Patriot pact

Publisher of UNR’s conservative newspaper, the Pack Patriot, Greg Green has a lot of principles. Refusing to wear his wedding ring is one of them. But then, so does his wife, Susan, who also works on the Patriot staff as a cartoonist.

What exactly is the Pack Patriot?

Our motto is “In defense of freedom, principles and accountability.” Basically, it’s just a conservative publication. It’s not Republican, per se, but obviously, because it is conservative, a lot of views line up. We are also critical of Bush and any other Republican who we think is not doing their job.

Who started the Pack Patriot and why?

It was George Higgins, Shandra Cipriano, Ardea Canepa, myself, and one other person I can’t name … pretty much after the 2004 elections. We worked so hard … we were at the victory party, and we were thinking to ourselves, “It would be really nice to be able to express ourselves and get our views out to students.”

Who pays for it?

We don’t get any school money. We don’t want any school money. … Even though, for some reason, the Sagebrush and the ASUN keep pushing to get independent publications funded, I don’t know why. We’ve told them constantly we don’t want the money. Basically, independent donors fund the paper.

Any thoughts on Wal-Mart?

Wal-Mart? … I like the capitalism aspect of it, but they need to do things ethically and morally right, if it’s overseas or here. … But otherwise, I think any company has a right to make as much money as they want. And they employ a lot of people.

Is the rest of your family involved in politics?

My dad was a city council member, but I was so young I didn’t really have any involvement with it. … Then when I went to the military. I … started developing conservative viewpoints. … I really became a hardcore conservative activist because I went to San Francisco State University after the military and people started calling me “baby killer.” And in Nevada, people have told me to “go back to Iraq and die.” … So I joined the College Republicans in Nevada too. My dad is pretty political. He thinks along the same lines I do. My brother does also. My mom is the most centrist person I could ever imagine. There were these online polls where you can see how political you are. She’s dead center every time.

Do you have time for your wife, with all the time you give to the Pack Patriot?

Oh no, don’t ask me that one.

How does she feel about your political commitments?

When I get really busy she gets upset … but I think she knows it’s a part of me. I don’t want to say she’s accepted that—she still gets upset if I’m out late, and she should.

Is that because you don’t wear a wedding ring?

Oh, man. Why do you have to ask that? It has nothing to do with that. She doesn’t wear a wedding ring, either. And we’re perfectly happy. You know, I’ve only gotten hit on once since I’ve been married, and it was at a bar, and I was wearing my ring. So go figure.