Us college-aged republicans get a bad rep, constantly being labeled by both our peers and the liberal media as racists, homophobes, xenophobes, etc. We are a minority in a sea of young liberal millennials, who disregard our ability to voice our opinions as it is our constitutional right. Coming out as a republican in today's society is equivalent to being a leper, as no one wants to be around us long enough for us to explain ourselves. Well I'm tired of hiding my opinion in fear that I may offend someone, or that I may cause some sort of controversy, I have a voice and I have every right to use it. Some of you may not agree with me, actually a majority of you won't for a fact, but thats okay because I respect your opinion, and see your reasoning behind it. We've all been raised differently right? So doesn't that mean that we all think differently? So with that said let me shed some light on a very important piece of advice for you... just because someone thinks differently than you, doesn't make them a bad person, and it doesn't make them them wrong.
Here are several reasons on why I stand where I stand politically:
1. I believe in the power of one's self:
I do not believe that people should receive handouts if they are perfectly capable of bettering their lives, that includes things like long-term welfare for those who aren't sick or disabled, a free college education if it wasn't earned through hard work and merit, and food stamps for people who choose to spend the money they have on material items that serve no fundamental purpose but to fulfill their needs to keep up with The Joneses. I believe that a little hard work can go a long way, and nobody is entitled to anything, including me.
2. I let my religion guide my political views:
I have been a christian all my life, and I stand by what the bible tells me when it comes to morality and immorality in the terms of many issue we face today as a nation. "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it [is] abomination" (Leviticus 18:22), I am not a homophobe, but I do not believe in same sex marriage, but I do believe that everyone should be treated equally and respected for their sexual preference as we are children under God, and should all be loved. I just don't believe that a church should be forced into performing a gay marriage ceremony if they don't believe in it. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5), I also do not believe in abortion, but that doesn't mean I'm not for women's rights, but when it comes to picking between the life and death of a fetus I will clearly pick life. The child growing inside said woman could serve a very important purpose one day, and by taking that life you are interfering with God's plan for them.
3. I believe that police lives do matter:
This viewpoint isn't necessarily republican, I've met some liberals who stand by this point as well, but I think it is important to point this out as it ties greatly to the idea of morality, which I stated above is a large basis of my viewpoint. I believe that the police serve a very important purpose in our country, and without them we would fall into ruin, as laws would not be enforced. This is not to say that Black Lives don't Matter, but I believe that every single life holds the same value as the next, and nobody is above the other in terms of humanity. There are corrupt cops, and there are corrupt individuals, but that doesn't mean that anybody should have been killed in the recent shootings that have occurred in The United States, it just means that everyone should be subject to fair treatment. Do not blame the police as a whole for a problem we can only blame few for, and stay open-minded in times of crisis.
I could go on and on about my views, but that would take an eternity so for now you know where I stand on a few key issues we face as a society today. Just to point out one more thing that I believe is extremely important is the fact that just because I am republican does not mean that I fully support Trump, as there are many things that he has done or is doing that I wholeheartedly do not agree with. So before labeling me as a Trump supporter, just know that I am extremely disappointed in my party's decision to choose him as our candidate, as he can best be described as a misogynistic pig with a huge ego.
Heres to the college republicans still trying to find their place in a world full of liberals, we are a dying breed.
