The "R" Word: Anti-Republican Sentiment on College Campuses

Ever since my arrival here at Northwestern, I have had the opportunity to talk to countless people, all of whom have unique passions, interests, and goals. One conversation, however, stands out to me in particular. Early this year, I was talking to a friend when the subject of my involvement with College Republicans came up. Her response? “Oh, I actually voted for Romney. But… don’t tell anyone…”

This conversation sticks in my mind as one that is representative of a constant frustration that I have with campus culture when it comes to politics: that people are extremely disapproving of Republicanism and any sort of conservative political views.  This initially came as a shock to me. While I had encountered people who disapproved of my political leanings before, and had heard horror stories of outrageously liberal universities, I was by no means prepared for the overzealous angry mob of anti-Republicans that thrives here. At first, I simply found this annoying. But as I continued to encounter these sentiments, I noticed how wrong this was on a fundamental level. My desire to examine this subject intensified once I began to meet a number of “closet” Republicans, who, for fear of being ostracized, feel that they need to hide their views and simply hope to fade into the background without ever revealing their true nature.

Here’s what I think is so outrageous about the situation: almost all of these dorm-room activists who spend day after day lambasting the conservative cause champion the idea of “diversity.” I’m sure you’ve heard of it. It’s one of their favorite words. I can barely walk down Sheridan without seeing at least 2 or 3 flyers focused on the subject. But they are missing a key aspect of diversity: diversity of ideas. While racial and socioeconomic diversity are absolutely laudable goals, it’s hypocritical to stop there. However, ideological diversity is openly disparaged, and often pushed under the rug. To many people, diversity is great, unless you’re a Republican, in which case you’re a bigot.

Let me illustrate:

Student 1: “I don’t like him because he’s (insert religion here)”

Student 2: “That’s really insensitive. You should be open to different mindsets”

Student 1: “I don’t like him because he’s a Republican”
Student 2: “Yeah, tell me about it.”

This is simply unacceptable. In no other circumstance is it okay to discriminate against someone because they differ in background, a fact that we are reminded of almost daily. But it’s a double standard, as many of these people themselves fail to be truly open-minded.

So why does this culture exist?

I can’t say for sure, since I myself do not hate Republicans, but here’s what I would guess: most students have a fundamental misunderstanding of two main things.

1) Republicans in our generation are not the same as those of our parents’, or even our grandparents’ generation.

2) We have different views with different issues we each care about, and we each have our own reasons for being a Republican.

                  When most college kids think of Republicans, they usually (from my experience) are imagining one of two people. Option 1: the multi-billionaire, yacht-owning, tax-evading, corrupt corporate businessmen who oppresses the poor for breakfast and spends the rest of the day laughing at the less fortunate. Option 2: the backwoods, gun-toting, bible-thumping, government-hating hick. Either way, they hate gays, blacks, women, and communists. (In all fairness, this last one is usually true. Sorry communists...)

                  For some, the prevailing view among college students is that all Republicans are automatically, by definition, horrible bigots who sit around scheming to be evil while Fox News plays in the background. Maybe that’s because you read in your beloved New York Times about how evil Republican politicians are. Or maybe that’s because your racist great-uncle is a Republican and all he does is talk about “Dem Goddamn Liberals” so you think that’s how we all are.

                  Despite what MSNBC wants you to think, this isn’t representative of every Republican. (I promise!) Just as if I said every liberal was a hippie socialist, it’s ridiculous to base your views of a group off a stereotype. How do you get around this? Talk to a real-life College Republican. I know we can be hard to find, but if you find one, you’ll see that we’re actually normal people. We just have some different views on issues, and they are not always what you might think.

                  For example, I am a Republican because I care about the economy, entrepreneurship, small government, personal freedom, and individual responsibility. So I am always baffled when someone says, “Oh, you’re a Republican, you must hate gays” or “Oh, you’re a Republican, you must be a religious fanatic.” For me, my views on the issues that I care about align with those of the Republican Party. Unfortunately, some of the issues I don’t cause people to judge me, but that goes along with being a part of any organization.

So what is the purpose of this article? Did I write it just to spite you by making you waste 2-5 minutes of your time? No. I have a very simple proposition for you. Next time you encounter one of us, put on your beloved “diversity” cap and honestly listen to us. You probably will not change your political views, but hopefully we can show you that we are a group that deserves a little more respect. As I said before, who knows? Maybe one of your best friends is secretly one of us, and your constant lack of regard for anyone’s opinion other than your own prevents them from really opening up to you.