Earlier this summer, as the left rioted in Los Angeles, I went to the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) to table on campus in support of the Trump administration’s actions. The centerpiece of our table was a sign that read, “Change My Mind: Trump is 100% Justified in Sending the National Guard to LA!”. Unsurprisingly, Leftists on campus were outraged by this and made sure to let us know.
While we were tabling, one Leftist snuck behind us and assaulted us with water. My colleague Jewel immediately began recording and caught the assailant’s face on camera as they made a rude gesture and ran off. We reported this to the campus police who balked at the idea of holding the Left accountable and took no action to defend our right to free speech.
Soon after, the crowd around us continued to grow and eventually turned into a protest against our table. We then looked on social media and discovered a flurry of threats online. Leftists continued to vandalize our materials and attempted to steal our whiteboard. They even followed us to our car as we left at the end of the day. It was shocking to see grown adults treating us this way just for having a difference of opinion.
But we weren’t going to let the Leftists win. The next day, we returned to UCSB with similar messages and received a similar reception on campus, and even more online activity.
College is supposed to be a place where new ideas are allowed to be shared openly. Clearly, this is not the case at UCSB, where even the slightest discussion of conservative ideas causes an uproar on campus. Despite all this, I will not be discouraged, and I will never censor myself because the Left doesn’t agree with me.
The vitriol that the Left showed towards conservative ideas has done nothing but strengthen my resolve to fight for them and the freedom of speech we enjoy in America. I encourage all students on campuses all over the country to not be afraid, to not self-censor, to be bold, and to speak out for what they believe.
