Disclaimer: The writing style in this is an allusion to Charles Jeanne's anonymous letter from the Barricades of 1832 as well as some Victor Hugo writings. I admire the writing style of the 19th century and this is modeled after such a style but to discuss a rather current event.

You ask of me an account of my years in activism and seeing the changes of my own party. This is a short account, which I hope you will find helpful.

To you young citizen who is reading this. I know you have a heart for the republic, for liberty, for the constitution but are still figuring things out.

That is alright my friend, you are still young and growing. As am I. I may be 23, but I know I’ve changed through my years of activism. I do not know all the answers to life, nor will I ever know all of the answers. I will learn as much as I can and know more on the topics dearest to me- the rights of humanity.

There are two people I owe many thanks to- Barack Obama and Jim DeMint. You will see why at the end of this article.

Citizen, I have heard you wished to hear about my youth as a young activist with Generation Joshua. Oh, those days of hope, those nights of endless debates lasting till 2 a.m. I will divulge such details in a hopefully engaging way, and it is my desire that this will stir your young heart.

I first entered politics during Obama’s first term. This was a time of much contention and discontent. A Constitutional Crises was brewing! What truly was the constitution- was it a literal document to be taken in time period context? Or was it a living breathing document subject to modern change?

These were the subjects of many hours of debates and endless discussions into 2 a.m. with my friends. We would stay up and chat on the phone for hours as teenagers. We didn’t talk much about guys or makeup, but the Federalist Papers and Jefferson’s writings.

These were the times of change and democracy, or so we believed. To high school students, the world makes sense. Everything in politics seemed black and white like every fight was the final fight for the liberty of the people. This is the age group when you are trying to find out who you are, this is also the age group for becoming politically aware and questioning the world.

In circa 2010, the Democrat Party controlled all three branches of our government. Now like any political party, controlling all three branches of the government will result in that party doing questionably Constitutional things. This isn’t unique to Democrats or to Republicans, this is a natural process of the two-party system.

Many teenagers took to the protests and sign waving to make sure Congress obeyed the Constitution. We were not part of the Tea Party, we weren’t part of the Republican Party although many of us were Conservatives. It is interesting to note even the Conservatives of this movement landed up becoming the “resistance” against Donald Trump from within the Republican Party.

Who were we? We have homeschooled students from a wide variety of walks. There was one thing in common- we wanted a government that was held accountable to the people. We believed in the Constitution and all shared an interest in early American government.

We were of all different races, and backgrounds but all shared an interest and passion for civic involvement. The Republican Party that I signed waved for, is not the Republican Party I know today.

At the time we were more concerned about Constitutional accountability. Jim DeMint led the way with “Saving Freedom” a book that highlighted his ideas of limited government. I remember hearing DeMint speak and this is what struck me as special throughout all these years, “stand for your beliefs- even if you are standing opposed to your own party. It is the truth that shall stand firm, even if you are defeated.”
I paraphrased, but his speech still speaks to me to this day. This is the reason why I voted the way I did in 2016.

People became increasingly “more conservative” or “more liberal.” It became a contest to see who was further from the center. This led to polarization, and as you see today neither party is very recognizable from 2010.

Trump came from a political ideology that I recognized as Jacksonian. I disagreed completely with it. This isn’t what I protested for in 2010. My activist friends and I wanted more Constitutional accountability. While I respect that some people have made the decision to support Trump, I cannot make such a choice as I ideologically disagree with him.

In a two-party system, the parties become like sports teams competing for senate and house seats. This results in more care about winning the majority, and it resembles a sports match more than anything else.
This is what happens when we favor our party over principles when we favor who looks more conservative or more liberal.
Instead of making politics about labels lets find common ground on issues such as human rights and reach out to those from different backgrounds than our own.

That is something else politics taught me- appreciate those from different viewpoints. This is where I must thank Barack Obama, although I do not agree with him all the time he sparked my curiosity of politics.

These two men from totally opposite ends of the spectrum are deserving of thanks? Exactly. This is the biggest thing political activism has taught me, to always stand firm for my convictions but have an open mind and desire to know more at the same time.

I opposed Trump on several accounts, but the biggest reasoning was he went against my deeply held convictions. I could not bring myself to support him.

There are issues worth compromising on, and there is a time for coalition building and reaching out to people across the aisle. But there are also issues that are nearest to my heart which I can’t compromise on.

Activism has also shown me that at heart, people want a government that obeys the Constitution. Politics also has always been unpredictable. During the primaries, I wrote a satire in which Trump won the election, and the Tea Party changed their name to “La Resistance” because they were in a habit of re-using historical terms. Little did I know that would actually happen!

Other times you may think events will logically play out one way, but in reality, the opposite happens. Always be prepared for irony, and always approach politics with an open mind knowing that you may be wrong.

Having an open mind does not mean being wishy-washy. Fascism is wrong, I can say that firmly. I can also say firmly that I believe in the ideals of having a republic.
Having an open mind means wanting to learn more, and knowing you will never have all the answers to everything. I’m more familiar with foreign policy involving Europe, does this mean I don’t know anything about the Middle East? Well, I know all the Middle Eastern countries and a bit about the history of it but I’m not going to call myself an expert.

Some issues I do not know enough about to develop a stance on, for example- government intervention in the market. I have some opinions but it is such a broad topic that I will not claim to be an expert.

Citizen, although much has changed I will remain a proud Generation Joshua alumni. Although I no longer recognize the direction my party is going, I will focus on my beliefs and not focus on partisanship. I will continue to learn all I can about politics and hope that together we can make the world a better place for liberty, equality and human rights.

As I promised you, citizen, to DeMint and Obama.

Obama inspired me to read more about politics, to learn about the different sides and perspectives surrounding issues- all of the time issues turned out a lot more gray than I first guessed!

DeMint? he inspired me to always stand up for my beliefs, and not worry about what others in the party may think. Do it with tact and diplomacy- but with the firmness of William Wilberforce "No!" (or "Yes!" )

Alas! I must cut this article short or I shall ramble forever about the endless phone-banking, and sign waving and ideological debates. Oh, for to be in the midst of exciting changes and politics is something that should be experienced. I bid you adieu citizen, and may you be inspired to stand for what is right.