for the privileged (white) American, it may take a good tear gassing to understand that when dissent on behalf of justice is criminalized, *anyone* using “tough on crime” rhetoric is giving American fascism a little boost, does not matter if they vote blue or red. anyone who uses their podium to lie about the nature of protests, or to elevate fear of disorder over the protection of human rights is someone who has decided to bless the violent over the vulnerable, and that fertilizes fascism
between BLM and now the campus protests, this gen is learning that US politics is not a spectrum from blue to red. there is no center or centrism here, just a bold dividing line in front of people and causes whom the police will immediately go to war with, and on the other side of that line are people who defend the police (“law and order”), who are “tough on crime”, who will both sides the human rights of others, and who will prioritize polls, norms and careers over justice. no center
the wto protests were a turning point for me as a college student, that's when i learned that the news media can lie, and that militarized police are the ones who overwhelmingly initiate fear and perpetrate the violence accredited to protestors on the evening news. i guess a new generation of college students is learning about this now, probably the most important thing they'll learn on their campuses in 4 years tbh
In Toronto a few months ago, I met a young man from Iran whose protests cost him his college degree. Since then, I have been researching how to help student protesters return to campus. Initially, my thoughts were with young people in Hong Kong, Iran, and China. I’ve never had many illusions about the system I myself live in. However, what is currently happening in the US, and the cruelty shown by university administrators and boards towards our own students, still leaves me speechless.
nullagent
wet forest moon folklorist
The Conversation U.S.
Brian Gettler
stux⚡️
John Jackson
Tess (they/them)