The student government should be advocating for freedom of speech, especially for conservatives who have fallen victim to attempts to censor their ideas on campus.
It is CSG election time again — what many students describe as the worst time of the year. Despite the popular and pervasive idea that CSG does next to nothing, that isn’t the case. CSG actually has a large influence on campus, especially regarding the funding of student organizations and setting the standard for campus culture. When there is a political bias present within CSG, however, it can serve to marginalize students that disagree. There is a history of lawsuits and national news stories when CSG strays away from its real purpose: to make this university better for all students.
when it comes to the U-M Student Government, there should NEVER be a left or right divide
This is why I am deeply disappointed in one of the parties, NewMich, for its decision to accept the endorsement from the College Democrats at the University of Michigan. The presidential candidate, David Shafer, said on Facebook, “I’m very proud that Micah and I received the endorsement of College Democrats at the University of Michigan! We’re excited to further progressive values and advocate for equal representation and equal opportunity at the University of Michigan!”
Schafer didn’t just simply say ‘thank you’ for the endorsement, he took a step further and endorsed their ideas, thus marginalizing those who disagree.
Most people on campus know that I am a conservative, but when it comes to the U-M Student Government, there should NEVER be a left or right divide; rather, the goal should always be pursuing policies that improve our campus for all students. CSG should not have take positions or have policy preferences on things like taxes or foreign affairs.
Furthermore, the student government should be advocating for freedom of speech, especially for conservatives who have fallen victim to attempts to censor their ideas on campus. In fact, recently posters were torn down for a Ben Shapiro lecture, as well for an event featuring prominent Jewish conservatives. One of the panelists was a U-M regent. Our campus has a culture of censorship toward conservative ideas, and the student government should be actively creating a culture of freedom and unity — not division.
I know there are probably some NewMich candidates that disagree with the endorsement, but that doesn’t matter. The fact is, that on our divided campus today, it is a shame that by accepting a political endorsement, NewMich is actively taking steps which marginalize students that have different viewpoints than the College Democrats.
