare and four abortions, a Christian conversion turned Star Parker into a devout conservative and anti-abortion advocate.

Carolina Liberty Foundation, the Carolina Review and the Young America’s Foundation teamed up to bring Parker to campus as the first speaker in a three-speaker series on conservative viewpoints.

Parker, the founder and president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education, and a columnist for Scripps Howard News Service, spoke to a small crowd about the failures of the welfare state and emphasized the importance of financial independence in Howell Hall Monday night.

The center is a think tank that promotes economic solutions to fight poverty. Members of the think tank are aggressive in issues concerning housing, health care, education, general welfare and crime, Parker said.

Parker said she speaks to about 10 to 15 colleges every year so that she can have the opportunity to speak with the social workers, political leaders and media leaders of tomorrow.

“Many students are going to be studying political science, they are going to be studying social work, media, and so it’s best if you are in these fields to have a comprehensive look at the state of affairs and how policy affects people’s lives,” she said.

“I want them to see that, yes, people do change — they can change for the better — so that we can begin to look at policy ideas that will speed up the process of their change,” she said.

Sophomore Gabby Migliara, a political science and history double major, enjoyed the event.

“I thought that (Parker) made a lot of valid points to support her argument. I think that because she was a part of the welfare system she has some authority on the subject, since she knows what it’s like on both sides of it,” Migliara said.

“Even if everyone doesn’t start off with the same kind of background — some are wealthy, some are poor, some have connections, some don’t — but it’s all about what you make of your situation, and I think that she is a testament to that,” she added.

Junior Kelsey Rupp, CEO of the Carolina Liberty Foundation, said the foundation was very enthusiastic about hosting Parker.

“The point of the speaker series this fall is to provide an argument for free enterprise and personal responsibility in the months preceding the presidential election,” Rupp said.

“We just wanted to provide an opportunity for students to hear a different point of view, so Star Parker was definitely first on our list to explain how the current system doesn’t always work.”

Rupp said the Carolina Liberty Foundation and the Young America’s Foundation paid for Parker to speak but would not say how much.

Rupp said she thought Parker did a good job arguing her point.

“She is quite articulate, has quite the story to tell, and she is obviously passionate,” she said.

“She can explain the economic aspects of the argument and the social conservative aspects of the argument.”

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