Conservatism Under Attack on College Campuses

The college experience varies for everyone, but for some college Republicans, the experience has been filled with bias and inequality. Glenn Beck’s program recently held a “town hall” discussion about the indoctrination conservative college students go through on a daily basis on campuses throughout America.

The young adults on the program complained about their voices going unheard on campus, having their opinions shot down, or being labeled as a “troublemaker” for questioning the bias in universities. They made claims that their lives were threatened, and they were denied chances to take final exams solely based their political ideologies. According to many of the students, they were fighting for their inalienable rights as citizens, and were being discriminated against because of their choice in political ideology.

The Republican agenda gets a rather unfair shake on most campuses. This bias is radicalizing the young Republicans, creating a group of individuals willing to fight back. Administrators and professors do not need to bend over backwards to accommodate the Republican ideology; they simply need to allow it to be heard.

Right-wing political ideologies should have a place in colleges to allow for choice and debate amongst young individuals. Without it, universities are no more than breeding grounds for the next wave of liberals. College campuses are a place for differing opinions and debate, and they encourage students to broaden their horizons. This is not a matter of what ideology is right or wrong, but rather what is best for the young people on campuses.

Recently, at the University of California, Santa Barbara, student government was cited by FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education) for an unconstitutional security fee and denial of funding for a speech by Conservative commentator David Horowitz put on by the College Republicans. The Associated Students board claimed the funding was denied because of the controversial nature of the speaker. But, it was proven that the denial was based solely on the speaker’s political views.

This unprovoked denial of the student’s first amendment rights is shameful. It hurts not only the Republican students, but liberals as well. Liberals are often seen as open-minded individuals. However, not opening the floor for discussion and debate makes liberals seem like oppressive dictators, not unlike the way some of them view conservatives.

Some may argue that when given the chance to voice their opinion, some college Republicans take it a little too far. That is true, as in some instances college Republicans bring the oppression upon themselves, but that does not make it right. College Republicans in the University of Florida protested affirmative action admission requirements by staging an “Affirmative Action Bake Sale,” which sold cookies at different prices based on race. Additionally, Republican students at the University of Iowa were told to “fuck off,” by a professor after attempting to stage a “coming out week,” and an “animal rights BBQ.”

The actions of these Republican students are not defensible, but taking away their right to voice their opinions is a bigger crime. Universities cannot pick and choose which protest or viewpoint is right, nor can they attack views that are different from their own. I do not agree with the bigotry presented by the young Republicans in Florida and Iowa, but if given an equal chance to voice their opinion, maybe they would not have to resort to such drastic measures. Come see all the degree options available at Devry!

Left-leaning universities are establishing an “us versus them” mentality in the young Republicans. These injustices could become a rallying cry for the later generations of Republicans, unless higher education administrators and professors allow an equal playing field.

College campuses are a place for diversity, debate, and exploration. Universities are doing a disservice to students by not giving voice to both political views; they are destroying what makes the college experience so unique. Young adults could get the same partisan ideological nonsense from the numerous talking heads on cable news, i.e. Glenn Beck. 

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