In fourth grade, our elementary school hosted an election. The goal was to help us all develop our own opinions while learning to respect others. It was the year of Bush versus Kerry, and unfortunately, the one girl who chose to admit she was a Bush supporter got bullied. Needless to say, the exercise was not effective.
Now, when I think about political discussion on campus, I often relate it to this moment. Now, as I have begun to embark on my first presidential election, I was very excited to attend rallies, watch the debates, hear the speeches and continue to develop my own political preferences and desires alongside my fellow peers. Yet, I have found working on a college campus has been nothing but repressive toward that freedom.
Between my major, campus involvement and past articles, it is easy to recognize I associate with the Democratic Party. Their party supports much of what I believe, and therefore it simply makes sense that I associate with those potential candidates.
Yet, I sympathize with my Republican friends and their limitation to openly express their political beliefs. In a former meeting, a professional at our university expressed their disgust in regards to Trump supporters. At a following meeting, a peer expressed their fears of Trump supporters. At that same meeting, those who did not vote were referred to as “assholes.”
I respect the desire to proudly project your support for the candidate of your choice, but to shame individuals for their own desires is spiteful. I believe that the beauty of living on a college campus is the bubble we are in. Emotions, experiences, knowledge and passion are all heightened due to the close quarters and desire to indulge fully in the experience, yet I believe that is the same reason politics on our campus are handled so poorly.
To me, Trump for president is very far from ideal. As a social activist, I struggle to accept him as the public figure that would represent this country; yet, I am able to hear those who support him. While I do not believe he is who should be running this country, I do not fear those who support him. My friends who believe in his ideologies do not disgust me.
The college-campus bubble makes it very easy to rely on campus articles, Facebook statuses, and tabling to enable our own political views, but the vote is yours. Rather than claiming all Republicans are monsters, take the time to look past surface beliefs. Encourage meaningful discussions and debates that enable you to understand why you believe in what you believe in, rather than following what you think you should believe in.
Sarah Saad is a junior double-majoring in human development and women, gender and sexuality studies.