Exercise a little tolerance for Republicans
Joanna Johnson
Issue date: 3/11/10 Section: Opinions
As everyone undoubtedly knows already, Smith College is an inclusive, welcoming place: the community accepts all colors, creeds, sexual identities, nationalities, gender identities, ethnicities and disabilities. None of it matters in the eyes of the campus's tolerant community, because only who you are as an individual is important. Unless, of course, you're a Republican. Then you're just rubbish.
Last week the Smith College Republicans wrote a piece on how they are discriminated against by the rest of the college. "If any other group were as viciously stereotyped by Smith professors and students as we are," they wrote, "then there would have already been a vigil, a hot seat and a fireside chat." That Republicans are the target of mockery by the campus is evident. Though no other group on campus is allowed to be the object of jokes and constantly ridiculed, it is OK to bash and belittle Republicans. Smith Republicans not only get made fun of, but are also the victims of outright hostility. A professor or student speaking publically would never express their hatred for a minority group or religious belief, but Republicans get slandered all the time. Often it isn't a simple ideological disagreement that is expressed, but real disgust and hatred. So much for tolerance.
It is only natural that after eight years with Bush in the White House, liberals at Smith are still a little sore. The Republican Party is good at doing things many Smith students deeply disagree with: invading other nations, approving waterboarding, banning gay marriage, the Patriot Act, the Hurricane Katrina response, getting bogged down in senseless wars. I'm getting angry just thinking about it. But Smith's Republicans did none of these things; the Republican Party did.
We forget the difference. A liberal student at Smith is allowed to disagree with President Obama's handling of Guantanamo Bay, but still support the Democratic Party, and be proud of it. Smith Republicans are the same; we shouldn't assume that their support of the more conservative political party means they condone torture, or hate gay people, or even like Sarah Palin.
Last week the Smith College Republicans wrote a piece on how they are discriminated against by the rest of the college. "If any other group were as viciously stereotyped by Smith professors and students as we are," they wrote, "then there would have already been a vigil, a hot seat and a fireside chat." That Republicans are the target of mockery by the campus is evident. Though no other group on campus is allowed to be the object of jokes and constantly ridiculed, it is OK to bash and belittle Republicans. Smith Republicans not only get made fun of, but are also the victims of outright hostility. A professor or student speaking publically would never express their hatred for a minority group or religious belief, but Republicans get slandered all the time. Often it isn't a simple ideological disagreement that is expressed, but real disgust and hatred. So much for tolerance.
It is only natural that after eight years with Bush in the White House, liberals at Smith are still a little sore. The Republican Party is good at doing things many Smith students deeply disagree with: invading other nations, approving waterboarding, banning gay marriage, the Patriot Act, the Hurricane Katrina response, getting bogged down in senseless wars. I'm getting angry just thinking about it. But Smith's Republicans did none of these things; the Republican Party did.
We forget the difference. A liberal student at Smith is allowed to disagree with President Obama's handling of Guantanamo Bay, but still support the Democratic Party, and be proud of it. Smith Republicans are the same; we shouldn't assume that their support of the more conservative political party means they condone torture, or hate gay people, or even like Sarah Palin.
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Operation Yellow Elephant
posted 3/12/10 @ 6:42 PM EST
A worthwhile line of inquiry with partisans of any political persuasion is whether they have ever considered personally doing anything in support of their stated political beliefs. (Continued…)
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