We don’t need more Liberals at UF

I have to be honest. When I read the article We need more Liberals at UF, I wondered if the author was even living in the same liberal Gainesville that I have come to know.

The fact is, contrary to the article’s description, Gainesville is one of the most liberal cities in the state. In the 2012 presidential election, nearly 60 percent of Alachua County voted for Barack Obama.

Week in and week out, the Gainesville Sun publishes op-eds and columns highlighting the need for global action on climate change, how low gas prices are “killing us and the planet,” how gun violence poses a greater threat than terrorism, and how advocating for the screening of refugees is equivalent to “attacks on immigrants and refugees” and “targeting” refugees.  

However, the article posed a series of questions to the conservative college students on campus and I am here to answer them. I’ll explain the Reagan/Bush shirts, the trickle down economics, our “dated values” and everything in between.

Reagan/Bush shirts celebrate history

UF College Republicans celebrate Ronald Reagan on his 105th Birthday

The memorable campaign shirt comes from one of the greatest presidents in American history and arguably the greatest of the 20th Century: Ronald Reagan.

Reagan is a conservative icon that will always be remembered for turning around a dismal American economy quite effectively, and, just as notably, for bringing down the Soviet Union. He expanded the economy by 1/3 while creating the largest peacetime economic boom in American history after the recession caused by the utter incompetence of the Jimmy Carter administration.

He is the epitome of conservatism in America to this day, and it is no secret why modern Republican politicians constantly attempt to emulate the man that was not only a great leader, but also a great communicator who united both Democrats and Republicans to his cause.

It should really come at no surprise conservatives across the country celebrate the man and his vision for America by wearing t-shirts with Reagan’s campaign slogan. In fact, it has never made more sense. The nation is currently mired by a weak economy domestically, with the labor participation rate being the lowest since, you guessed it—Jimmy Carter.  

The world has become a more dangerous place as the United States has cowered in leadership with regards to foreign conflicts. Sound familiar? Seems like it is 1980 all over again.

Cue the Reagan/Bush t-shirts. They make perfect sense.

The American Dream

Next, I move on to what was described as the purpose of our millennial generation. Contrary to what my peer described, we are not meant to push for Bernie Sanders socialism to save the American Dream.

The American Dream exists because of equality of opportunity, and shouldn’t be destroyed by creating an equality of outcome — it would defeat the purpose. The American Dream is, and always has been, about working hard to better yourself and your family, not have someone else do it for you.

Others will fare better than you and others will fare worse. That’s life.

Adding morality to the socialism equation does not help either. It is neither “right” nor “moral” to have free college, free housing, free healthcare or free [insert liberal entitlement here].

Sticker found near Library West. Weird. Seems more reminiscent of communism

The lack of progressive Gators

Quite frankly, it should be quite obvious as to why the Progressive Gators meeting attracted less than 15 people. It is because progressive liberal policies have proven to fail time and time again. In fact, I pose the following question: What is “progressive” about an economic system that has been tried, and has failed, countless of times for two centuries?

Talk about radicalism. You want socialism? Have you heard of Venezuela? Cuba? Even Greece? Nothing in life is free.

If you want something that is really progressive, I invite you to look at the results of the Iowa Caucus. On one side, you had two Hispanics, an African-American, and a woman garner 62% of the vote. On the other, you had two old white hags battle for delegates. And yet somehow the latter group is considered more progressive, while the other is constantly bashed as racist.

I would understand progressivism if it wasn’t so inherently hypocritical. “Pursuing the truth” is nice, but that should mean accepting the truth even when it is not convenient for you. I respect that progressives try to fend for those who cannot fend for themselves, but it is a hypocrisy that they cannot start with the most humble of the defenseless: The unborn.

Our ‘dated’ values

This one is pretty simple and straightforward.

1. Over time, our values have proven to be the values that create periods of American prosperity and exceptionalism for all.
2. The inherent nature of values is that they are static to the times – the world can change tomorrow and you’ll always know where we stand.

UF College Republicans via UFCR Facebook Page