Aren’t You a Little Young to be a Conservative?

Over the last few years, there is one question that I have gotten a lot and one question that drives me up the wall: “Aren’t you a little young to be a conservative?” My apologies. I was unaware that there was an age requirement to being conservative. But I am proud to admit, my name is Becky and I am a conservative.

After reading some recent blog posts here and here I was a little jealous of other’s early starts in politics and being pushed to be politically active by their parents. My parents are great parents and are some of my best friends. They encouraged me and my siblings to do well in school, to be involved in our community and work hard in sports, but one thing they did not do was push us to be politically active. This is not something I fault them for as they are not politically active themselves. They read, watch and listen to the news. They know what is going on in their community, state and country. And most importantly they vote each election, for which I am extremely grateful. That is one aspect of the political world that they did instill in me. I grew up knowing that each election cycle I should vote, and was so excited to do so.

Ever since I can remember, I have always seen my mom with an “I voted” sticker on Election Day, and I also remember her refusal to answer when we asked who she voted for.  Now, I have usually been able to figure it out, but I now realize her reasoning behind this. While I have grown my own political voice and very strong conservative opinions, my parents are more “issue-based voters.” I have voted differently than my parents in every election since I have been able to vote and other than the fact that this leads to some heated conversations over dinner, I am absolutely okay with that. Turning 18 is a big deal with big responsibilities and my mother allowed me to face those responsibilities head on and do with them what I wanted. While I am envious of Alex and Jessica having parents who encouraged them to become active in politics (whether they maybe wanted to at that time or not), it also makes me proud because this is something that is purely mine. These thoughts have been conjured up in my head without the influence of those closest to me and that is a great feeling. I am my own person, and that person is a young conservative.

My favorite teacher in high school was extremely liberal; however she facilitated political conservations in the classroom and encouraged everyone on any part of the political spectrum to speak up. She was never biased in what we discussed, but she wanted us to be informed and to talk about what was going on in the world and how it was affecting us. (Side note: Due to the fact that this was not within her subject matter, this was something that she actually got reprimanded for. Imagine that! A teacher getting in trouble for encouraging her students to educate themselves and to become informed citizens.) Every day that teacher closed our discussions by saying: “Read EVERYTHING you can get your hands on. Listen to EVERYTHING you can find. Watch EVERYTHING that is available.” So I did, and I am forever grateful for that advice. That teacher and I would butt heads politically but she is one of the most important people in the world to me because like my parents she let me know it was okay that my political ideologies were different than hers.

Now this post isn’t meant to be about my parents or my teachers, but rather how it’s okay to have your own political voice. So many young people out there vote the way they do simply because their parents or friends vote that way.  As Justin brought up in his recent post, Barack Obama’s successful 2008 Presidential Campaign has forever changed how young people will be involved in politics. I was in college during a portion of the 2008 campaign and saw a huge increase in the number of young people not only becoming politically involved but also pushing the liberal agenda. I also witnessed those few brave souls who stood strong as conservatives being ridiculed for being in the minority. How dare we not fall in step with the rest of people our age! My advice to you young conservative on a liberal campus or among liberal friends: Don’t be ashamed! Become one of those brave souls!

There is a phrase that I heard all the time from my parents when I wanted the newest “in” shoes because everyone had them, or when I would “just die” if I couldn’t go to a party because everyone was going to be there. That question is one that makes every child roll his/her eyes. So to all you young voters out there who vote the way you do because your friends or family do I must ask you that same question my parents always asked me, however I challenge you to truly think about it rather than roll your eyes as I did. “If your friends or family jumped off a bridge would you jump off the bridge also?” Now, I realize it is a bit of a silly analogy, but it works the same way that your parents wanted it to when you were younger. Their goal was to get you to realize that just because others are wearing something, saying something or going somewhere doesn’t mean that you should or have to also. They wanted you to realize that you can be your own person. My goal is to get you to realize the exact same thing. Just because your friends and family have certain beliefs and votes a certain way does not mean that you need to do the same. Be your own person!

The moral of the story is that it is okay to vote differently than your parents and friends. Vote in what you believe in! Don’t try to fit the stereotypes or what may seem politically “cool,” but rather get informed and figure out what really matters to you. My challenge to you is the same thing that my high school teacher told us every day. Read EVERYTHING you can get your hands on. Listen to EVERYTHING you can find. Watch EVERYTHING that is available. After you have done that, if your political opinions are the same as your friends’ and family’s, then congratulations, your discussions at the dinner table will go a lot smoother than mine usually do! But if you discover that your views and beliefs are different than those close to you, don’t be afraid to go your own route and vote your own way. Heck, use all of that new information that you just absorbed and educate those same friends and family members because they may realize that they’ve been voting the way they do because of someone else. So get out there and educate yourself! And remember, you are never too young to be a conservative!