Duke students from across the entire political spectrum report that, yes, despite institutional efforts to support diverse views, their political affiliation is attacked more than yours.
“It’s honestly so hard being a liberal on campus,” one junior and Duke Political Review contributor said. “I have to sit in class and listen to conservative students talk about lowering taxes on the rich, cutting Social Security and other really just immoral, illogical s**t, and all the while getting called out myself for supporting universally free college? I hate stupid conservatives.”
The student went on to say that she hopes to see a universal basic income instituted in the next year, with funding coming from “one of those federal grants.”
An executive member of Duke College Republicans explained that he was also the most attacked student on campus when it came to political views.
“Look—I get liberals are upset that they can’t justify the utility in sympathizing with poverty. But you have no idea what I have to deal with,” he said.
In his Political Science class, the student reported that the professor “constantly” demands he present evidence to back up his opinions of current Congressional legislation. Although students of all ideologies must do the exact same thing, the way the professor asks it of him just seems, like, kinda prejudiced.
Two libertarians, meanwhile, shared that they have the worst post-election experience of anybody.
“I was wearing my Gary Johnson button the other day when I was asked how I could vote for someone who probably thinks Pakistan is in Africa. How horrible is that? And let me tell you—it’s like that. Every. Single. Day.” (The student iterated that, duh, he obviously knows Pakistan is in the Middle East.)
His girlfriend also made a strong point: “I know people complain about this DACA repeal stuff, which, yeah, I’m sure is hard—but I mean, how do those free-citizenship ‘dreamers’ think we feel getting blamed for Trump’s election?” While her and the dreamers each face their own difficulties, one of them “clearly” has it worse.
Even students who “try to stay away from politics” strangely still face more scrutiny than any of their Duke peers. “I didn’t vote in the last election,” said one sophomore, “But little did I know that complacency was such an unpopular attitude.”
Every time he complains in class about one of Trump’s executive orders or makes a comment about that crazy North Korea stuff, his classmates “glare” at him angrily and don’t say a word. “It’s as if it’s my fault, or something,” said the now-noticeably-worked-up “middle class” student. “Oh, well, excuse me—I decided not to vote, so now I share the blame for a maniac getting in office? Jeez. It’s not like I could’ve done anything about it. I was just one vote.”
Countless differently-affiliated students say the same. Socialists have it worst, obviously, living amongst capitalists who “just can’t see” the logic in applying Norway’s economic policy to a country 60 times larger and 50 times less white; Antifa supporters need to incessantly explain why adding hatred and violence to situations fixes the problem; and anarchists must similarly explain why the current state of affairs isn’t at all a preview of life without government.
It’s important to note, however, that it isn’t just logical and moral jabs that make everyone the most attacked affiliate on campus; the use of derogatory terms against political ideologues is also on the rise—each of which are “literally” a thousand times worse than those used on other students.
Two Bernie supporters regularly endure the horror of being called “idealists” after still not shutting up about Hillary “rigging” the DNC nomination; a non-voting freshman was sent three separate, anonymous hate texts post-election that called her “complacent;” and one fraternity brother, after defending President Trump’s comments about women as “harmless,” even reported being called “s**ist.” Other such insults—like the one said to a self-appointed defender of the Confederacy’s rich, value-based history—were omitted to preserve the cleanliness of this piece.
Without a doubt, every single student is attacked more for their political affiliation than every other student put together. Sure, yeah, other people have some problems they have to deal with, like having to actually live through the issues which Duke students debate in their public policy memos, but when it comes down to it, they all don’t know how bad it is for everyone here. If only they had more awareness.
Monday Monday hopes that this most recent news will bring together all Duke students, though they have just recently learned that they all hate each other.
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