by Tanner Ewalt
Wyoming Congressman Scott Smith was one of about 20 members of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus to advocate for the right to marry children under 16 in the 2023 Wyoming Legislature.
Scott claimed his district has “pretty mature” children. And their families don't want the government to interfere in their personal decisions.
Thankfully, the state legislature disagreed with the Freedom Caucus and banned child marriage in our state. But now the Freedom Caucus is coming to the University of Wyoming to advance its agenda. As a student here, I am very concerned about that.
The Freedom Caucus went so far as to endorse candidates for student government at the University of California. This support is ironic given that the Freedom Caucus has spent time in Congress attacking UW. They regularly sponsor proposals that would reduce funding to colleges and programs that enable our universities to be nationally competitive and enrich the educational experience.
This means that the very people who voted against our budget and want us to close our doors will follow their lead in destroying what makes the University of Washington an attractive and inclusive place. It speaks volumes that we choose to advocate for our students.
The Freedom Caucus, along with a handful of far-right senators, has led efforts to defund the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and DEI programs on campus. This initiative supports student veterans and other groups who have achieved awards and more. Our university and state government support.
While the Freedom Caucus relies on extremist rhetoric from Washington, D.C., the reality is that DEI plays a role in supporting research that informs our understanding of things like the aging population and climate's impact on suicide rates. DEI protects women's sports through Title IX and protects our religious freedom through Title VI. We help many talented international students find a community of fellow cowboys. DEI is embedded in the state’s motto, “Equal Rights.”
The University of Wyoming is a leading research institution in industries such as fossil fuels, and DEI helps attract top students to the College of Engineering. But the Freedom Caucus wants to shut all of this down and reduce the ability of the students we are recruiting.
They are currently supporting student government candidates who they believe will support extremist projects.
The Freedom Caucus stands for more than the “freedom” to marry children. They are also voting against important programs that would benefit young people across the state who are battling suicide in a state where suicide rates are consistently high. The Freedom Caucus voted against the state's 988 suicide hotline, an important tool that helps people across Wyoming connect with local mental health care. They also voted against a bill that would have helped fund mental health programs and suicide prevention efforts for the state's youth through K-12 public schools.
Don't get me wrong, the Freedom Caucus is interfering in our student elections because they are “building the bench” for tomorrow and one day people who share their radical ideology will be elected to the Wyoming State Legislature. Moreover, he intends to run for the US Congress. They want the government to defund the University of Wyoming and instead install institutions that limit people's freedoms and drive more young people out of the state or worse, out of their lives. We are trying to cultivate new politicians who will promote the platform of
University of Wyoming students should reject these politicians who interfere in our lives. Because in addition to their fringe thinking, they have no idea what's great about our universities.
