I love politics. I'm fascinated with government, and I am extremely interested in public policy. Economic systems, social issues, foreign affairs, domestic policy, Constitutional law—you name it, and I'll enjoy it.
What I don't enjoy, however, is the massive stereotyping that exists in the world of politics.
My awesome roomie, Haley, wrote an Odyssey article about being frustrated as a young Republican. Though our political ideologies are different, I found myself nodding at everything she said about the hasty generalizations made about political parties. Even though we have extremely different opinions, we respect each other's points of view and are able to have open discussions without fear of being thought of as stupid, silly or wrong. Just as she debunked some stereotypes and falsehoods about the Republican Party, I'm here to write about some of things that are simply untrue about many Democrats.
1. Yes, Bernie Sanders is a socialist. No, that doesn't mean I'm a socialist.
I believe in capitalism and the market. America is so heterogeneous that it seems a bit unrealistic to try to implement socialistic policies. I do believe, however, that income inequality is a huge problem in the United States—-in a wealthy nation like ours, there's no reason that so many Americans are living below the poverty line. Socialism may not be the answer, but it's important that Americans who desperately need help can get the resources they need to help them.
2. I recognize and respect the Second Amendment.
The right to bear arms is an inherent privilege of living in the United States, and I don't want to take away that right. But, as with other amendments, rights are not unlimited. The First Amendment grants freedom of speech, but you can't yell "Fire!" in a theater—there are slander and libel laws, etc. Just because the Second Amendment gives the right to bear arms does not mean there are no limitations on that. Many Democrats—myself included—have no problem with law-abiding gun owners. There's no one answer on how to stop criminals from possessing guns, but I recognize that law-abiding gun owners should not be punished for acts of violence committed by irresponsible gun owners.
3. I'm not a vegan, I'm not a hippie, I'm not an atheist and I'm not a tree-hugger.
None of these are bad things by any stretch of the imagination, but the stereotypical liberal image just is inaccurate. Just as not all Republicans want to be associated with Trump and be classified as racist bigots, not all Democrats are the same. We are a diverse political party and there is no "one-size-fits-all" description.
4. I don't think college should be free.
If public colleges and universities were free, private institutions may suffer, costing thousands of people their jobs. I do think that there is a problem with the cost of education, however, and it's something that needs to be examined closely. Perhaps reduced-tuition community college is an opportunity to explore: Then, maybe some people wouldn't have to work minimum wage jobs to make a living because they could get an education, and then the call for an increased minimum wage would diminish. Obviously, I'm no economist, but I don't see a problem with making education affordable for an increased number of citizens, so long as other institutions do not suffer.
5. I am a feminist, but I don't believe I'm superior to a man in any way.
If we perform the same job equally well, we should be paid the same amount of money. If he performs better than I do, he should earn more. Conversely, if I perform better than he does, I should earn more money. The notion that some people believe that feminism is about superiority is absurd to me—the definition of feminism itself uses the word "equality." Feminism is about making sure that gender is not a discriminating factor in political, economic or social spheres—not about oppressing men.
6. I'm not ignorant enough to believe that a Democrat will be the president for the rest of my life.
In fact, I don't think that John Kasich would be a bad president. He says some things I disagree with, but what politician doesn't? To govern a swing state like Ohio, you have to compromise and be willing to be bipartisan. I think Kasich's message of uniting, not dividing, Americans is a wonderful platform, and I think his bipartisan attitude would resonate well with Congress and the electorate alike.
There are some positions that I hold as a Democrat that I really would struggle to compromise on (like the legality of gay marriage—love is love), but the fact of the matter is, a lot of issues are not as extreme as they seem to be. There is ample room to compromise in the political system and there are strengths and flaws in both parties. Of course, these are just my personal opinions and they will differ with different people, but remember—I'm not stupid, I'm not a socialist, and trust me, I don't want to take your guns.
