Call me a modern day fallibilist, but who out there is kidding themselves to ascertain the position that a modern day college student actually believes in traditional conservative principles?

Maybe there is truth behind the phrase “If you aren’t a democrat by 20 you have no heart, if you aren’t a republican by 40 you have no brain,” but perhaps there is an alternative conclusion.

I support Republicans in general. As a capitalist, I see the connection between power and money. Though socially, my beliefs don’t necessarily line up with the party, in general I support the concept of being monetarily “rewarded” by keeping a bigger share of the taxes I pay regardless of how much I may make.  

I support the value of hard work. As a realist, I believe there is a disconnect in our definition of the phrase “every man was created equally” and its legal interpretation. Though we may have been created equal, it is certain we do not maintain that state of being. 

I support the position of limited government and constitutional power to the states as it was originally stated in the constitution. I believe that the United States was founded on the cornerstone of diversity and ethnic cultural accumulation and transformation.

I approach this argument from the perspective of a critical student, an ignorant student and a liberal student.

Evidence: 

1. The Party

Ask any student what they think “The Party” stands for and you’ll get a variety of answers ranging from accurate to extensively and profoundly insane. I’ve heard them all.

o    “The Republicans stand for crazy conservative principles… I’m like 21 bruh. “

o    Republicans stand for intolerance of non-straight, non-nuclear, non-traditional families

o    Conservatives are racist

o    The platform pushes the fundamentals of religion, unchanging constitution, and “sticking to guns and the bible”

o    They fight for the notion of freedom…  Unless it has to do with having an abortion

o    All the republicans I know are close minded, old, white guys

If those are some of the public perceptions of Republicans, then students will actively disassociate with a position that represents the above.

2. The notion of one-platform religion

As a member of the College Republicans, I’ve been given the opportunity to attend a plethora of fundraising dinners for a variety of candidates. Inevitably, these all begin with a shout-out to the man upstairs. 

 Pairing a single religion with a party has the tendency to turn away those who feel like they are on the outside of an exclusive club. College students will avoid the association with such perceived intolerances.

3. Freedom 

As long as it fits the guidelines. Yet with great freedom, comes great responsibility. Ask any republican about freedom, liberty and America and most likely their response will be favorable. 

College, naturally, is not known to be the most conservative time in a persons’ life.  We are being taught the value of personal responsibility, economics, higher order thinking and socially sustainability through our education. 

I can think of no person who actively wants to strip homosexuals of their rights as human beings.  Republicans can jump on the train with the rest of the 20th century and realize we all have people in our lives who don’t fit the historical standard definition of marriage. A marriage between a man and a woman is an institution of religion, not of state.  

 As an individual, if you choose to fit the heterosexual norm that is your decision.  If you chose to believe being gay sends people to hell, well then good for you and your religion. It is your right as an American to believe that.  Nobody is asking for you to change your mind.

As a college student in this generation, we all know someone who is gay.  

In the age of the importance of social networking, telling any college student that their friend, family member, favorite teacher, or a neighbor down the street being denied the legal right to marry by the voting of a party which stands for freedom seems to contradict itself.

It is fair to assume that college students in particular who are more likely to be impulsive and driven by their emotions (due to the underdevelopment of critical thinking skills and their pre-frontal cortex) are likely to turn away from a party who stands for the denial of these rights to our families and friends.

4. Fiscal issues anyone?

The idea of less government aligns with the business trend of increasing efficiency. In most simplified models, economists argue that a society will produce two types of inputs, labor and technology; and without advances in either, the society has a finite output possible by both in the short term.   

If you increase cost of one, the society seeks to compensate with the other to maintain the same level of output. So deductively, one could reason that an increased cost of labor or technology would increase the use of the latter to maintain the same standard of living.  

So to those out there who don’t understand how an increased minimum wage might affect the economy, there are two possible (simple) alternatives. 1. The level of output remains the same but the costs increase. 2. The level of output remains the same but there is a transition from labor to technology.  

The Republican Party fails to promote how fiscal responsibility benefits the masses. The models they use employ higher order thinking that cannot be understood by many people. Simplifying the concept and explaining why fiscal responsibility benefits everyone is the only way republicans can connect to those who are otherwise motivated by emotional incentives.  

 5. So why do we bother?

Put yourself in the mind of a college student. We are motivated by simple answers, immediate results and social perception of our associations. 

To the Republican Party: let it go.  Stop fighting the social issues for the sake of the conservative status quo. Promote personal freedom AND responsibility.  Seek to educate those who don’t seek to educate themselves on the issues. Though we are responsive to the social issues, we aren’t ignorant to all the issues.  

Continuing to go forward with pressuring youths to take on the entire conservative outlook will only continue to polarize them in the opposite direction and continue to breed ignorance.

-Jessica Kautzer, senior business administration management major.