Richard West’s June 30 op-ed on student protests misses the point of student protests in service to his self-adulation of being right.
Student protests, agree or not, serve a vital function to both students and the public:
• For the student, an academic setting is ripe for confronting social issues. Conversations and debates are generated. Protest and challenge are engendered. Public silence or apathy needs to be confronted. An argument can be made as to proper means of protest, be it nonviolent, civil disobedience or property destruction. These are, historically, challenges of public protests.
• For the public, it offers a means of exposure to the issues. Students, correct or not, offer an opportunity to challenge our own opinions or positions on issues.
It’s an insult to students that the lack of organized demonstrations postsemester indicates their lack of commitment. West surely understands the scheduling challenges of students. Work, family obligations, further studies (including social issues) go beyond the academic year.
I applaud these protests, despite their limitations and purpose. Students will look back, reflect on their involvement, and determine how best to utilize their energies and intellect in the future. It’s a dynamic process.
To suggest that students lack “true commitment to an ideal simply because the sun and the beach beckons” is a most cynical and superficial understanding of the roles of students, protests and public social issues demanding attention.
Rob Boudewijn
Portland
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