Interviewing Edward Rami
by the Editorial Board
You may have seen conservative commentator Edward Rami taking Instagram by storm with his witty content creation, but you likely don’t know his backstory. Having grown up in central California, Edward fell into politics at a local level as a marketing manager for his town’s newspaper. In this job, he began to recognize flaws within the ideologies present in the identity politics narrative, realizing his own views were completely opposite from those who look and identify as he does. His “Come to Jesus” moment was accompanied by an onslaught of research into other outspoken conservatives online. From there, Edward tells us, there was no turning back. Now a Turning Point USA Ambassador and conservative influencer, Edward continues speaking out against the ills of leftist indoctrination, false headlines, and the hypocrisy of the Left. The Conservateur is thrilled to bring you this interview with Edward Rami, where we cover Latino culture and world views, journalism in 2020, and the challenges outspoken Conservatives face.
How did your upbringing in rural California shape your worldview? How have your experiences equipped you to pioneer your own path into conservative media?
Rural California & rural areas in general— like the one I grew up in— are made up of folks with traditional values. Of course, there was a variance in political ideology, but for the most part, people in the community expressed similar lifestyles: modest, family-oriented, conservative & hardworking. My path to conservative media started by leaving my conservative hometown. I knew I was gay from a young age but somewhat harbored that aspect of my life to avoid going against the grain. There might have been two other gay kids in my high school— that were out— and that was about it. My sexual orientation was conflicting with my lifestyle because I was taught by mainstream media and the LGBT left that being gay meant “acting gay” while adopting a leftist ideology. So, I decided to move to Los Angeles at the age of 18 in hopes of fulfilling that void I felt and to find a tribe to which I felt more connected.
I surrounded myself with other gay people but realized we lacked common interests, which led me to realize your identity does not determine your views. Suddenly, the environment I thought I belonged to most felt aloof. I no longer resonated with the city life, despite being indoctrinated to believe that surrounding myself with other LGBT members was the best option. I moved back home and reconnected with a lot of the values I had dropped (or rather forgotten) and realized that conservatism aligned more with who I truly was. I’ve always been naturally curious, so I began to expand my political views by listening to the other outspoken LGBT conservatives like Dave Rubin, Blaire White & Rob Smith— ultimately leading me to one of the most significant “lightbulb” moments of my life. I wanted to do my part and connect with my niche audience to introduce new perspectives, aside from the mainstream ideas they had been introduced to. Since then, I’ve been in front of my camera, educating people on what it means to be a conservative and embarrassing myself, a little too much, on Tik Tok. It’s been a rollercoaster ride so far, but I love every bit of it.
Growing up in rural California and then moving to Los Angeles, you have seen the drastic difference between urban and rural life. What were your observations? Do you believe rural towns have been left behind by the Democratic Party as they increasingly depend on urban centers for votes?
Right off the bat, I noticed diversity in skin color and lifestyle. I was 18 when I first moved to the city. Before I turned 19, I was living in my studio apartment in Long Beach, CA. My neighbors were Cambodian, Black, and Puerto Rican and I became immersed in their culture. Working at my local restaurant as a host, I also met people from all sorts of backgrounds I had never heard of. I was excited about the diversity I was finally getting to experience because I had grown up in such a homogeneous environment. But, I started to question how diverse it was. Of course, it was more diverse in skin color, but there seemed to be a lack of diversity in thought, especially in politics. The 2016 Election came around, the song “Fu** Donald Trump” was playing nonstop. Everyone seemed to agree: Donald Trump is a racist. Students at my university burst into tears during class the day following President Trump’s inauguration. It was then that I started to notice how leftist people in the city were. I only ever met less than a handful of Trump supporters in college, but they never felt comfortable enough to openly express their opinion. Democrat politicians were always invited to campus, but I can not recall ever hearing about a conservative coming to speak. However, back at home, conservative commentators were always welcomed. The Democrat Party has a stronghold on Urban areas, while conservatives influence rural areas. Although I would have to say through the recent indoctrination of our youth by the Left via social media, that could change soon. We may start to see a cultural shift in rural areas. In many ways, we are already beginning to see that happen.
Family, community, and faith are at the forefront of Latino culture. What other evident similarities do you see between Latino culture and conservatism?
Self-accountability and hard work. Latinos— like my family— migrated here for opportunity. We know first hand what it is like to live in a country that limits how far you can succeed. Latinos do not come to America expecting government handouts unless it is sold by liberal politicians. Generally speaking, Latinos come here to work and earn money for their families. Hard work is a minimum standard in our community. That is a value that is embedded in us from a very young age.
The Left panders to the Latino community— a lot. Why do you believe there are not more conservative Latinos? What is your biggest argument for why Hispanics should be conservatives?
Two Reasons: One, The Left created a false illusion that they have Latino’s best interest at heart. For example, they advocate for things like lenient border security (sometimes open borders altogether) and sanctuary laws that harbor illegal criminals from ICE. The second reason is that they have perpetuated this false narrative that The Right is unwelcoming to us. They have spread the idea that their party is the party for minorities and Republicans = White racists only. Unfortunately, many Latinos have fallen for the trap. However, it is ironic because Republican policies align much more with the Latino community. Many just don’t realize it because of the lies that have been sold to us. If Latinos heard more from The Right, they definitely would be more inclined to vote red.
Aside from your online work, we know you work in local journalism. Is local journalism as corrupt as the mainstream media? What is the difference? If we can no longer trust our mainstream media, where do we turn next? Additionally, are there any local journalists would you recommend for a conservative to follow?
These days, independent journalists who are self-funded and on the ground in major cities where protest is taking place are some of the most trustworthy journalists to keep up with. It makes it hard to do honest reporting when you work for a major TV network and have big funding you have to push an agenda for. I would never recommend anyone to take what mainstream media has to say at face value, but they’re a great tool to use. When I hear an inflammatory headline that grabs my attention, the first thing I do is pursue more information and do the research on my own. Ultimately, that’ll get you the most accurate idea about a given subject.
These are some of my favorites independent Latino Journalists: @JorgeVenturaTv (Reports live on major Protests in the US) @Karina_Manuela (Independent research on Immigration related topics) @WakeUpWithLinda (Immigration & Medical Freedom) @ConservativeLatino (Conservative Activist) @Conservative_latina45 (Independent Journalist)
You’ve recently become an ambassador for Turning Point USA. What or who influenced you to come out of the conservative closet? What advice do you have for conservatives scared of the repercussions of telling their friends and family?
For four years, everyone around me overtly bashed Trump. I heard it with friends. I heard it at work. I heard it from strangers. It wasn’t until this year that I grew tired of not being able to overtly express honest my views about him. I found myself always tip-toeing around political conversations with people. I’ve never been one to push my ideas down people’s throats, so I was always respectful even when I disagreed. Although, I reached a tipping point when I saw what was happening to our country: Antifa was burning down cities, BLM was intimidating innocent civilians, and panic over a virus with a 99% survival rate was allowing medical tyranny to prevail. All the while, The Left allowed it to continue. In fact, they perpetuated it. I was fed up, and I thought to myself, “If I do not speak up now, I might regret this for the rest of my life.”
So, I began vocalizing my ideas online. Eventually, Turning Point USA reached out to me, and the rest is history. People started writing to me and thanking me for speaking up because they, too, had felt afraid to express what they believed in. These days, I wear my conservatism with pride. It is an honor to be able to inspire many people, like myself, to get loud about what they believe in and condemn what they see as wrong. The advice I would give is to simply start sharing your ideas. Never allow yourself for one second to be silenced on your opinion, especially when everyone around you is vocal about theirs. You don’t have to be rude, and you don’t have to force your ideas down anyone’s throat but be honest about what you are thinking. If this causes you to lose a few friends, realize that those were never friends, to begin with. Real friends will be made the more you are honest about who you are and what you believe in. It is not easy, but it gets easier each day.
What do you hope to accomplish by making your voice, experiences, and opinions public? Where do you want to see the future of our nation go?
My biggest goal is to offer an opposite opinion to the younger generation from the one that they have been sold by the mainstream. I don’t want people to think like me. I want people to think for themselves. I’ve always appreciated the diversity of thought, and I see a major lack of tolerance in political discussions. I hope to bridge that gap and encourage people to have more tolerance for opposing opinions. We learn most from the people we disagree with, not the people who think like us. As much as I disagree with liberal policies, I would never want to eliminate liberal ideas. Unfortunately, that is what we see happening towards conservatives. Conservative voices are being censored by Big Tech. Social media accounts like Twitter and Instagram can shadow-ban you for expressing these types of views. That is a problem. We need to remember how valuable our first amendment right to free speech is and how it contributes to the foundation that makes this country great.
