When people find out that I’m a republican usually the first thing they say is, "You're a typical privileged white girl." Well, no I’m not a typical privileged white girl. I'm by far not privileged considering that nothing in my life came handed to me nor should it have been. I've worked since a young teenager and bought things on my own that I wanted. Which in my opinion everyone should do, but that's not the point of the article.

What I mean by my how I was raised is that who I am as a person was built upon the idea that you do not get things handed to you. When you want something you work for it. Thankfully I was taught this through example. I had two hard working parents that worked to get to where they are today. I'm proud to say that my mother put herself through college while working a full-time job. I know, shocking she worked to put HERSELF through school; she worked to better herself. The same goes for my father who worked to put himself through trade school. Even once they had children my father worked two jobs and proved to us that nothing comes easy, you have to sacrifice. They busted themselves to give my siblings and I a better and easier life than they had so that we will be able to achieve more than they did.

Usually, people's next statements would be something along the lines that I don't understand because I’m a “White girl." First of all, what does the color of my skin have anything to do with ANYTHING? Yes, the color of my skin is white that is correct. But what happened to making things equal for everyone despite race, religion, and views? Being a republican at a liberal school I feel like a minority. I am a part of the counter culture, my views are looked down upon, and my “lifestyle” is seen as wrong. I'm scared to talk about how I was raised and I’m scared to speak my opinion. How is that okay?

People are fighting for other people voices to be heard, but at the same time you are shutting people up and that is not okay. When teachers ask your opinion in class, and you answer and speak your mind you hear comments from other students. But my question is why? Why, are other allowed to speak their minds and be respected but the second someone says something good about Donald Trump, or just being republican in general you get called horrible names. If others are allowed to speak their minds and other opinions why aren’t we?

If you want everyone's voices to be heard then you need to let their voices be heard DESPITE other opinions. It's not okay to shut up a group of people because some doesn't agree with your views because that is hypocritical. Someone came up to me after a class one day and told me she admired me because I speak my mind and I’m not scared of what someone would do or say back to me. Well honestly I am scared but I know that shouldn't stop me. After hearing this I was honestly upset because she's holding back her views and opinions due to other people making her scared to be her own person and speak her own views.

I know for a fact that when President Obama was elected President of the United States that people of the Republican Party were not thrilled about it. I'm sure some were even disappointed but they did not disrespect their president. I also know that if I said half the things about President Obama that I’ve had said to my face and just heard on campus being said about President Trump I would have gotten in trouble. Do you know why I would have gotten in trouble? Because no matter what you do not disrespect your president. Because unfortunately whether you like it or not that is YOUR President, and it's not okay to shame people who support him.

In addition, when people also realize that I am republican they automatically think I’m sexist, racist, homophobic and etc. Let's get one thing straight, I am not any of these things and it's hard to hear these things because I am not nor will I ever be any of these things. I personally do not care if you're blue or purple if you treat me with respect I will do the same. It’s wrong to accuse people of these things because no one would like having a false judgment made about them but this ties into what it is like to be a young republican. People make assumptions about you before they even know you.

There are a lot of things that I would want people to understand and hear before they go accusing me of untrue assumptions. One night I was on a midnight run and I met a very nice homeless lady. The lady and I went on to have a conversation and she told me how she is a Trump supporter. She went to school and to this day was still paying off student loans. She also went on to tell me why she supported Trump. She supported him because she explained to me that if she could get on the health care system and get her teeth fixed she could get a job and work for her country. Meanwhile, there are people coming here illegally and getting onto our system while we have our own American people living on the streets with nothing, who would LOVE to work for their country.

I want to share some of my own experiences of what has happened being at a liberal arts school and being a republican. I had a pin on my backpack that says "I am a proud republican." Because well let's be honest I am. I also for a short period of time had another pin that showed that I support Trump. On Presidents day this year, I was sitting in one of the lounges at my school and someone walks in with an American flag wrapped around them screaming, "F*** Trump!" over and over, even people in the room agreed and made negative comments. Not even acknowledging the fact that it's very disrespectful to do that while wearing a flag that men and women have died fighting for. To be completely honest in that moment I was scared. I was scared because if this person feels so strongly against Trump I wonder what lengths he will go if he found out in that moment that I supported this man he was cursing about. I also realized that I shouldn't be scared because that's not okay. At a liberal arts school they want their student's voices to be heard, so again why should I be shut up?

Something else I have witnessed being at a liberal college is that Professors try to influence their students with their political opinions. Professors, whether they are liberal or conservative, shouldn't be pushing their views and beliefs on their students. What Professors should do is educate their students and let them make their own decisions because in the "real word" we will have to make our own decisions. I've even heard a story of a Professor threatening to fail a student because their political opinion was different from theirs. This is not okay because college is supposed to be a time when students formulate their own opinions and shouldn't be penalized for that.

Another thing that I’ve heard from people is that this is apparently the "worst time for America" and that I’m not being sympathetic. Well, I’m sorry if it comes off as me not being sympathetic but that's because I don't think it's the worst time for America. When America went through the Civil War in 1861, brothers were literally fighting against each other and killing each other. Or in 1942 when President Roosevelt sent EVERY Japanese American's into concentration camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In my opinion, those were much worse times for America and people still didn’t react the way people are today. I'm not saying any of these acts are okay or moral but as American citizens, we have to understand that there are things that occur every day that we don’t know or hear of. We also have to understand that there are things that have to be done by our higher ups in order to protect all of our citizens. If anyone lived during the time when 9/11 happened it was a devastating time for our country and I know that no one would ever want something like that to occur again.

I think it's really unfair to judge someone based off of his or her political views. If someone told me they love Obama and are a democrat I definitely wouldn't judge them or make them feel like they shouldn't be heard because everyone's voices should be heard. Yes, I am a republican and I am a proud one. I'm also lucky enough to have formulated my own opinions and views. I am also proud of myself because I realized it's unfair for people's voices to not be heard because of their political views. So, I will not be quiet nor should anyone else. But I also know there are so many other college republicans that face the same problems every day. I never thought I would face these challenges as a freshman in college but I guess it all had to do with the timing of when I began college. But, in the end, it has made me a stronger person because I don't let people decides what I value and believe in. Do not judge us by our political views because not everyone is the typical conservative stereotype. Even if we are the minority give us a chance and let us make our own decisions.