This week, campus was a battleground with enough ideological blood spilled to have christened our grounds and once again affirmed our liberal arts roots; or rather, this week had the potential to do just that. The battles, however, were more trumpets than swords and more fanfare than combat. Battles are the center of a liberal arts education, and it is these that I would like to call attention too. In the words of my roommate: who are we protesting against?
So, who are we fighting against? While there are, in fact, people on this campus that stand against the majority of us progressives, his point sticks. We have no adversaries on this campus; the ideological warfare has grown stale. We have tricked ourselves into believing that, by all being progressive, we are open-minded. But believe me, this is not the case.
To be open-minded is to not only invite discussion, but to thrive upon it, and just maybe let it sway you. That should be our battle tradition. We should have a tradition of engaging opposing ideals. Instead, we have a habit of setting up a grand circle jerk to espouse all liberal ideas and then pat each other on the back when it’s finished.
I write in the days leading up to the controversial “Stonewall” screening. I will not discuss the merits of the film, because I haven’t seen it, and that isn’t the point. The point is that the battle currently being waged provides no real contest. There is no spectacle at all to see other than the signs that will bar the doors to the theatre. This spectacle is fanfare. This spectacle pales in comparison to the display that appears when conceptions are challenged, and opposing viewpoints meet head to head in an all-out battle royale. This would is the combat.
There is no idea or viewpoint so dangerous that it can’t be met on the field of battle. To dismiss a portion of any discussion is close-minded. I have heard it said that white people cannot speak about diversity and that allies and non-queer people cannot speak about sexuality. That is close-minded. Sure, they can’t talk about it in the way that I can as a member of both communities with some supposed authority here, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t invited to test me. I am confident enough in my experiences and my beliefs that I don’t mind being challenged or asked to look at something from a perspective other than my own.
We use the term “social justice warrior” in a derogatory manner nowadays; however, I wear that badge with honor. The term is mocked because there are some warriors who fight only to exclude discussion. This is apparent to me in two prime examples: first, a conversation I witnessed on social media, where one such warrior told someone that they had no right to discuss the topic at hand. A queer person versus an ally. Why would they not only exclude an ally, but make themselves deaf to someone else trying to be heard? Isn’t that the most frustrating part of being marginalized, the feeling that absolutely nobody will listen? Why would we turn around and devalue other peoples’ opinions and exclude them from discussion?
Maybe the second example will make things clearer. Regarding the issue of “Stonewall,” a discussion was held to talk about the film coming to campus. Queer professor Naomi Wood wanted to discuss the film, and our brave warriors walked out. Perhaps they wanted to send another message, that the whitewashing of the film would not be tolerated, but they did this through running. They sought to communicate a message without actually having to go to battle. They showed us what a liberal arts school looks like with no adversaries, and they showed us what it looks like when we grow comfortable.
In this school, we have no adversaries. If you know me, I am willing to be that person. Though I about write some things I believe, I also don’t believe everything I write. I write some things because we are so blandly devoid of variety that it’s exhausting, not to mention limiting. Join me in challenging those around you. Who cares if you agree? Be an asshole. It is in the moments of people being assholes, of people meeting on the battlefield with ideas in hand, it is when we are ready to beat each other into the dirt with passion, that we grow.
Let’s get our hands dirty and let the blood flow. There are few enough battles to be had on this campus as it stands, so when you see one don’t shy away from it; pick up your weapons and go to battle. Take a hit, go down, and learn something new. That’s what we are here for—to bleed and to grow. That doesn’t happen if you tell someone they aren’t allowed to fight, that doesn’t happen if we run away, and that doesn’t happen if you’re not willing to be the adversary. Shields up, warriors; it’s time to silence the trumpets and actually go to battle.