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On Jan. 20 at 12 p.m. I will be walking out of class and heading to the University Green as a mild act of civil disobedience. My intentions are to show my classmates who will be disproportionately affected by the incoming regime that I will risk my security to fight for theirs.
Martin Luther King Jr., in his famous “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” gave an indictment against those moderate whites who would sit in their homes watching the Civil Rights Movement from their couches rather than experiencing it in the streets. For people like me (straight, cis, white men) the most negligent action we can take against our neighbors, and ourselves, is inaction.
Must we wait until we are sick and without healthcare to be spurred into action? Must we wait until the women we love and care for are openly harassed before we actively denounce misogyny? Must we wait until the sky is thick with fog, our rivers and water supplies with oil,and our oceans with waste before we take a stand to protect our environment?
I say we cannot afford to wait. We must take action today to ensure that Ball State is a safe and welcoming place for all of our friends and neighbors and to uphold the values of inclusion, opportunity and cooperation on our campus. When we think of the impending loss of healthcare for millions, we must ask Ball State to reallocate the excessive portions of our tuition that fund our sport programs into fulfilling their promise of 12 free counseling sessions for everyone who needs it. When we think of the millions of immigrants, people of color, women, and queer community members whose safety in our communities will be at risk, we must ask Ball State to uphold its promise of diversity and inclusion at more than a symbolic level.
Across the nation we can see that the interest of the richest are being championed over those of the everyday citizen. The pandering to big money donors can be seen all the way down our government systems: from state governments and even all the way to university administrations. We must hold Ball State accountable and ask for quality education and access to health services over $6-million-dollar practice courts.
If these sentiments resonate with you, I hope you will join me in walking out on Inauguration Day. If you are burning with the desire to take action, now is the time to make your voice heard. This act will serve as an inspiration to others of like mind, who genuinely care for others regardless of their race, class or gender, to join together in a fight to preserve the ever-valued ideals of inclusion, opportunity, and cooperation.
Together, we can ensure that our campus embodies these ideals even if our country’s leaders don’t.
Daniel Wills, President: Progressive Student Alliance
drwills95@gmail.com
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