Today, the media is highly liberal and being a republican is something that many think I should be ashamed of. Many go to Facebook pages from "news sources" to get their news, which is great if the site is credible. However, they also believe that it's just a news source and do not realize the bias the site may have. It's no secret that being a democrat is the "in" thing these days but I'm here to tell you why I'm a young Republican and not ashamed of it.

1. Let me first say that Donald Trump does not and will never define my political views.

The party I belong to may agree with Donald Trump, but I will never condone or follow his pig-headed bigotry nor will I ever condone his chauvinistic attitude towards women. I think we can all agree that what is currently happening at Harvard University should NEVER happen. No group should be oppressed in any way shape or form. Whether you're a #BlackLivesMatter, #AllLivesMatter or a "can we all just agree that every group should have rights?" follower, I think we can all agree that the vast majority of America is astonished by how well Trump is doing in the polls. I, personally, attribute it to the fact that the generation of 40-50 year old individuals are so fed up with Clinton politics that they can't fathom having another career politician in office.

2. I believe all individuals should have rights.

Whether you're Black, Hispanic, White, LGBTQIA, in the police force or just your average Joe, I think you should have every right to live the way you want. This is America and we were founded because King George oppressed his British citizens. We don't need to continue to oppress those that are different or in the minority. It's not right and it's definitely not cool. First women, then African-Americans, and now both? That doesn't seem right to me. We definitely don't need anyone in office who is not going to fight for the rights of every minority group out there.

3. When I say I'm conservative. I really mean I'm fiscally conservative.

I believe that the less access the government has to my money the better. Because the more money I have in my pocket, the more money I have to spend. I don't believe that the government knows how to spend my money better than I do. Especially since if I have control of more of my money, then I can put that money back into my local economy and ensure that the businesses in my community are thriving. I'm way more likely to spend money at local businesses that hire local employees and give back to the community than the big chain businesses.

4. I believe that small government is better and capitalism is the key to the success of our country.

As I mentioned above, businesses who help my community succeed are the best thing we can have. Those small businesses who hire local employees and do their business locally give back to the community by having the money people spend on their business circulate back into the community. I work for a local company, I get paid and my money goes back into my local economy because that's where I choose to spend it. It's simple: not every cent will make it's way back into the local economy, but the majority of the money will end up in the economy and eventually begin to grow the community.

5. Not every Republican/Conservative is a middle aged white male.

There is a growing number of college aged students stating they are conservative in nature. Condoleezza Rice is a Black female, Ben Carson is a Black male, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are Latino males. Carly Fiorina was briefly a candidate in this year's election and she's a White female. Here is a great link to an article explaining the diversity of the party and the amount of Millennials that lean toward the right

6. Guns are a right.

Let me first say that assault weapons should NEVER be allowed in the hands of civilians. The military should have the sole right to have assault weapons, because there is no need for anyone who is hunting to have them. I think there should be a limit on how much ammo you can buy at once. Most importantly, I think everyone who wants to buy a gun should have to go through a mental examination. I say that with the best intentions. I want to have the right to own guns just as much as the next hunting addict/gun freak. But after the influx of attacks (whether hate crime related or terrorist related) I think we need to do something different. Regardless, criminals are going to have the ability to get their hands on gun but the more we can do to stop them, the better. My main thing is that I don't think it should be unnecessarily hard to own a gun, especially when that is the tool many use to put food on the table at night. But I don't think the safety of the masses is ever less important that owning a gun. Maybe metal detectors in doors of buildings in big cities would help some of that. A requirement to show a conceal carry license whenever you enter a building. Something needs to change and it needs to be a compromise.