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Our View - Bring back the protest
Issue date: 4/22/08 Section: Opinion
Remember when activism used to be cool?
Maybe it was back when the war in Iraq started, or right before the troop surge. We at the Collegian recall those days, when there was pride to be freezing on a cold Saturday morning just so you could shout to the world your feelings regarding this and that. There was something respectable in plastering the back of your SUV with yellow ribbons or bumper stickers with clever slogans.
But apparently, those days of caring about the war in Iraq are passé to the general college population. And, as we've found, it's especially bad here at CSU; the war's anniversary came and went without a single peep from any organization on campus. It's almost as if it'd take an invasion of Iran to get the ball rolling again. Or a draft.
It shouldn't be that way.
Part of the reasoning behind the decline in protests may come from the fact that the War in Iraq has become secondary in the general public's concerns, especially during an intense election process and painful economic season. People may presume this war is on a decline, but given General David Petraeus' recent recommendations, it may be dragging on longer than one would think.
As college students in that delightful 18-30 age demographic, we hold certain sway in deciding what is and isn't cool. So why don't we use that power to our advantage, instead of letting the apathy creep in when we find ourselves busy with school or work? By refusing to let ourselves be swayed into inaction, we can continue to let ordinary passersby hear our message, and when that occurs, someone just might stop and think.
With that said, we at the Collegian would like to use our powers as campus leaders to declare that political activism, once again, is cool.
Maybe it was back when the war in Iraq started, or right before the troop surge. We at the Collegian recall those days, when there was pride to be freezing on a cold Saturday morning just so you could shout to the world your feelings regarding this and that. There was something respectable in plastering the back of your SUV with yellow ribbons or bumper stickers with clever slogans.
But apparently, those days of caring about the war in Iraq are passé to the general college population. And, as we've found, it's especially bad here at CSU; the war's anniversary came and went without a single peep from any organization on campus. It's almost as if it'd take an invasion of Iran to get the ball rolling again. Or a draft.
It shouldn't be that way.
Part of the reasoning behind the decline in protests may come from the fact that the War in Iraq has become secondary in the general public's concerns, especially during an intense election process and painful economic season. People may presume this war is on a decline, but given General David Petraeus' recent recommendations, it may be dragging on longer than one would think.
As college students in that delightful 18-30 age demographic, we hold certain sway in deciding what is and isn't cool. So why don't we use that power to our advantage, instead of letting the apathy creep in when we find ourselves busy with school or work? By refusing to let ourselves be swayed into inaction, we can continue to let ordinary passersby hear our message, and when that occurs, someone just might stop and think.
With that said, we at the Collegian would like to use our powers as campus leaders to declare that political activism, once again, is cool.
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 5
Alex
posted 4/22/08 @ 1:59 PM MST
What a pathetic reflection on the level of social awareness in this town.
Wake up Fort Collins, this is suppose to be a town of a large student population. (Continued…)
Clueful
posted 4/22/08 @ 2:18 PM MST
Worthless commentary from folks who have no clue about their own generation.
Protests and hippie nonsense like that never have and never will solve these problems. (Continued…)
Wow...
posted 4/22/08 @ 5:34 PM MST
What a ridiculous article. Protests are simply lame excuses to get out of something and parlay true responsibility. If you want to make a difference, stand up and act; don't just bitch about it. (Continued…)
Registered Independent
posted 4/23/08 @ 10:13 AM MST
Yesterdays "exit polls" in Pennsylvania revealed that the war is the primary issue to only 28% of voters.
And that polling was taken among hundreds of thousands of registered Democrats. (Continued…)
Craig Hawley
posted 4/23/08 @ 2:55 PM MST
I'll tell you the main reason for the apathy on the war. Liberals and Democrats have tried to actively sabotage the war effort for political gain.
As long as the war was going badly they and their minions in the media ( fox news excepted ) made it front page news. (Continued…)
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