News of note in Minnesota

American Experiment Update: Center events, initiatives, and policy work

Giving thanks

American Experiment participated in Minnesota’s annual Give to the Max Day fundraiser. It was, by far, our biggest year ever. Together, we raised more than $235,000 for the conservative cause in Minnesota.

Through your generosity, American Experiment is heading into next year stronger, more equipped, and more determined than ever. Your support didn’t just help us meet the match — it helped us exceed expectations and showed Minnesota that our supporters won’t back down.

We’re incredibly grateful that you chose to stand with us, and we look forward to showing you exactly how your support is making an impact across the state.

Founder’s day

On Tuesday, Nov. 18, American Experiment hosted its founder, Mitch Pearlstein, to celebrate the release of his latest book, “Second Chance Hiring: An Economic and Ethical Necessity.” The event at Interlachen Country Club in Edina featured Pearlstein and a panel of formerly incarcerated individuals who shared the challenges they faced upon re-entry to society. “Second Chance Hiring” makes the case for hiring formerly incarcerated individuals on an economic and ethical basis. Pearlstein’s goal with the book is, “Creating a civic environment where more people succeed in rehabilitating their lives.”

One of the valuable insights Pearlstein offers is the role that work explicitly plays in the moral, ethical, and economic good of society, but also in each individual’s self-worth and personal success:

Giving ex-offenders, if they are qualified, a chance to realize the satisfaction of work is smart as well as good. “Far and away,” Theodore Roosevelt is credited with saying, “the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” Work helps offenders’ families and strengthens their routinely troubled neighborhoods in economic and other ways, another distinct good. As for work that tends to get slighted as less than “worth doing,” Tocqueville anticipated the matter as usual. All “honest callings,” he wrote, “are honorable.”

Multimedia policy efforts

With 5.4 million YouTube views (and counting), the video, “Wind and Solar: Too Good to be True?” is a successful part of American Experiment’s multi-pronged effort to combat the misinformation and false beliefs about “green” energy and its so-called clean solution to our energy needs.

The short video (2:40) uses data and facts to dispel the myths about alternative energy sources. It informs viewers of the massive land use requirements of wind and solar and the environmental damage done in the overseas mining, manufacturing, transportation, and construction processes. Contrary to popular perception, the video makes the case that wind and solar power are not environmentally benign, and their widespread adoption entails significant ecological and material costs.

The mission at American Experiment is education. Our goal is to get information in front of Minnesotans that will challenge the way they think about issues such as energy. This video was designed for and targeted to people on the left side of the political spectrum, and millions of them are watching it until the end. The video can be viewed on YouTube (YouTube.com/watch?v=loLXjggF3F4).

American Experiment North Dakota

In partnership with the National School Choice Awareness Foundation, American Experiment North Dakota will host a celebration of school choice and all the forms it comes in at the North Dakota State Capitol on Jan. 27 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. We will bring together students from across North Dakota to meet with local legislators and share what school choice means to them.

Held inside Memorial Hall, the event will feature student and parent speakers, as well as school representatives and policymakers, creating a unique opportunity for students to engage with their state government and for legislators to hear directly from students about the value of school choice. Hot cocoa and light snacks will be served to students and families throughout the event, and swag and prizes will also be available.