I'm a moderate libertarian on a liberal arts campus. I came here with high hopes of being surrounded with intelligent, objective people who present a brighter future for our nation than the generation that came before mine. However, the same hypocritical generalizations and exploitation of power I came to hate the conservatives in my hometown for employing is also true of the kids (I say kids with the most contempt possible, as I had hoped to find real adults in this environment) I now take classes with.
Anyone with even a slightly right opinion on any issue is ridiculed and regarded as an imbecile in my generation's culture. It's cool to be liberal and hate President Bush, and it doesn't matter if you can give a single legitimate reason as to why you feel the way you say you do. However, anyone opposing the conventional liberal viewpoint, even when presenting intelligent arguments, is regarded as the village idiot.
This mentality is not only hypocritical, but it's on the verge of ruining our country. If you want to follow a trend, buy some Beanie Babies or Pokemon cards. You're free to vote however you want ' in fact, that's what this country is all about. But stop misrepresenting liberalism (a fine political philosophy at its very core) by stooping to the level of the people who drove you to that school of thought in the first place and trying to coerce less-informed people into becoming your pawns (who just happen to be registered to vote). The pseudo-liberals on this campus claim to be the champions of every minority, and for the sake of the world, I wish they were. However, no liberal here is promoting the rights of a Republican, Christian or any other person belonging to a rightist school of thought with any kind of conviction. Human rights theoretically apply to every human in the world, not just the humans you happen to agree with.
Come on. We're better than that ' or at least we're supposed to be.
Jacob Streacker is a sophomore social work major.
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Letter to the Editor
