Eighteen hours ago, I was the victim of a hate crime.

Ok, that’s a little extreme, but my dorm room door WAS vandalized because of my proudly displayed, conservative ideals. They weren’t obnoxious adornments or anything offensive, just a Fresh Elephant advertisement and a John McCain sticker. I’ve been choking on Obama merchandise since I got here, so I figured I’d be allowed my drop in the political bucket. But evidently contrary opinions are not entitled to free speech. As it turns out, basic courtesy and first amendment rights are reserved exclusively for people who have identical thoughts, and if anyone with ideas outside your comfort zone rears his head, it’s fully justified to lash out in irate attacks, stomping the stranger to death until he curls up like a wounded spider, spasmodically twitching his daddy-longish legs.

Sarcasm.

So here’s what happened: I’ve had my Fresh Elephant blog (freshelephant.blogspot.com, if you haven’t visited yet) advertised on my door for about a week now, but the Republican elephant symbol on it is subtle and faded, so no one really paid attention. Yesterday, my roommate stuck a John McCain sticker (a little one, mind you) below our peephole. That’s it. I strolled back from the dining hall in the evening and saw that someone had scribbled “REPUBLICANS SUCK” over our whiteboard messages and had also used the dry-erase marker to cross out McCain’s name.

Sure, whiteboards are fair game. Everyone has them hanging up and anyone can write whatever they’re motivated to. I didn’t much care for the message, but it wouldn’t have hacked me off too bad. The sticker, however, is now forever smudged with slander, and no matter how much I rub it or how much Windex I use, there is the faint outline of a thick, black squiggle through the name of a man I respect and support very much.

I do not expect everyone in this building to honor John McCain as I do. I’m in the Performing Arts hall, for crying out loud, I know we’ve got Democrats. And I’m ok with it. But if they run all over the place preaching a message of love and tolerance, they cannot turn around and alienate anyone dissimilar. I am also a believer in an almost universal acceptance, but I make an effort to practice such theories as well. If I went door-to-door down these hallways and tried to vandalize every liberal token, I would run out of ink. So I guess it’s a good thing I’m not that insolent and closed-minded.

Disagree with me; I encourage it. But have the balls to approach me, not a sticker, about it, and be prepared to show me that you know what you’re talking about. Because if your vocal arguments are as cowardly and hot-headed as your marker demonstration, you’re not going to win with me. Say it’s an oxymoron, but I am an informed Republican, and I am ready and willing to articulate my support for my party sans name-calling and defacement.

Bring it.