By Carlos Micames
Racism. Sexism. White Privilege. Party for the Rich. All these are values currently associated with Republicans all over the country thanks to the rise of Trump and the Tea Party, as well as the extreme positions currently being represented by many members in Congress. As a result, many students have been hesitant to align themselves with the Right for fears of being misrepresented. The traditional Republican values of free market, low taxes, and small government have been overshadowed by their radically conservative (and one could argue, dehumanizing) stances on issues like womenâs health and LGBT rights. Donald Trumpâs presidential victory has caused the GOP to change their social views even more drastically. While many people still align themselves with the Republican Party and their neoliberal economic views, many people are finding it increasingly difficult to recognize the traditional values that allowed Conservatives to rise to power during the Reagan and Bush eras.
Iâve always identified myself as a Republican largely due to my views on government and economic policy. However, on social values, I lean more towards the left. The ideology of small government and few taxes was incredibly attractive to me, and many adults I spoke to identified themselves as conservative in these aspects, and presented many logical arguments to defend their case. I have read many books by both liberal and conservative authors and found myself more captivated by politicians such as Rand Paul, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton (whose economic policy can be classified as conservative). However, itâs becoming near impossible to identify as a conservative without being automatically judged as a racist or elitist. The modern GOP has transformed the definition of conservatism for students and turned it into a platform open to hatred and criticism. While I maintain my stance on right-wing policies of small government and low taxes, it is impossible to not see that the GOP has taken a drastic change on social values; it is a far cry from the party founded on an anti-slavery platform two hundred years ago, and that just sixty years ago fought against segregation in the southern United States.
The GOP cannot continue the path it is currently taking. Gradually, they are alienating their followers and are making it increasingly difficult to attract students and younger generations to their ideology. Many adults I spoke to before and after the election admitted that they identify as Republicans and have voted Republican most of their life. Identifying as a Conservative doesnât make one a bigot, a racist, incapable of logic, it means believing in your freedom as an individual and creating your own success without government intervention. Itâs a simple belief that has attracted generations since the era of Lincoln. Interestingly enough, none of the people I spoke to said they would have voted for Trump and they all consented that he was not a representation of classic neoliberal conservative policies. That is another misrepresentation that has been evident this past year. Identifying as Republican should not automatically connect you with Trump. Many Republican voters disagree with Trump and is wrong to stereotype the entire group because of a select group in Congress. Should a few groups of Muslim terrorists mean that all Muslims are out to destroy Western Civilization? Should some murders done by illegal immigrants mean all immigrants are uneducated and savage? Tolerance and acceptance are necessary in discussion in order to move forward and progress; I sincerely hope that the GOP returns to the traditional values that made it great in the first place before it manages to scare off possible valuable members to its development.