Liberal arts college campuses across the nation, and our campus in particular, are surrounded by a “bubble” that shields the majority of students from the real world.
Are we legitimately having the debate on whether it is okay to hang up a flag in support of the President of the United States of America? There is a systemic problem with our campus if we are debating whether or not it is okay to have a flag hung up just because some people do not like it.
One can understand not agreeing with a president, that’s the beauty of living in a free country. But lobbying to take away a peer’s First Amendment right of freedom of expression? C’mon! So where do our school’s values come into play? The hypocrisy of one of our Forester Five statutes, “embrace diversity,” is almost comical. Instead, the wording should be, “embrace diversity as long as it’s the sort of diversity that progressives favor.” And if you don’t agree with it, whine, scream, and shout racism, xenophobia, bigotry, etc.
To my point, our liberal arts college is in a bubble, providing its students with the idea that it is okay to take away others’ First Amendment rights of freedom of expression, so long as you do not agree with them or think you are acting for “social justice.”
In the real world, no one will give a damn if a flag hurts your feelings. In the real world, people are going to say things and do things that you do not agree with. But name-calling, silencing others, and exacerbating the situation will get nothing done! In order to fix this, we should be having thoughtful and fact-based discussions that will not only help you challenge your beliefs, but also help people with differing stances understand what you believe.
Donald Trump is the president of the United States of America. It’s time to have pride in the country that you live in by standing up for your beliefs in controversial times, not complain about others’ beliefs because they hurt your feelings. And if you don’t like that, suck it up, Buttercup!
