My name is Ashley Foreman. I grew up in a small town in North Carolina. Coming from a Christian family, I was constantly surrounded by people with conservative views. I had a lot of liberal friends that shared their views with me and I was always considerate of their opinions. I felt safe sharing my views at school and around the community because there was always a balance between the two political parties. I recently moved to New York City to attended college. I had dreamed about living here since I was a little and I will forever be grateful for the sacrifices my parents made to get me here, but I must say, NYC is not what I was expecting. I expected to be in a highly diverse city, where everyone was free to be themselves and everyone was accepted for who they are. At first, that was what I got, but as the election date grew closer I realized that I was surrounded by people who judged me for being myself.

Many people may think that I am a republican because that’s how I was raised. They may even say it’s because I am “an uneducated redneck.” As a Republican BY CHOICE, I would like to address some of the things that have been said about republicans holistically. Many people are attacking Republicans, calling us “Bigots, Homophobes, Racists, Entitled, Deplorable, Sexists, and Misogynistic.” Someone even said that we are the dumbest group of voters in the country and that we believe everything that we hear on Fox news. These accusations are completely overgeneralized and uncalled for. Though I am sure that there are Republicans out there that may fall into those categories, I can guarantee you that I am not one of them.

I am not a Bigot, Homophobic, Racist, Entitled, Deplorable, Sexist. Just because I am a republican does not mean that I am heartless. I am an accepting, loving, open-minded woman. I do not discriminate based on color, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs. I did not vote for Trump to have gay rights abolished, or to “get rid” of Latinos. I did not vote for him because I support racism. I voted for Donald Trump because it is time for someone to step up and take action against ILLEGAL immigrants. I am tired of seeing American citizens on the streets while illegal immigrants are taking jobs. I voted for Donald Trump because he wants to stop immigration from terror-prone parts of the world. I voted for Donald Trump because there needs to be change within our government. We cannot go on in this economic state. I voted for Donald Trump because he wants to bring jobs back into the U.S. I voted for Donald Trump because I do not support the Affordable Care Act. I voted for Donald Trump because the next Supreme Court nominee should be a Republican, since the one we lost was one as well.

I voted for Donald Trump because I felt that he was the lesser of two evils. I do not personally like Donald Trump, or everything that he stands for, BUT I like him a lot more than I like Hillary Clinton.

Sadly, Trumps victory has triggered anger from many liberal, democrats. These hurtful statements being made about Republicans have made me feel like I shouldn’t speak up about endorsing Trump. I recently decided not to hide my views and to be proud of them! I should not have to hide my opinion in fear of what others will do or say. I shouldn't be afraid to step outside of my dorm room onto the streets of Manhattan into the aggressive riots. I shouldn't be afraid of what my peers will think of me if they find out that I voted for Trump. Some of my best friends told me that they second guessed our friendship because of my political beliefs. They have known me for years and they have known about beliefs, but suddenly I am an awful person because I casted a ballot for Trump? Many people are against Trump because he has said some nasty things in his past, yet some of my so called “friends” have said far worse things about Republican people, including myself. I thought that I was escaping close minded people by moving to a large city. I thought I had moved to place that was accepting and diverse. I am facing similar problems in my college classes and college community. People are being judgmental bullies and oppressors. Maybe it's because I am a student at a private, liberal arts school, but this certainly is not what I expected. It is time for the Republican people to stand up for ourselves.

If you voted for Donald Trump, OWN IT!