Our world is filled with double standards. It’s okay for women to do this but not okay for men to do that, or men can do something but women can’t, or they risk being ridiculed. A celebrity can dress a certain way and it’s “fashion,” but if a regular person wore it, they’re mocked. The list goes on and on, and it’s ridiculous.

Another double standard I face on a daily basis has to do with my political opinions and personal values.

I am a Republican. I am a conservative woman, born and raised in a red state. I’ve grown up with a more conservative values system. While I feel that my views are a little more progressive than the views of, say, my parents, I still vote Republican. I don’t always agree with the likes of Mitt Romney, John McCain, or other older conservative politicians, but I still stand behind my party.

I am proud of who I am and what I stand for. However, there are many who vehemently disagree with me and are very vocal about it. Imagine my joy when I saw a Facebook post on my feed mocking conservatives, with hashtags such as “#shutupconservatives” among the mix. I wasn’t upset like I’m going to cry, but it was annoying. I scrolled down as fast as I could, and moved on. Just another day in the life of a conservative.

Morons. Bigots. Idiots. Close-minded. Selfish. Rich, old, white men. Just a few of the many insults or stereotypes thrown at conservatives every single day.

Being in college and being a conservative is a different experience. You fear the professor who allegedly forces their liberal opinions down students’ throats and will fail you if you disagree. You don’t want to go on Facebook or Twitter the day a conservative makes a mistake or the Democrats have a victory, because you know what kind of statuses (and name calling) await you and your fellow Republicans. The kid wearing the Obama shirt gets a high-five, while the kid with an elephant sticker on their laptop gets the side eye. These double standards are frustrating.

I don’t understand why I’m the “bad guy” for disagreeing with Obama, and you’re a great person for sharing a meme about how stupid Sarah Palin is.

It’s frustrating. I know what people say about me behind my back. I know you screenshot my tweets about my support of Rand Paul and my love for Ronald Reagan and make fun of me. I see your face when I use my College Republicans koozie with my Diet Coke. And believe me, I’ve had plenty of people ask me if I’m a certain word that starts with an R because of my views. This has happened to me, and every single conservative college kid I know.

There is a war at hand, and it needs to stop. There are plenty of mean Democrats, and there are plenty of mean Republicans. Why can’t we get along and act like the adults we claim to be? You can disagree with me all you want (First amendment, y’all), and I get to disagree with you, too. We can say all we want, “I can’t believe so and so did that, that is so stupid.” Now to look at me and say, “Martha, you’re so stupid for agreeing with so and so,” is not okay. It’s rude and doesn’t take the conversation anywhere. Why would I listen to somebody who obviously does not respect me?

Believe me, I wish Republicans (both politicians and constituents) would chill with the insults, too. How about we all do our part and at least pretend to get along? I’ve always been that person that can see both points of argument, liberal and conservative, and I want more people to do that, too. It’s called empathy. We, as Americans, need to reach across the table and see where people are coming from, and not just assume they’re “stupid” because they disagree with us.

I believe that if more people, liberal and conservative, would give this kind of respect, even the most liberal of college campuses would feel like a safe place for conservatives, and liberals would be happy at even the most conservative campuses.