Conservatives on a college campus: Post-election reactions

So many things have happened since election day that I'm not entirely sure where to begin. The morning after the election was eerily quiet, and there was an air of tension encompassing the entire campus. The Political Science department was hosting a post-election discussion that seemed to have a much larger turnout than anticipated due to the unexpected results, and the room was filled with visibly upset people. After several professors offered some analysis and context, the floor was opened up to students to voice their thoughts and concerns. Going in, I knew the general attitudes of those in attendance, but I never anticipated that someone could use the event as a means to ostracize and publicly humiliate me solely because of my politics. In a room filled with faculty, fellow students, administrators, and even our college president, I was denounced as someone undeserving of any respect while some choice adjectives were used to describe my character. It shocked me to my core that a fellow student, one of my peers, could look me in eye while condemning me simply because I had voted for the "wrong" candidate and was outwardly showing that I had supported him by wearing a hat. Then people clapped—hesitantly, but they clapped all the same, indicating that they found this student's rhetoric acceptable and her criticism of me deserved. While the experience was upsetting, I have found some solace in the knowledge that others who witnessed and heard about what had happened were similarly appalled, regardless of where they fell on the political spectrum. If anything, the event revealed how deep of a divide there is in society and our little Muhlenberg community, and people have been coming out of the woodwork to offer support.

However, the tensions that were revealed in that event have not dissipated, and they in fact seem to be getting worse every day. After a minor incident on Friday, several of my friends and I have become the face of conservatism on which so many people have focused their anger, leading to viral posts castigating us on social media and even revealing where we live (this one was eventually removed after we expressed to the poster concerns for our safety). At this point, we know people are staring at us when we walk around campus, and instead of seeing us as fellow members of this community, we are immediately dehumanized and transformed into this imaginary vision of conservative monsters. I have personally experienced minor harassment in the form of email subscriptions to liberal organizations, which while mildly amusing, does raise concerns about the vindictiveness that is permeating the environment. To a degree, I'm unsurprised that this is happening at Muhlenberg. Since I was a freshman, I've seen conservative voices being inadvertently suppressed, which has had the effect of turning most campus political discussions into progressive echo chambers. For the most part, students have not had to interact with contradicting political views or consider their merit, and thus these students were unprepared for the revelation that approximately half the country disagrees with them. When something that never seemed possible becomes reality in the context of a heavily spin doctored narrative, it's no wonder that people are reacting so strongly and negatively. The media has encouraged tremendous fear, and the culture has absorbed that fear. Unfortunately, that fear cannot be rationalized to recognize its victims.

The atmosphere these days is one of distrust and aggression, and while there have not been any direct threats, the pattern of behavior that I've been witnessing in the days following the election worry me. I understand that there are people who feel alienated and afraid every day, but that does not mean that is acceptable to make others feel that way. This election facilitated the spread of a lot of hateful rhetoric from both sides, and I fully condemn that kind of hatred. However, if we continue to demonize people, especially those who are contributing members of society, we will get nowhere.

Hamilton Wilde is the treasurer of the Muhlenberg College Republicans.