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REPUBLICANS HESITATE TO SPEAK OUT
BY JOSH LEHMAN
jlehman@theguardsman.com

http://www.theguardsman.com/20051102/features.html

Surrounded by salt water on three sides, and with a larger liberal presence than
perhaps any other American city, San Francisco is almost an island — both physically
and politically.

The city has become a beacon for cultural minorities across the country. Every year,
more counterculture refugees migrate here in search of a diverse, accepting
environment.

Every culture has minorities, however, and San Francisco is no exception.

“In San Francisco, saying ‘conservative’ is like the new cuss word,” said Brendan
Ford, a first-semester City College student and a self-proclaimed conservative. “I
feel uncomfortable giving my political views a lot of the time.”

A native San Franciscan, Ford said he feels marginalized as a Republican in his
hometown, particularly at City College. “As far as school goes, it wouldn’t be very
popular for me to state my conservative views here.”

Ford maintains an active political life outside school, including responsibilities as
chapter president of Rock for Life, an anti-abortion group with a musical bent. He
has looked for a republican club to join on campus, but hasn’t been able to find one.

There are many active political groups on campus: The Young Democrats and the
Anarchist College are both registered with the Inter-Club Council, and
representatives of the International Communist League hand out copies of “Workers
Vanguard” in front of Conlan Hall.

Missing from the school’s political spectrum, however, is an established group for
conservative students.

Catherine Murphy, president of the Young Democrats Club at City College, said she
believes in the value of open debate and would encourage conservative students to
organize a formal club.

“I think having an opposing view would really strengthen both sides,” Murphy said.
Angie Koetje, also a conservative student, said she doesn’t hesitate to voice her
opinions in class, but she knows she’s clearly in a minority.

“A lot of teachers are very vocal about what they believe in,” Koetje said. “You know
whether or not they like Bush —it’s very clear, just from their sarcastic remarks.
Every single teacher I had last semester was anti-Bush.”

Although Koetje said she developed an “immunity to rejection,” she could understand
if other conservative students were hesitant to voice their political ideas.

“If your teacher is very open about what they believe and you say something
contradictory, then you’re going to have this fear that you won’t get as good a grade
because your teacher is biased — because you’re a Republican and they’re a liberal,”
Koetje said.

Ford said that in a town with a reputation for liberal tolerance, he thought it was
ironic that he is often faced with aggressive intolerance from liberals.

“Sometimes it bothers me when people are being extremely opinionated and they say
something ignorant, like ‘all conservatives are morons.’ I’ve gotten that one
before,” Ford said.

Koetje encourages conservative students to feel comfortable voicing their politics.

“I think even a little voice can help,” Koetje said. “You may not know how loud the
republican voice is on this campus. It may be loud, but we don’t know it because they’re
all quiet now. So, it takes that one person to step up.”
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I intend to last long enough to put out of business all *****-suckers
and other beneficiaries of the institutionalized slavery and genocide.

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"The army that will defeat terrorism doesn't wear uniforms, or drive
Humvees, or calls in air-strikes. It doesn't have a high command, or
high security, or a high budget. The army that can defeat terrorism
does battle quietly, clearing minefields and vaccinating children. It
undermines military dictatorships and military lobbyists. It subverts
sweatshops and special interests.Where people feel powerless, it
helps them organize for change, and where people are powerful, it
reminds them of their responsibility." ~~~~ Author Unknown ~~~~
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