Carson+G’s+OpEd+Article

====   I am a white male born and raised in an affluent middle class family in one of the wealthiest regions in America.... and I am a Republican. It seems as if this is a well established fact among my peers, class, and schoolmates. I mean I certainly don't hide it.==== But what angers me the most is when uneducated, rude, ignorant stereotyping jerks come along and denounce me just because they hear that I am a Republican. Who are you to stereotype me like this?! You do not know me OR what I stand for. You ASSUME that I am just like that radical Conservative talk show host or that senile Southerner; and you know what they say when you assume, that you make an ASS out of U and ME. And you really did make an ass out of yourself when you grouped me with those other extremists. The fact is I am not just like every other Conservative out there and I do not share all of the same views. I cannot express how many times people have called me a "homophobe", "gay-hater", "bully" and many other various slurs merely because I identify myself as a Republican. Did you know that three of my family members are homosexual? THREE. I'll bet you didn't. Did you know that I support gay marriage? I'll bet you didn't. Stereotypes are hurtful. I am pro-choice. I do not hate other races. I do not hate poor people. I do not go to church every Sunday nor do I pray when i wake up, eat, and go to bed. I do not hate women. I do not hate other religions. I do not hate old people. I do not hate the environment. Stereotyping me just because I have a Romney/Ryan sticker on my car (I just took it off actually) is rude and proves you are oblivious. Listen to me speak. Do not glare at me in the hallways. Do not spread harsh, unfounded rumors about me. Get your act together. All I ask is that you get to know me before you judge me.