Friday, May 29, 1998
Change doesn’t come through words
APATHY: When presented with key campus issues, choose side, not
sideline
By Brian Neil Rudiger
There has been a great deal of discussion these past few weeks
concerning the various actions and demonstrations of the
Affirmative Action Coalition.
Many people have clearly articulated the necessity of
affirmative action and the racist implications of Proposition 209,
so I will not reiterate what they have already said. What I seek to
expose is the disease of political apathy that plagues our
campus.
Countless columns in The Bruin have been devoted to petty
complaints about being "harassed" or "bothered" on Bruin Walk or
some other campus venue by proponents or opponents of various
political beliefs. The brunt of this criticism has been directed
against the opponents of Proposition 209.
In his column on May 26 ("Demonstrators’ strategy not most
effective path"), Jesse Torres spends much of his time criticizing
the tactics of the Affirmative Action Coalition (AAC). He says that
"our best bet and our biggest power" is voting, and that it’s time
"we all took a moment to stop the noise making and take a look at
those candidates running in the state elections."
First of all, it’s rather convenient that Torres discounts the
"noise making" protests in favor of the relatively easy role of
voting. Imagine where our society would be if people only
demonstrated their political force through voting! What if people
like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Fannie Lou Hamer had
relied solely on the electoral process to bring about equality for
African Americans? It is important to recognize that it takes a lot
more than voting to enact major change in a society.
And by the way, there are numerous people from campus working on
the Equal Educational Opportunity Initiative, so there are, indeed,
opportunities for those who want to make a difference through the
elections.
Secondly, who is this "we" he keeps talking about? While I am
sure we all appreciate that Torres "can understand the concern and
frustration that people feel about losing affirmative action and
how scary Proposition 209 seems," what really concerns me is the
level of apathy that arguments like his express. People keep saying
that "we should do this" and "we should do that." But, may I ask,
have they ever been to an AAC meeting? Have they organized their
own campus group that takes on political issues? I have never seen
Torres or any of the other detractors of our tactics do such a
thing.
What I am getting at is that it is awfully easy for one to
criticize the actions of activists when all one has to do is worry
about getting to your next midterm or attending your next frat
party. Everyone who has ideas about different strategies to bring
back affirmative action is welcome to come to the AAC meetings. And
those who want to see affirmative action left in the dust can ally
themselves with Chancellor Carnesale, the Bruin Republicans or the
Young Americans for Freedom. As much as I find the arguments of the
right-wing campus groups to be repulsive, at least they have
expended the effort to mobilize a small, often irrational, yet
fairly vocal opposition. The fight over affirmative action is
indeed a fight, and while it is unfortunate that certain members of
our community have chosen to take the side of the privileged elite,
they have at least recognized and taken part in the struggle, which
is more than I can say for the apathetic students on this
campus.
A large percentage of the UCLA community has chosen to avoid the
issue of affirmative action and would rather throw stones from a
safe, inactive distance. Actions speak louder than words. Carnesale
has made it clear, by his inaction, that he is not committed to
diversity. The UCPD has made it clear, by their harassment of
protesters and Affirmative Action Coalition members, that they are
willing and able to enforce a police state. Rather than merely
sitting there and throwing out insults and criticisms, make it
clear that you are not going to be just another apathetic college
student.
Come out and help so that we can create change together!