What’s it like being a conservative student, living on a progressive college campus?
Let me preface this with the notion that it is not easy.
Imagine a world where you speak Chinese, and everyone else speaks English? There is really no attempt at anyone trying to understand my little slice of life, and no one really cares. That is honestly what it feels like. I think a better metaphor might be religion, i.e. being the only Christian in a school of Jewish students, no matter how much you try to understand each other there is no mutual understanding or agreement to disagree [well, at least most of the time].
Here are some insights into my experience.
A filter comes into my brain as I speak.
Each word I breathe on this campus is carefully monitored through a filter that filters out my conservative thoughts and ideas, and allowing through specifically selected safe words to make sure that snowflakes aren’t offended by my mere opinions. Opinions. I’m not asking anyone to understand facts, but just to acknowledge that my opinions and beliefs are valid. The language that I speak is toxic to a lot of people, and I must be careful in my approaches since feelings are so important these days.
There is no such thing as civil debating.
There is truly no debate like one where you are speaking to someone that has no idea what politics is, and what fundamental knowledge you must possess to debate. It is disturbing, the lack of brain cells that people have. I can’t even talk anymore without someone getting offended so quite frankly, I’ve given up social interactions, at least for this semester.
I lose brain cells being on this campus.
The amount of stupidity and idiocy rampant through these emerald walls [my apologies to those who are offended at my use of the word walls, I understand that it is exclusive, and that I should build bridges instead, but this is my article, not yours] of “education”. I think that people will honestly pick on pointless, trivial manners to convey their frail and meek points not loud enough to make a sound.
Biased Professors.
The amount of bias I see on campus daily is astounding. You would think that professors prefer to remain neutral (or at least appear so) on controversial and “hot button” topics like gun control, abortion, and say, taxation, but there is not much of that around here, sadly. Bias is synonymous with narrow-minded in college apparently. I think that a utopic college would consist of impartial professors that appreciate the perspectives of all students, and value any input that students have on controversial issues, and foster an environment for everyone to learn from each other.
One of my classes the other day did one of those stand-up-if-you-agree, and vice versa activities for math skills. The presenter picked students who both sat and stood, and had us explain why we chose either action. I can honestly say that whether I sat or stood, by the end of the activity I felt that I had a holistic understanding of both sides and was able to see eye to eye with individuals that disagreed with me. That is what I believe politics should be like.
In closing, Trump 2020.
