Anna Lippincott discusses the numerous times she has felt judged because of her right-leaning stance.
Being a Republican at OU is not an easy job.
Last year I had to file a police report for cyber harassment.
A local man threatened to run me over with his truck. Another man said he would release his dogs on me.
I was swung at with a cane, and my friends were bruised from physical street assault.
At a campus lecture, I was hate tweeted and accused of racial stereotypes.
A girl approached me at a bar and said, “I used to think you hated me because I’m Muslim.”
A friend told me that because I’m a woman and a member of the GOP, she hates me.
At the involvement fair, a student approached me and asked how I “felt about standing next to the Latino Student Group and the LGBT Center.”
Last night at a bar, a stranger approached me and said, “F--k you, my aunts are lesbians.”
So for all those who call me ignorant, a bigot, a racist, a fascist or anything else, I have a message for you.
Just because I am a Republican does not mean I pray the gay away. I can count on one hand the number of people I know who support traditional marriage. And that number includes Ted Cruz. I do not hate Muslims. I praise God, who you happen to call Allah. I have close friends and family who are immigrants. I also speak fluent Spanish and have heard you talking about me … right in front of me. I do not hate women. Assuming I should support the liberal approach to women’s health actually implies I am not capable of making the decision myself, and it is degrading to my intelligence. Lastly, I am certainly not ignorant. Just because we have differing opinions does not mean I am uneducated.
I was not “raised right.” I am not some trust fund kid or blond girl who thinks elephants are cute. I am a taxpaying American who has worked hard for everything I have. I got my first job when I was 14. I work 80+ hours in the summer to provide for myself. I study hard to maintain my scholarships and don’t expect the government to pay my tuition for me.
I vote based off who will protect American interests against Middle Eastern and Russian aggression. I vote based off who has raised jobs the most and who has boosted the economy. I vote for lower taxes, for helping the everyday American. I vote for gun rights so we can hunt and defend ourselves, for small businesses so we can continue the spirit of entrepreneurship. This is why I am a Republican.
Do not approach me in a bar. Do not call me a racist or anti-women. Do not say I don’t care. And if you ever try to call me ignorant, it’s you who is sorely uneducated.
Look in the mirror — it’s not me who’s the judgmental one.
Anna Lippincott is a senior studying political science and journalism. She is also the president of College Republicans.
