On November 3rd, you wrote an open letter to democrats, or at least that is what you said you did. You wrote a letter to attempt to explain your stance of standing with the Republican party as an 18-35-year-old college student to democrats. You attempted, but you missed the mark.
My name is Jonathan Ross. I am a newly 22-year-old male living in the state of New York, a recent college graduate of a liberal arts institution, and an American citizen (naturally born, third generation, if you were wondering). I believe in the constitution and the ideals this country was born from. I believe our founding fathers had the best intentions for this nation. I also believe that a nation which declared its independence in 1776 has changed since its inception, and I believe that the change of time, change in ideas, changes in technology, invention, ideology, and social policy should be heard.
More importantly, I believe that George Washington, the first President of the United States of America under the Constitution, knew what would be best for this country as he wrote his farewell address.
[Political parties] serve to organize faction; to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put in the place of the delegated will of the nation the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and, according to the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration the mirror of the ill concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common councils and modified by mutual interests.
I am not a Republican. I am not a Democrat. I am not Green, Libertarian, Constitutionist, Socialist Worker, Prohibitionist, Worker’s World, or a Reformer.
I am an Independent.
I broke your mold of what it means to be a millennial. I do no blindly side and register with the Democratic Party because of their political stances even though I may agree with many of them. You could say that I am liberal, and I would not disagree: government has a place in the lives of the individual and laws should be made to protect the freedoms of Americans.
But it is okay. This confusion about my political affiliation happens often. Almost as often as people misspell my name.
What is not okay is to assume I would think of you negatively because of your affiliation. It is okay to be a Republican. Republicans are not people that I hate or dislike. Republicans are people that I disagree with. And it is okay to disagree.
I believe in marriage equality as you do, but more importantly I believe the government should protect the freedoms of my friends and family in their right to love who they want and express their relationships as they want.
I believe in feminism too, but I also believe that government should have an active role in creating equality for all genders.
I believe in racial equality as well, and that should not just end with my words. It should end with policy and action.
I don’t want to defund Planned Parenthood either, but I certainly believe we should protect the funding that is apportioned to such an incredible organization.
I believe in birth control. More importantly, I believe that everyone should have access to it.
I believe in a woman’s right to choose. Your body, your uterus, your freedoms, should not be up for discussion.
I believe in welfare. That saying we should help “our fellow Americans” does not mean we get to pick and choose who we consider American either implicitly or explicitly.
I believe more funds should be allocated to the public school system. And I believe the location you live in shouldn’t determine the resources your school has.
But what if I didn’t believe these things. What if I, as an individual had opposing views of these issues.
Just because I hope women choose life doesn’t mean I should force my beliefs on another person. Just because I think welfare is broken doesn’t mean a blanket policy that would take much needed support away from fellow American’s would be better. Just because I think capitalism is great doesn’t mean I force that belief upon others and tell them the invisible hand will eventually lift them up. Just because I believe in the right to keep and bear arms doesn’t mean I should remain ignorant to the tragedies that occur uniquely due to gaps in policy. Just because I don’t believe in charter schools doesn’t mean I can cut them out of an America where many families rely on them. Just because I believe in privatizing everything doesn’t mean I can cut out public entities and end the incredible work they do. Just because I don’t believe in the AFFORDABLE CARE ACT doesn’t mean I am blind to the healthcare coverage it has provided to millions of Americans that would otherwise be unable to access it (nor blind that it was created in a Republican majority congress).
You thought that because you identify as a Republican means that I, or any millennial or Democrat, would think I associate you with the views, opinions, beliefs, and words of our president elect Donald Trump. However, you would be wrong. In a time where traditional Republican leaders and conservative media have dissented from their unwavering support of the Republican nominee in the past, I believe that now more than ever the people are questioning what it means to have party affiliations; what it means to have political ideas that are independent from a large entity that has rigid beliefs. I believe that Republicans are publically coming out against their stereotype.
And maybe you, the reader, belong to a political party. Although I am against political parties and personally choose not to belong to them, I respect your right and freedom to join a political party. As I previously said, I do not hate or dislike you because of your affiliation: I disagree. And it is okay to disagree.
So I ask you, in return to your plea, to give millennials, Democrats, and Americans a chance. I ask you to look back at your blanket statement to “Democrats” and reexamine how you view the liberal millennials that you encounter. I ask you to understand you are missing the minutiae and diversity of each person you encounter. I ask you to understand it is okay to disagree with your political affiliation and not belong to the political party you thought I would be part of in doing so.
I ask you, in closing, to not do unto others that which you wish not done unto you.
Sincerely,
An independent millennial
