First things first, I am a Republican. Unabashed, unapologetic, proud of it. But why am I Republican? To me that is THE real question.

I know many people have a certain stereotype about us Republicans. One of these images may be that we are primarily a group of angry white males in their 40s or 50s; almost all southerners, well-to-do, and born-again Christians. So I guess you get the point, an ever-shrinking minority in our nation, intent on imposing their narrow-minded mentality on the rest of us. Now, imagine if the media knowingly or unknowingly, helps further that image? Well, there may be many Republicans who can fit that profile, yet there are many of us who do not. In fact, the Republican Party is a diverse party, made up of individuals from all walks of life. Like Mia Love in Utah, to Tim Scott in South Carolina, Raul Labrador in Idaho, to Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in Florida, Charles Djou in Hawaii, to Joni Ernst in Iowa, and Elise Stefanik in upstate New York. None fitting into the usual stereotype, yet, like myself all proud Republicans. What unites us all, is our belief in limited government, free enterprise, and above all, a respect for the inherent right of all Americans to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In essence, as Reagan alluded to when talking about the “shining city on the hill”, ours is truly the party of the American Dream, regardless of what others may allege to be.

Since I can remember, I have been a conservative both on economic and social issues. Of course, there are things with regards to which I may be more progressive than some Republicans; but nonetheless, I consider myself a conservative. My most vivid early memory of national politics dates back to when I was around seven-years-old. If you remember, the economy had gone into recession because the housing bubble had burst. This brought about discussions about social inequities that still exist in our nation. Either way, I remember listening to this debate about how wrong the Republican Party was in addressing this crisis, and how it was wrong to support them in the upcoming elections. That debate was shocking to me, as the panelists had just belittled all the values that I grew up with. This situation made my own “little bubble” burst. Then, a year later, one of the most important elections in recent history took place. One day, I remember hearing one of my mother's co-workers chanting "Hillary," and to everybody’s surprise my immediate reaction was to reply by chanting "McCain" regardless of the fact that almost everybody in that office was a Democrat. In a way, it is still one of proudest moment in my entire life. As I grew up, I started feeling kind of left out or prejudiced because I was a conservative. Quite often, when I tell other people that I am a conservative Republican, they simply roll their eyes. This is quite frustrating to me, as it means people do not respect my views as they should. To me, all beliefs deserve respect, even if you do not agree with them. As Voltaire said, "I do not agree with you, but I will fight to my death for your right to say so".

As an older teenager, I am realizing that I do not need to be ashamed of my beliefs or views, given that as I respect others, they should respect me too. In addition, I don't need to conform to the conservative stereotypes people set for me. Being a conservative does not mean that I don't respect and tolerate people, but rather the opposite is true. Being a conservative does not mean that I think inside the box. I am tired of being made fun as an ignorant person by the media and pundits, simply because they do not understand how I view the world around me. In reality, we Republicans are people who just believe in more conservative values, what defines us as Americans, and which course our nation should take in the coming years. To me, if we build upon those values and beliefs that led our forefathers upon gaining independence and establishing our nation, America can indeed continue to be the great and maintain its place as the beacon of hope and opportunity for the rest of the world. Therefore I truly believe that for the United States, the best is yet to come.