editorial

Author: Editorial Board

Shouting match on campus politics blurs the issues

Not two weeks into the new academic term, political "debate" on campus is manifesting itself in an all-too-common flurry of activity in the McCullough Student Center Mail Room. A poster displayed by the College Republicans on the club's bulletin board was defaced over the weekend, and a meager note from club leadership appeared next to the torn poster on Sunday.

"What does it say about Middlebury if anything representing a minority political viewpoint is torn down or damaged within 48 hours?" the single sheet of paper asks onlookers. The note continues, "If what we put up upsets you, we invite you to come discuss it with us instead of damaging or destroying it."

By Monday night, though, the note itself remained in lonely evidence on the bulletin board and the torn poster had disappeared. According to Heather Pangle '10, co-president of the College Republicans and author of the McCullough note, the club has not been able to keep anything on the board for more than two days at a time since last year.

The posters stirred up their own fair share of controversy this week. Emblazoned with the words "Never Forget" along with images of terrorist attacks, the posters elicited strong reactions from students, faculty and staff members of all political leanings. The complete lack of respect for the group responsible for these posters, however, is disheartening. Rather than encouraging destructive behavior, the posters - controversial though they may be - should point to the very real opportunity to enliven political debate on campus. We expect better of this community. While the actions of a few cannot and should not represent the behavior of many, we were disappointed nonetheless by this weekend's events.

Unfortunately, however, this weekend's display of disrespect was not an isolated event. Some will remember, of course, last semester's proverbial shouting match on the same bulletin board. These statements gradually dissolved into snide and childish comments that were not conducive to any productive debate.

The responsibility to engage in lively, meaningful discussion in which all ideas are respected - including political leanings currently out-of-fashion among many students, faculty and staff - ultimately falls to individuals. At an institute of higher learning we hope students and teachers alike will embrace the opportunity to learn from the spectrum of viewpoints represented on campus, which will ultimately help them shape their own informed opinions about the world. Simply desecrating the displays of groups with whom one does not agree erodes the principle of openness upon which, we like to believe, the College as we know it today is run.

Student leaders, however, particularly of political groups on campus, are uniquely poised to create forums for dialogue. We challenge organizations like the College Republicans and College Democrats to lead the way in establishing constructive dialogues on campus. We also encourage students to make the most of established channels for voicing their beliefs.

Leave the bickering to the professional pundits. As yet more accusations of political apathy are leveled at Middlebury students, issues like the "Never Forget" poster could well provide the catalyst for conversation rather than the impetus for petty attacks. And as we enter a year destined to be rife with political debate, the Middlebury community should be a haven for open-minded, intellectual discussion.