inquiring

I firmly believe in the power of young voters. We are not the apathetic and uninvolved generation that society portrays us to be, but rather genuinely care about our country and about the future. We do know what’s going on in politics, and we do listen. We hear the dangerous and incendiary marks, and we reject them. However, the problem I have begun to notice is that many of my peers do not understand how to become involved in the political process. And rightly so: the process is frankly a mess. For those who feel a little lost, I’ve set up a no-nonsense guide to help you cast your vote in Indiana’s primary and to understand why it matters. Note that this guide is specifically for Indiana, as most other Midwestern states have already held their primaries.

First things first: what is a primary?

During a presidential election year, each state holds a Republican and Democratic primary to help determine the party’s nominee. Each state has a certain number of delegates to give away. When a candidate wins the popular vote in a state, they are awarded these delegates. The candidate who has the most delegates at the end of primary season is almost always the party nominee.

Do primaries really matter?

Absolutely. Many people dismiss primaries as unnecessary, but these statewide elections are what determine who the party nominee will be. For example, Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic candidate if she continues to win state primaries because she has more delegates than Bernie Sanders. For this reason, Bernie supporters need to vote in primaries if they want Bernie to be the nominee. 

How do I even figure out how to vote?

The first step in voting is registration. Go to indianavoters.in.gov and click on “submit a new voter registration”. The site will ask you for all of your personal information, including address and county of residence. All of the registration steps can be done online. Indiana has an open primary, meaning you can vote for any candidate regardless of your party affiliation. You must submit your registration form by April 4th. 

As a college student, which address do I list on my voter registration?

Despite commonly held misconceptions, you may list your address as the address you live at at school OR your home address. To clarify:

I am originally from Carmel, which is located in Hamilton County. I live in a house in Muncie for most of the school year, which is in Delaware County. I can choose which address I want to register to vote under. Your address choice is totally up to you. However, you MUST vote in the county where that address is located. I chose to put my Carmel address on my voter registration, so I must vote in Hamilton County. You will receive information on the specific place to vote by mail after you submit your registration. My voting location, or polling place, is my local high school. 

Can I register to vote in Indiana if I’m from a different state?

Yes! Note however that your registration will be listed in Indiana and you will not be able to vote in your home state during the general election unless you update your registration. 

How do I choose which address to put?

Choose the address based on where you believe you will be on primary day. Indiana’s primary is during the first week of May. Ball State students will still be in class that week, so it may be easiest for your to list your address in Delaware County and stop by the polls when you’re not in class. Polls are open from 6am-6pm. 

Is there a way to list my home address but still vote from Delaware County?

Yes! This is called an absentee ballot. An absentee ballot is a ballot sent in early by mail. If you would like to cast your vote in your hometown but are living at school, go to indianavoters.in.gov and click on the link in the bottom right that says “ABS-MAIL: Application for Absentee Ballot”. You will need to apply for an absentee ballot first and cite your reason for voting from a distance. If you are approved, the Indiana government will mail you a ballot for you to complete and send back. It’s a very simple process! Just make sure you complete and turn in the application for an absentee ballot by April 25, 2016. 

When is Indiana’s primary?

Indiana’s primary is May 3, 2016. You must submit any absentee ballot applications 8 days before that date and register to vote by April 4th. 

What do I do on primary day?

On primary day, all you have to do to cast your vote is stop by your polling place in person anytime between 6am and 6pm. Under Indiana law, you are required to bring an ID with you. This can be a driver’s license or any current ID with your name and address on it. Other than that, you’re good to go! 

If you’re a student at Ball State, you’ve probably already heard that esteemed alumnus “Papa John” has teamed up with an organization called the Charles Koch Foundation to donate over $3 million dollars to BSU. This won’t be a lump sum of money, but rather will go towards a new John H. Schnatter Institute for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise. Curiously, this isn’t the first time Ball State has accepted money from the Koch Foundation. According to the Muncie Star Press:

“In 2009 and again in 2010, the foundation granted $8,300 for a BSU economics professor’s “Liberty Project.” Goldsby in 2011 received $8,000 for “Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Guest Speaker Programs.” In 2012, another economics professor was awarded $3,000 for the “Koch Speaker Program and Undergraduate Student Travel.”In 2013, Bohanon obtained  $2,000 in Koch funding for “BSU Economics and Finance Student Field Trips,” followed by $10,000 for "Ball State University Economics Department Programs Spring 2014,” and $20,000 for “Ball State University Economics Department Programs 2014-15."In addition, Ball State signed an agreement this week for a $16,000 "Koch Foundation Grant for Student Activities” obtained by Bohanon. In addition, Bohanon is seeking a $6,250 Koch grant for "Econ 495; Films and Economics.”

On the surface, these grandiose sums of money seem like a great deal for our University. The money allows for new projects, more professors, and immersive learning opportunities. So what’s the problem?

Allow me to introduce you to the Charles Koch Foundation.

The Koch brothers are two legendary free-market businessmen. The brothers became fabulously wealthy through their investments in several industries, most notably the chemical and petroleum fields. The Koch brothers are responsible for an enormous portion of petroleum engineering in the United States, producing everything from paper products to fertilizers.

The business success of the Koch brothers isn’t particularly important. What is important is what the two men have decided to do with that money. Thanks to court rulings like Citizens United and similar lax political donation laws, the Koch brothers and their associated organizations have been able to pour money into politicians and political efforts of their choosing. Curiously, almost all of their political efforts have one thing in common: libertarianism.

Libertarianism is a political school of thought dedicated to allegedly promoting the ideals of individual liberty and free enterprise. The Kochs and other libertarians believe that government should have little to no influence in business or economics. Thus, they wish to remove economic barriers instituted by government agencies like regulation, incentives, and in some cases even wage requirements. Libertarianism expands into realms outside of economics as well. Many libertarians believe that organizations like the Environmental Protection Agency should not exist as all. Others wish to eliminate public school systems, favoring private choice instead. Still more strongly believe that taxes should be eliminated completely. These few points don’t encapsulate everything the libertarian movement stands for, but give a fairly comprehensive glance.

On the surface, many of these ideas don’t seem bad at all. In fact, some may be grounded in fair reasoning. Personally, I find myself on the far left end of the political spectrum, meaning I disagree with almost every tenet of libertarianism. It’s hard for me to agree with a political affiliation that features individuals who at one time were slapped with 97 felony charges for violations of environmental regulations. I could easily go on, but I’ll refrain. Why? Because my individual disagreements are not the reason why I so vehemently oppose this donation. Here’s why I do, and why you should too.

America has always been based on the values of free thought, free speech, and access to education, among other things. In American society, colleges are instrumental in promoting these ideals. College are our centers of learning and knowledge. They are where students aspire to go to further their careers and their minds. While private universities are often affiliated with a particular religion or political school of thought (and rightly so), public universities exist to offer a complete education to those of varying backgrounds and belief systems. Students should absolutely be exposed to ideas that they do not agree with, but those ideas need to be fair and unbiased.

How does a $3 million donation from a self-proclaimed libertarian organization further a complete education to those of varying backgrounds and belief systems?

I’ll answer that for you: it doesn’t.

The Charles Koch Foundation doesn’t give millions of dollars to anyone on the street. The Charles Koch Foundation gives millions of dollars to those organizations who have pledged to use the money to vigorously promote their specific political, social, and economic values. We can disagree over whether libertarianism is the correct school of thought, but regardless of affiliation, I don’t believe anyone can look at this donation and believe that it truly has the best interests of students and the university in mind.

February marks exactly one month since I decided to cut meat out of my diet. While one month of success doesn’t exactly say much, I think I’ve reached the point where I can confidently label myself a “vegetarian”. I was never the veggie type growing up-- in fact, when I began college, the only vegetables I ate were carrots and green beans. I didn’t have my first salad until age 18. So how did I find myself here?

I’ve always pushed myself to be more aware, more thoughtful, and more socially and politically active. Living comfortably is great, but sometimes you have to make yourself uncomfortable in order to change. Cutting out meat was a change I never thought I would make, yet here I am.

My meatless year actually didn’t begin because of animal cruelty. I’m not a fiery, PETA anti-cruetly radical. In fact, I never much cared to think where my food came from. I only cared that it was good. Meat is awesome. It’s delicious. But we don’t need it anymore. Why?

First, meat is destroying the planet, and the meat industry doesn’t want you to know about it. Here are some fast facts:

   -- Livestock production accounts for 18% of global greenhouse emissions, and 37% of methane emissions (a greenhouse gas worse than carbon)

   -- More than two-thirds of all agricultural land is devoted to growing feed for livestock, while only 8 percent is used to grow food for direct human consumption

   -- Industrial farming practices are eroding the effectiveness of antibiotics: the routine use of low doses of antibiotics in feed contributes to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Antibiotic-resistant infections in humans are more expensive and difficult to treat

   -- LEAD researchers also found that the global livestock industry uses dwindling supplies of freshwater, destroys forests and grasslands, and causes soil erosion, while pollution and the runoff of fertilizer and animal waste create dead zones in coastal areas and smother coral reefs

   -- Growing crops for animal feed entails a highly inefficient use of water, and places a strain on diminishing freshwater reserves. By some estimates, between 1,600 and 2,500 gallons of water are needed to produce one pound of feedlot beef. Globally, an estimated 27 percent of the water “footprint” of humanity is attributable to meat and dairy production

Second, meat is destroying us, specifically red meat.

   -- The majority of the protein foods consumed in the U.S. are meat and animal products, which are often high in saturated fat and cholesterol, as opposed to the more nutrient-dense and health-promoting plant-based options (e.g., beans, peas, lentils, soy products, nuts and seeds)

   -- A strong body of scientific evidence links excess meat consumption, particularly of red and processed meat, with heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, obesity, certain cancers, and earlier death. Diets high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans can help prevent these diseases and promote health in a variety of ways

Third, and most important to me, meat is unsustainable for the world’s population. It’s no secret that United States is much more technologically advanced than other countries. However, there is no possible way for the rest of the world to catch up to our level of meat production. Meat is not the way we will feed the world: it’s simply impossible.

   -- By some estimates, global food production would need to double by 2050 if we expect to feed the growing population. The prospect of attaining this goal is severely limited by the amount of agricultural land devoted to raising animals for food. In North America, for example, only 40 percent of cropland is devoted to growing food for direct human consumption; the bulk of the remainder is devoted to feed crop

   -- If the entire world population were to consume as much meat as the Western world does-176 pounds of meat per capita per year- the global land required would be two-thirds more than what is presently used 

   -- This is where the “just buy from small, free-range farms” argument falls apart. While this sounds excellent in theory, there simply aren’t enough resources to support small farming in the long-term. Small farmers are the backbone of agriculture, but we won’t save the world with free-range, organic meats

”Create a problem then protest your false problem.....Classic tacitic of hate groups. Create a cause when none exists.”

There are many comments I could post here that I’ve read about the Mizzou protests but this one stood out to me. The one that calls black students a hate group. 

I am outraged at the response of the general public regarding the Concerned Student 1950 movement. Outraged. 

You are denying the problem, denying the voices of these students, but most of all, deny reality.

I’m sorry that you haven’t seen enough concrete evidence to prove that racism exists. I’m sorry that students yelling slurs from trucks, people drawing extremist symbols on campus property, administrators denying systemic disadvantages, community members talking about shooting black people online, aren’t enough for you to realize why people of color are angry. 

For those of you claiming that these students are irrational or abusing the power of free speech: you are hypocritical. These students are well aware that universities can’t cater to every need and whim of the student body. They aren’t asking for protection from people who say offensive things. They are spreading a message letting their school know that this has to end. Tim Wolfe, while I’m sure an admirable man, did nothing to address these concerns and even claimed black students have the same opportunities as everyone else. 

Racism on college campuses doesn’t have consist of someone being sprayed with a high-power fire hose to be real. Discrimination today is the fact that I usually only have one black student in my college courses. It’s the fact that fraternities turn away females because they aren’t hot white girls. Racism is when my classmates ask me why we have to have African-American studies or Black Student Associations. It’s manifested in every American who complains about affirmative action. It’s the video of the Mizzou homecoming parade where white students cheer as black protestors are forcibly removed from the scene.

The students at Mizzou have one goal: to inform the university and general public of their plight and encourage change. They do not intend to shame the majority or complain that they have it harder than everyone else. The system has improved, but it hasn’t been fixed, and it will take more than one white student claiming “they’re not a racist” to fix it. 

Too often this year have I heard the phrase “politically correct” being thrown around. Somehow, political correctness has grown to be this angry monster of censorship that wants to take all the fun out of your life and make you a mindless robot of kindness. Even some presidential candidates are using “PC” as a buzzword to gain support from the right. To be fair, the same candidate believes the pyramids were built to store grain and that Muslims don’t have the constitutional right to hold elected office, but that’s beside the point.

Let’s consider some fairly high profile cases of supposed “political correctness” gone amuck in regards to same-sex marriage, cultural appropriation, and religion in the public sphere. 

LGBTQ+ Rights

Much can be said about the continuous battle toward equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community, but it’s clear that the fight is far from over. Recently, Ben Carson announced that while he believes marriage is between one man and one woman, he is not a homophobe. He went on to claim that using the term “homophobe” is a “PC fear tactic” and is “destroying this nation”.

Mr Carson, I urge you to consider the contrary. When you, and many others like you, are saying that you believe marriage is between one man and one woman, you are condemning same-sex couples to lesser rights. It’s that simple. You can beat around the bush by saying “I just don’t agree with them” or whatever you like, but it doesn’t change the fact that you truly believe these couples are damned to hell. That isn’t “PC culture”: that’s respect. LGBTQ+ people deserve to be recognized and held to the same equal status as anyone else. You’re welcome to hold your beliefs, but you need to understand the implications of them. 

Cultural Appropriation

With Halloween not too far in the past, social media recently was inundated with a steady stream of videos and posts about what is appropriate to wear as a costume and what’s not. One that particularly caught my attention was “Indian” costumes. Buzzfeed did an excellent video in which it asked Native American individuals to put on these “Indian” costumes and comment on their authenticity. To no one’s surprise, the costumes were shoddily made, incorrect, and flat out derogatory. While I was inspired and moved by the video, I was disheartened to see that the comment section was full of users complaining about “PC” and how people need to “lighten up”. 

It may be hard to grasp, but here’s why us crazy liberals don’t think you should dress like a culture: you’re not a part of that culture. Most of the time, the cultures that have become costumes are marginalized groups that face harsh stereotyping and inherent, systemic disadvantage. Dressing up in a headdress is first wrong because it was more than likely made incorrectly. Native Americans create each religious and spiritual symbol with care and expert attention to detail. It’s also wrong because it allows the wearer to continue to degrade a culture already forced to the outskirts of society. When you dress like an “Indian”, you are keeping real Native Americans from ever moving past that “Indian” label.

Religion in the Public Sphere

You knew it was coming: Starbucks Christmas cups. Yes, I do acknowledge that the majority of American Christians don’t see an issue with this and are denouncing those who are up in arms. However, these Christmas cups aren’t the only instance in which Americans have declared that there is a war on Christmas. No matter what causes the uproar, most Christmas crusaders have one thing in common: these followers of religion supposedly under fire believe the PC police are out to silence and censor them. The fact of the matter is: not everyone believes the same thing. I was confronted in class recently when I announced that I didn’t appreciate people saying “Merry Christmas” to me. Why? I don’t celebrate Christmas. By removing or encouraging the removal of Christmas from products, signs, or media, us “PC”ers aren’t telling you you can believe or celebrate. We’re trying to raise societal awareness of the fact that there is a large but affluent minority that feels a little bit alienated every time you tell them “Merry Christmas”. Keep on doing it if you feel inclined, but recognize that not everyone celebrates Jesus on December 25th.

I’m not going to deny the facts: sororities and fraternities have a very bad reputation and for legitimate reasons. Whether organizations are being revealed as systematically racist or exposed for hazing and sexual assault, being Greek has a new connotation. I am in no way apologizing for the actions of these groups or condoning them as acceptable. We as a society need to be having the conversation about the role of Greek life on modern college campuses. However, I strive everyday to defy the stereotype of the sorority girl and I would argue that many of my sisters do too. Here’s what being Greek means to me and why I believe sororities still have the potential to propel college women to new heights despite what many may believe.

I can’t speak for fraternities, but sororities are historically feminist organizations. They were founded when women weren’t allowed the same privileges in education as men and needed to band together. My chapter, Kappa Delta, was created on the ideals of striving for that which is honorable, beautiful, and highest and promoting it in other women. Sororities were created to encourage women to band together and seek the common goals of equality and justice.

Sororities offer some of the most challenging and fulfilling leadership opportunities of any other campus organization. As my chapter’s Academic Excellence Chair, I am responsible for promoting scholarship to over 100 women. Being a leader in a sorority has improved my public speaking skills and time management and taught me how to pursue a goal until I achieve it. Giving up and falling short of expectations is simply not acceptable. Throughout my college career, I’ve been a member of upwards of 6 other campus groups. Not one of them has challenged me more than Kappa Delta. 

Being a sorority woman has pushed me out of my social bubble. Before coming to college, I considered myself an introvert who felt uncomfortable outside my small friend group. After joining a sorority, I knew I had to make a change. I want to be an attorney one day but I can’t do this without networking. Kappa Delta has taught me how to make connections with people I might not know that well. I don’t have to give into my introverted tendencies and walk down the hall, ignoring everyone, and then go home and sit alone all evening. Every walk on campus is filled with people I know and can say hello to. Greek life has made campus tiny and as scary as it was at first, I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Lately, I’ve been hearing more and more people talk about the “problem” of taxes and the social services they support. “Taxes need to be lower”, these people say, “I don’t owe anything to the government, especially when my money is given to people who don’t work as hard as me.” It seems we’ve come to a place in our country where paying our fair share is way too much to ask. While browsing Twitter the other day, I came upon a parody account with a taste for clichéd humor. The most recent tweet on the page read (grammar mistakes present in original): “I’m goin’ as a Democrat for Halloween. When kids knock, I’ll take half their candy to give to kids too lazy to go trick-or-treatin’. Merica.”

It doesn’t take much to recognize the flawed logic of this statement. Unfortunately, many people actually believe that this is the intent of many government programs. Taxes are portrayed to be unreasonable burdens that exist to take hard-earned money and give it to people who don’t work. This couldn’t be farther from the truth.

The current income tax brackets increase according to the money the individual or household earns. This is generally basic economic knowledge, but go here for a quick refresher if need be. Those in the lowest bracket pay less; those in the top bracket pay the most. Seems fair, right? Of course, there are other tax categories. For sake of simplicity, we’ll consider income tax only.

In looking at these numbers, it seems very clear to me why our system exists in the format that it does. It could certainly be debated that the percentages could see some minor adjustments, but the premise of this set-up is that everyone is taxed at an equivalent level. So why do we complain so much?

Taxes are a necessary evil. No one opens a paycheck and gets pumped to see that a chunk of money was taken out. But why have we come to a place where we believe our hard-earned cash is being stolen from us?

Taxes serve multiple essential purposes on both the state and federal level. On the federal level, over 50% of your tax dollars go toward healthcare and national defense, followed by job and family security. The category of healthcare includes Medicare and Medicaid, health research, and disease control. Job and family security covers similar programs, including retirement and disability benefits, food and nutrition assistance, earned income and child tax credits, and supplemental security income. National defense money contributes to ongoing operations and defense equipment as well as military research and personnel salaries.

Though types of state taxes vary by location, the majority of state funds go to one place: education. A free, K-12 education is provided to every student in the United States. Without tax dollars, this might not be possible.

Dissenters may argue that they don’t want to fund these services and don’t use them. However, it’s important to realize that much of this money is benefitting you directly.

Two of the programs our tax money funnels into are Medicare and Social Security. Medicare, not to be confused with Medicaid, is an entitlement for seniors 65 and older. This means that when you reach retirement age, all those funds from your paychecks will be going back to you. Seniors comprise the demographic that requires the most healthcare and Medicare insures that no senior will go without the care they need. Social security operates on the same premise. Though some Americans over 65 will have the privilege of living comfortably during retirement, others struggle when they aren’t receiving biweekly paychecks. Social security, a stipend that you’ve already paid for, allows seniors and those with disabilities to live without holding a job they may not be mentally or physically able to work. Once you reach the minimum age, you will be allowed your share of this money.

Most Americans can understand the rationale behind programs like Medicare and Social Security. Controversy rears its head when the conversation turns to services including Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP, SSI, and TANF (a quick Google search will suffice for definitions). In short, these programs are provided to low-income families or those facing pervasive unemployment that prohibits them from caring for themselves or dependents. Medicaid and CHIP allow qualifying individuals to receive basic healthcare. SNAP gives a minimal allotment of funding to purchase food, while SSI (a branch of Social Security) and TANF are lump sums for basic survival needs such as housing. These programs are far, far from a free-for-all: the process of application is laborious and highly selective. Families and individuals who apply must provide proof of income below an extremely low threshold and generally be actively searching for work (this is the kicker). For example, SNAP benefits can only be received for 3 months in a 36-month period if the recipient does not work or participate in a workfare or employment and training program other than job search. Able-bodied adults between 16 and 60 must register for work, accept suitable employment, and take part in an employment and training program to which they are referred by the local office. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in disqualification from the program

The point is this: these programs are designed to be need-based and temporary. Not free money.

It’s extraordinarily hard for me to listen to people who rant and rave about their money being given away to others. Not only is this statement misinformed, but it is also essentially a convoluted way of saying that we don’t want to help the needy. My college peers and I are lucky in that almost all of us have the food, shelter, healthcare, and education that we need to survive and thrive. Welfare is for the people who aren’t that lucky.

Last weekend, I was enjoying a night out with my friends after a long and busy summer. We were so excited to be reunited and having a great time wandering Muncie with hundreds of our closest friends. As the night wound down, we were making our way up the infamous Riverside to make a stop in the Village on the way home. The two girls I was with and I were walking as a group; chatting and laughing about the shenanigans we had witnessed that night. As we neared the DeHority residence hall, we passed a large group of what I assume were fellow students. We passed them graciously, allowing them plenty of room on the sidewalk. However, as I walked by, one of the males in the group took special attention to me. He decided that this would be an excellent opportunity to yell a rather loud expletive about my curves, how much he liked them, and if they were real or not. After giving him a hand sign to display my distaste, my friends and I sped up our pace to avoid a confrontation with this brash stranger.  It was late at night, we were alone, and he was probably drunk—this was definitely not something we wanted to get involved in. Though we made it home that night without a problem, I couldn’t stop thinking about the encounter.

In class the week after, my professor brought up the question of dress codes and the objectification of women. She also posed the ideas of male and female privilege. Excited at the opportunity to talk about a topic so close to my heart, I decided to share my catcalling story. It was difficult to talk about because I was afraid of how my classmates would react and if they would believe me or not. Unfortunately, my fear was not unfounded: after sharing my story, a large percentage of the class began to argue that catcalling is actually intended as a compliment. Men are telling you that you look nice, they said. Just accept it.

The disapproval that oozed from the atmosphere was tangible and absolutely flabbergasting. To those students who tried to marginalize my story and the stories of countless women, let me tell you something: your privilege is showing. You’ve never had to deal with it. You've never known what it’s like to walk down the street and feel fearful of the strangers walking by. You’ve never known what it’s like to receive unwelcome comments on your body. Catcalling is nothing more than the glorified sexualization of women. If you see it as anything different, you are part of the problem.

Lucky for me, my experience with privilege during the week didn’t end there. This morning while browsing Twitter, I stumbled upon a local yogurt shop account tweeting about (I’m assuming) the owner’s Christian beliefs. The tweeter was encouraging followers of the account to go to CRU meetings and even posting bible verses. I immediately found this concerning and questioned the account on whether it should consider the separation of business and religion. My question was met with an almost instantaneous defensive response from the shop. The tweeter began to argue with my questioning, stating that it as a business welcomes everyone and doesn’t care about the religion of its patrons, so why should I? The brief “twitter feud” quickly painted me as the enemy against a defenseless foe. Some of my acquaintances even favorited tweets against me. To public services who broadcast Christian faith and don’t think they deserve backlash: your privilege is showing.

Imagine if I opened a local restaurant or store. After a few months of very successful neutral business, I decided to use my status in the community to promote atheism. I tweeted about how great being secular is and even encouraged my followers to speak up and try to convert those who didn’t agree with me. Can you fathom the backlash that I would receive? The community would shun me and locals would speak out against us Satan worshipers. I can almost guarantee the same would happen if the business owner were a Muslim, Jew, Wiccan, or Buddhist. This, my reader, is called Christian privilege.

Because Christianity is dominant in the United States, the only kind of religious freedom that is okay is the freedom to be a Christian. It’s cool and hip to be a young person who posts bible verses and spreads the word of the Lord. But when someone else tries to assert a minority idea, they’re suddenly taking things way too far. I’m not surprised that I received backlash for calling a business out for promoting their religion. I as an atheist deal with this all the time and realize that me saying something it’s going to change the mind of the business owner. But, I can hope that Christians will grasp the privilege they have.

In the United States today, our students are bombarded with American exceptionalism. History classes teach us of our daring founding fathers with a vision for a new, innovative, and independent government and economic system. But while learning this, we’re also instilled with the fear of the unknown. One of those unknowns is the word socialism.

Throw out socialism to anyone educated in America and you’re sure to be met with angry sneers and eye rolls. We have been indoctrinated with this belief that socialism is the ultimate evil. If I relied solely on the opinions of my peers to formulate my definition of socialism, it would probably be a dictatorship in which everyone is a slave to the man and worships the devil and wishes the USSR was alive and kicking and also owns nothing. Frankly, this troubles me. With an important election looming not far in the distance, it’s time to dispel some myths and share some facts about socialism and socialistic ideals. You may be surprised about how much you agree with.

Socialism doesn’t mean taking away your private property.

Make your fortune in the tech industry and finally bought your dream Mercedes? Congrats! Enjoy it! Nobody wants to take it away from you.

Socialism DOES mean leveling the playing field for everyone.

Maybe you weren’t born in upper-middle class suburbia and didn’t have the money to get the education you wanted. No worries! Under socialism, you’ll have access to programs that can help you get a head start, like free and equal public education. You won’t be at a disadvantage just because you were born into poverty.

Socialism doesn’t mean the government controls industry.

Instead, industry is a collective effort owned by the public. Ever heard of a company owned by the workers? That’s socialism. Companies owned by one profit-hungry CEO are replaced by production benefiting the greater good.

Socialism DOES mean equality for all workers through government regulation.

Capitalism tends to favor the winner. Socialism prefers anti-discrimination laws and regulations that mean no one can be put at a disadvantage. The billionaire class will not hold all the sway in economics because workers will be treated fairly and given competitive pay.

Socialism doesn’t mean lazy people can benefit from your hard work.

When it comes to programs like Obamacare, the typical response is that the government is trying to control us and tell us what to do. Or, that people are taking advantage of healthcare without actually earning it. This couldn’t be further from the truth. I guarantee that Obama really doesn’t care that much about what you want to do with your life. He wants to make sure that everyone, no matter who they are or what their economic or social status is, realizes that healthcare should be a mandatory right and not a privilege.

Socialism DOES mean less unemployment, less poverty, less crime, and more life satisfaction.

Capitalism is great and all, but not when you’re the loser. And unfortunately the majority of Americans are. Let’s consider the fact that maybe leveling the playing field actually does help after all.

I grew up in a suburban household with a traditional family. Two married parents, two siblings, and all the opportunities I could ever dream of. As was typical of their generation, my parents both came from fairly religious homes and thus decided to raise me and my sisters as Catholic. I certainly didn’t have a problem with it at the time. As a child, being a Catholic meant having a chance to dress up every Sunday and sit in a big room where we sang songs. I was even baptized as a member of the church and have every right to return one day.

At this point in the story, it would make sense that I had some sort of great, mystic revelation or that the church committed a grave injustice against me. However, it was much less dramatic than that: I simply read a history book.I won’t lecture on what I believed after that point in my life or why because I respect the views of others. I don’t intend on pushing anyone into something they don’t agree with. Instead, what I’m asking is that you respect the ideas of me and my God-free comrades.

Being an atheist does not make me an immoral person.

In fact, it may even make me even more moral than some religious individuals. Because I choose to not live by the word of the Bible, I have the opportunity to set my own code of ethics. Being religious is not synonymous with being a good person. I chose to be moral of my own accord.

Being an atheist does not make me care less about other people.

It’s true: I won’t pray for you if you are hurt or injured. But I will send you all the love, well wishes, and positive vibes my heart can muster. Adding an amen at the end of a sentiment does not make it better than any other.

Being an atheist does not make me not believe in a higher responsibility.

While I don’t believe in a God or a higher power, I do believe that we must have a special respect for this beautiful world we’ve been given. Instead of living for God, I live for taking care of the planet and making a difference in the lives around me. I am still accountable for the impact I leave behind.

Being an atheist does not condemn me. Neither should you.

As a liberal in a red state, I often find my ears and my various social media timelines inundated with a flood of political jargon I don't believe in. In my state, people are proud to be conservative. Elephants are hip. Down-home roots are celebrated. America chants and "Reagan-Bush" shirts abound at sporting events. The majority of the politically involved students at my university are proud to be right (or raised right, or always right, another play on words, etc.). The irony of this, however, is that I’ve found that the majority of my friends and peers living within the same state hold liberal ideals, whether they know it yet or not.

The most significant moment in this new tide of liberal thinkers occurred just a few months back with the introduction of the incumbent governor's religious freedom bill (RFRA). Though the law was formatted to appear as a defense of Christian ideals, Hoosiers, particularly young Hoosiers, were adept enough to realize the bill was essentially legalized discrimination. Friends of mine who had never taken a stand in politics were suddenly proudly proclaiming their distaste for this new regulation. I was shocked and elated at the response.

Since those weeks, I've been paying close attention to the political commentary of my peers. While I've seen my fair share of right-wing pride (and justly so), I've also watched as college students from my university and elsewhere have taken a stand for racial equality, corporate responsibly, green energy, and more. You could say that these are just isolated incidents. Yet I firmly believe that our newest generation is learning why it’s time to leave “conservative” in the dust.

There’s a good chance you’re a Democrat if…

You support marriage equality.

Democrats understand that love is love. It’s time to end discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community and support the right to marry for all. “Traditional marriage” is an archaic concept.

You believe in the civil rights of all races.

Blue and black lives both matter, but right now it’s time to focus on the black. Our country has a long history of institutionalized racism and we can’t keep pretending that the problem doesn’t exist.

You understand and champion women’s rights.

Feminism means supporting the equality of both sexes and it’s clear we aren’t there yet. Women deserve to make just as much in the workplace – and deserve to have people without uteruses out of their uteruses.

You believe that religion belongs in the place of worship.

You may practice your religion, but not in schools or government.

You support quality, affordable education for anyone.

Selling schools as charters won’t help anyone but the corporations that buy them. Instead of giving more tests and failing grades, we need to support and encourage teachers. Then, lower the cost of college to make it feasible for anyone who works for it to go.

You realize that Americans often need and deserve help.

Welfare is not a handout and social security must be maintained. Poverty is real and often requires more than just hard work and elbow grease to rise from. As thoughtful Americans, we realize this and realize the need for social programs.

You support green energy and the need to tackle climate change.

Climate change is happening, and the longer we put it off, the greater the consequences. It’s time to channel money into renewable sources and cut our dependence on fossil fuels.

You agree that healthcare is a right, not a privilege.

It may be a shocker to some, but Obamacare isn’t all bad. In fact, it was never intended to be. There is nothing evil about a mandate that says citizens must be covered in order to protect the one thing that matters most: good health. In fact, Canada’s free healthcare sounds even better.

You support all immigration and the chance to become a U.S. citizen.

Even if you believe that illegal immigrants are taking all the jobs, it doesn’t change the fact that you are mostly likely an immigrant as well. The border should stay secure, but government should allow those already within it to get the chance at citizenship they deserve.

You want a strong international presence with smart military tactics.

It isn’t always about the guy with the biggest gun. It’s often more about the best negotiator who has the means to protect his country without flaunting it. Military might is important in times of crisis, but never something to boast about.

You think politics belongs to the people, not the billionaires and lobbyists.

Corporations are not people, yet they have the political sway of thousands of them. Money should not equal power, no matter what Citizen’s United had to say.

You believe that taxes are reasonable.

Believe it or not folks, living in a functioning society means paying for it. If there are any tax cuts, they shouldn’t be for businesses. We’ve learned the hard way that it doesn’t actually create jobs. Our tax system needs to support the little guy the most.

You understand that “big government” and “bad government” are not synonyms.