On March 7, the College Republican Federation of Alabama, which recently elected new officers, issued a press release which stated: “Support the platform of the ALGOP and the RNC along with the traditional, conservative, American and Alabamian values.” This release is a terrible idea, very bad for young Republican voters.

Some context is needed. Last summer, the chair of the College Republican Federation, Stephanie Petelos, was outspoken about her views on gay marriage. The state party was not happy about this and tried to remove Petelos, drawing national media attention to the issue. They were not successful in removing her. However, this incident led to a fracture among College Republicans. There have been a few camps, but two major ones are as follows:

1. Follow the state party no matter what.

2. The College Republicans need to have their own unique views and not be held hostage by the state party.

Looking back at the statement made by the newly elected statewide Republican chair, it is problematic to me. Beyond gay marriage, there is a bigger problem. These statements lead to a blind following of the leader. Simply put, that is not what young people today need to be doing.

While unity is obviously important, I think that there are more important ideas at play here. College-aged Republicans have different concerns than older Republicans. In order for the party to grow and adapt to different needs, as all parties must do with each generation, it needs the College Republicans to keep it in check.

If the College Republicans are not willing to stand up for the future, then the party will continue to lose the young vote.

With the past moves by former chair Petelos, we have moved backwards again. Petelos did a lot of good for the state, and she worked hard to make sure the College Republicans remained relevant. This new move is particularly problematic when looking at the progress the College Republicans made. People saw Petelos as someone who was working hard for change and for the betterment of the party. This press release has tried its best to take away that progress.

So, this is not about a specific issue. It’s bigger than that. Much bigger. College Republicans need their own ability to make decisions, to look at each issue and decide, as young people, how it affects them. With that knowledge, it is up to them to understand how to respond.

The issue is about how young voters need to show older members of the party that we want change and that we will not settle for the same old, same old.

This is not a personal attack on the new chair. Still, College Republicans should have individual views, and they should feel comfortable enough to share them. The current resolution that was just passed squelches that ability. This is problematic to me.

Regan Williams is a junior majoring in political science and communication studies. His column runs biweekly. He formerly served as chair of The University of Alabama College Republicans.