I am a Trump supporter, and I know it’s hard to believe, but I am not a Nazi.
From my first days at Augustana, as the freshman that I am, I have noticed a certain air of animosity towards those who hold conservative values. Almost passive aggressive in nature, yet from talking to my classmates and listening to some in class, I feel that once you get people ranting, it becomes much more outwardly aggressive. It seems that many have never talked to a logical thinking Republican or conservative. The few loud liberals I’ve spoken to combine the loud and the sheep-like with those who think for themselves. Though conservatives are not innocent of that either.
In this first week, I have met many liberal-leaning individuals who have been either uncaring that I held opposing viewpoints or acknowledged my views and yet became my friends despite them. I and many conservatives are aware that not all Democrats are Anti-fa members or members of the rioting parties across the country.
Yet, there seems to be an overwhelming amount of people that view conservatives as racists or white supremacists, see the Anti-Defamation League calling alt-right members white supremacists , (also the same group that labeled Pepe as a hate symbol). Frankly, this is horrifying. I don’t try to push my views on people, I believe fully that all people are created equal, as is even outlined in the Bible, as early as Genesis. I’ve never been racist to any party. I hold my own views on homosexuality, but I would never attack or slander an individual for their livelihood. Yet my own party, many of whom are the same, have been attacked for much less than discrimination with much worse than being called an “alt-righter” (which is a compliment, by the way). Thankfully, our campus seems to be nonchalant and forgiving of conservative values. Brian Guerrero, president of the 2017 College Republicans, claims that “since my freshman year, I think the Augustana community has been making great strides promoting open and civil discourse.” Though he does also stipulate that “you do have to be cautious about the environment and audience in which you are speaking.” During a situation regarding “the Chalkening” (search “chalk” on the Observer), Guerrero describes a student event that regarded the incident in which he felt “ganged up on by a culmination of more leftist students and faculty after voicing my views.”
Conservatives understand that words mean very little. With past presidencies, I recognize that words mean nothing without actions. Yet the absurd amount of verbal abuse, from being called anywhere from a Nazi to a KKK member, is diminishing to the actual atrocities that those parties committed. As more and more peaceful yet controversial conservatives are labeled Nazis, liberals lessen and lessen the actual severity of the word “Nazi” and “racist.” It seems that both words have supremely lost their true meanings due to the overuse of the words, as they now contain the National Socialist Party of Germany all the way to the conservatives of today, which makes very little sense.
What I am trying to say is that though I may oppose your point of view and may be the very blight of ugliness on your campus, calling me a Nazi doesn’t help. I don’t know any conservatives who outwardly go about their day and try to bully and harass others because I promise I won’t. If they do exist, I denounce them. And by bully and harass, I mean verbally and physically. And by verbally, I mean actual harassment. Not chalking. Not Pepe memes.