Are we teaching self-determination in this country, or not?

I’m 19. White, male, and I thought, pretty conservative. I’m watching the Republican party try to rig the game in my favor, and honestly…. it’s embarrassing.

The Trump administration offered nine universities a deal: Change your policies to favor people like me, and we’ll give you preferential federal funding. Remove sex and ethnicity from admissions. Define gender “according to reproductive function.” Cap international students. Punish faculty who challenge conservative ideas.

Translation: Make college easier for white guys like me. We’ll pay you to do it.

I’m sitting here thinking: A) I don’t want this and B)…

Wait—Isn’t This Just Affirmative Action?

My whole life, I’ve heard my community rail against affirmative action. It’s unfair. It’s reverse discrimination. It gives people advantages based on race instead of merit. We should have a level playing field where the best person wins.

I agree with that.

Now the same people are offering universities money to implement policies that explicitly favor me because of my race and gender. How is that any different? How is “remove sex and ethnicity from consideration” anything other than affirmative action for white men when you’re bribing schools to do it?

If white men are being “left out”—which I’m still wondering about—then the solution isn’t to tilt the system the other way. That’s the exact thing we said was wrong when others did it.

Either we believe in merit or we don’t. You can’t rail against identity politics and then turn around and implement identity politics that benefit you.

I’m Not Weak. I Don’t Need Protection.

I’m a conservative, I thought, because I believe in personal responsibility. Hard work. Earning what you get. Standing on your own two feet.

So when my party looks at me and says “let me make things easier for you,” what they’re actually saying is: “You can’t compete without help.”

And that’s insulting.

I’m smart. I’m capable. I’m willing to work hard. I don’t need the government bribing universities to give me an advantage. If I can’t get into a good school and succeed on my own, then I shouldn’t be there.

This whole compact reeks of weakness. It says we don’t trust young white men to compete fairly, so we’re going to rig the system. That’s weakness.

What Are We Even Fighting For?

I thought conservatism was about limited government too. About not using federal power to impose ideology on institutions. About freedom and independence.

But this compact is the government threatening universities with funding unless they adopt specific political positions. It’s ridiculous overreach branded as “academic freedom.”

And the policies themselves? “Institutional units that purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas” must be reformed or shut down. What does that even mean? Who decides what counts as “punishing” conservative ideas? The government?

That’s not academic freedom. That’s thought policing. And ridiculous government overreach inconsistent with my values.

I came to college to be challenged. To face ideas I disagree with. To learn how to defend my beliefs in the marketplace of ideas. I don’t want a safe space where conservative students are protected from criticism. That’s exactly what we mock liberals for wanting.

Horrendous Hypocrisy

The same administration pushing this compact has spent years attacking DEI, calling it divisive and discriminatory. They’ve eliminated programs that considered race and gender in hiring and admissions.

I supported that because I believe in treating people as individuals, not as representatives of identity categories. Now I see a theme.

But this compact explicitly uses federal power to engineer outcomes based on identity – just engineering them in the other direction.

Identity-based policy is wrong or not. Is it only wrong when it doesn’t benefit you? Then what were your principles anyway. You just wanted power.

What I Actually Believe

I believe in competition. In excellence. In earning respect through achievement, not crying about it.

I think universities should be free to set their own standards without the federal government bribing them to adopt political positions. I believe we all want that.

I believe young white men—myself included—are strong enough, smart enough, and capable enough to succeed without the system being tilted in our favor.

Finally, I believe that if the Republican Party actually stood for its principles, it would reject this kind of government interference across the board. It’s a terrible look.

To My Party

I’m a young pretty conservative on a not even “that liberal” college campus. Meaning, I’m surrounded by people who disagree with me politically all the time. And you know what? I’m fine.

I’m learning. I’m getting stronger in my convictions by having to defend them. I’m learning what I thought was true isn’t always.

This is what free thinking is all about, what makes America incredible. Coming to stronger conclusions based on a robust difference of opinion, not through imposed ideologies or engineering.

In fact, I think this is one of the most important things I’m learning at college.

To my party: I don’t need you to bribe universities to make things easier for me. That’s not conservatism. That’s not even American. It’s just weak. Check yourself.

PS, Sorry Dad.