If you haven't been able to tell from the social media informed chitter chatter, angry Facebook posts, and increased telemarketing, it's election season! Nothing brings out people's ugly sides like a good ole divisive election. Everyone throws out their long time friendships and manners over who they are voting for and the claws are most definitely brought out. It seems to me that people's political party affiliations are the biggest deal breakers these past few months. Republicans seem to be especially under fire. The face that has been painted is one of white, racist male supremacy and that simply inaccurate. The other face that has been painted is that college-aged Republicans are only Republicans because we "are just repeating what we have heard our parents say."

I am not a Republican because of my father's opinions. Quite the opposite actually. My dad and I used to butt heads on our political views because he didn't have the opportunity to be exposed to some of the ideas that they teach in the world that is public school, and I didn't have the chance to be exposed to his point of view. You see, this country that we live in employs a lot of liberal teachers and professors. While that is completely OK and I agree with a lot of Democratic ideas, I also have a lot of more conservative views. I didn't get the chance to be exposed to these ideas until I educated myself, did my own research, and formulated my own opinions.

I respect people's difference in opinion. I respect that we live in a country that allows for all of us to think differently and show people a way of thinking that may not have been brought up before. What I do not respect is when I get told that my way of thinking is a result of my skin color and that I do not have the ability to research and decide on my own what I think of an issue. What I do not appreciate is being put under the same umbrella of raging conservatives that are not open to any liberal ideas at all. I do not appreciate being told that the party I affiliate with is full of racists and sexists. Unfortunately, there are hateful people that also call themselves Republicans. I do not associate myself with those people and neither do the majority of the other Republicans.

I truly do want America to be the best country in the world again. We aren't going to get there by calling each other names and shutting others' words out. We aren't going to get there being hateful, calling each other names, or hating each other because of presumed biases.