As a conservative on the SEU campus, I feel..
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My thoughts and opinions are unwanted
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My opinions are seen as stupid or old fashioned by my peers AND professors
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I cannot take a conservative stance on political or religious subjects without the fear of being chastised/attacked by others
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I have to agree with the political stances of some of my professors
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There are no open conversations, besides shouting matches on and offline
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You HAVE to be a liberal minded student to truly fit in
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I have to stay silent if I disagree with someone’s opinion because of the fear of backlash
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There is no room for free thought or speech
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My views are constantly challenged
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Liberal thoughts, beliefs and rhetoric are shoved down my throat on a daily basis
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Lonely
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Judged
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Misunderstood
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Unfairly labeled
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Shunned
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Unwanted
What I have learned….
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That despite my fear of backlash, I should speak up for myself and my beliefs
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I am more conservative than I thought I was
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It’s okay to have the unpopular opinion
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There is always someone in the crowd that shares the same beliefs as you
What I want people to know…
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I am an open minded person
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I am an accepting person
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I enjoy having open conversations about different beliefs, values, and views. (KEY WORD: CONVERSATIONS AND NOT ARGUMENTS)
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Majority of my friends are liberal minded
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I am not asking you to believe what I believe
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… but I do ask that you respect my options as I respect yours
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Trying to force me to believe what you believe will not change my thoughts or options on a subject
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Your words towards my beliefs and values hurt
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Your preconceived thoughts you have of my character are wrong
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I understand that everyone has different beliefs and thoughts and I think that is beautiful and why I am so glad to live in America, a place where it’s ok to have different thoughts and beliefs
“Patriotism is love of country. But you can’t love your country without loving your countrymen and countrywomen. We don’t always have to agree, but we must empower each other, we must find the common ground, we must build bridges across our differences to pursue the common good.” -Cory Booker