For some years now the decline of civil discourse in American society has been lamented by reasonable people. Political dialogue has only a few modes: gaslighting, personal attack, partisan huckstering, and populist ooze. Honest discussion, with back-and-forth conversation and polite disagreement, has all but disappeared.
This has resulted in the loss of self-restraint and basic courtesy. For group dynamics, it's toxic. Enter the Young Republicans, recently exposed in a secret online group to be involved in a sort of one-upmanship to see who could be the greatest racist/misogynist/anti-Semite.
This can't and shouldn't be brushed off as a "boys will be boys" shenanigan. The participants are in their late 20s or early 30s. They are striving to be leaders and influencers of this and future generations.
No doubt they have been influenced by previous generations: continuous false rhetoric from candidates and government officials that communities like Aurora, Colo., and Springfield, Ohio, are under attack by immigrants, failure by Republican leaders to condemn violent white supremacist rallies like the infamous 2017 Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville which ended in violence, and relentless digital campaigns that normalize bigotry.
I have written before that the Republican Party should strongly reconsider whether the "big tent" really needs to extend to cover white supremacists. I'm saying it again: is this the vote you really need to court?
Social media is where people go to reinvent themselves, and much of the reinvention is based on imitation. A single good idea will be adopted by thousands – it's called a "hack." With the citizenry buried in their phones, political leaders have a one-way channel to influence. And it isn't thoughtful or nuanced.
We shouldn't be surprised at the Young Republicans. They were only acting out as they had been shaped. The question of accountability is important and also the relative severity of consequences. Who really deserves canceling in this day and age? It will also be very easy in today's say-anything-loud-enough digital landscape for these individuals to develop a following as "victims of wokehood."
I think public apologies and resignations from leadership positions are appropriate. Do I think the individuals are un-rehabilitatable? Not necessarily, as they are still new in their professional careers. People in that age group still grow and get better. The stigma of being publicly outed is going to cling to these individuals for some time. Certain employers will care less than others.
In 2025, the chaos is moving so fast the Young Republicans will likely be forgotten in short order. Yet the noxious ecosystem that shaped them and made that poison normal for their banter is still slithering hydra-like through the country and our political system. A few apologies and public sackings will not only not eliminate the scourge of Gen Z bigotry, like a hydra, it may inspire new imitators.
In these tense times, I try to look for opportunity or fall back on hope. Casual and accepted bigotry in an organization I affiliated with for 36 years is a tough lift for me. Here I rely on pragmatism: it is better to know the evil is there than to be surprised by it later. It is up to us to be better than the Young Republicans, reject this behavior, and set examples by our own.
Merritt Hamilton Allen is a PR executive and former Navy officer. She appeared regularly as a panelist on NM PBS and is a frequent guest on News Radio KKOB. A Republican for 36 years, she became an independent upon reading the 2024 Republican platform. She lives amicably with her Democratic husband north of I-40 where they run one head of dog, and one of cat. She can be reached at
