Have you heard Bill Moyers, Jim Hightower, Bob Kuttner, or anyone like that mention us? The progressive intelligentsia is doomed to perpetual failure because they so dislike the Republican version of American politics that they are willing to go with something a little lighter namely the Democratic version of American politics. And so they put a little ring in their nose and they give the least worst---the Democratic candidate---the tether.
So true. It cuts straight to the core and not responding to such an indictment properly would be selfish. It would be a forfeiture of a future we the people should be able to give to next generations.
On a larger scale, I hope we find the capacity to organize an alternative news website that consists of young minds dishing out opinions and research to contribute to a better future in America. Specifically, I wish to challenge our school newspaper, the Columbia Chronicle, to be more provocative and more informative than it tends to be. The future of journalism is at stake here and this is what I hope to influence.
I hope to convene a Chicago Conference for Media Reform like the National Conference for Media Reform. We will use the college facilities to hold workshops, film screenings, panel discussions, and speaking events for those all over the Midwest and America to attend.
If this isn’t enough for me to handle, I am in Student Government here at Columbia, which will give me the opportunity to push those who feel they have the right to govern to create some changes on campus that can really improve the political climate on campus.
I’m a dreamer, but this is what I would like to see happen. I would like to see our Student Government meetings streamed online for those to view while we are in session and Robert’s Rules of Order dropped so that others can attend and participate in our meetings by asking questions of us and helping to enact policies.
I have no illusions about this administration that runs our Student Government and our school. I plan to bump up against them with demands to remove a U.S. Army Career Center from our campus. That will not be easy since they have put the center on campus through cooperation with Roosevelt University and DePaul University. But, I have a red herring up my sleeve that should push the administration to at least defend their decision to keep the military career center on campus.
I would like to see members of Student Government and others agree to hold some healthy discussions and formal debates over issues this nation faces by not just having a panel of speakers come impart their knowledge to students but by asking students to ask questions of other students. Together, a series of debates could ignite a political discussion on campus that could motivate us into action.
You want to see what the Obama Generation is capable of? Let’s inject some specificity into this future of hope and change and get to work on what we the people must accomplish.
I want to use Student Government to get an office for all political groups on campus and then I want to use that office to run a community watchdog or congress watchdog group from campus which would hold the representative from this congressional district accountable. It would be part of the Nader/Gonzalez’s plan to go beyond their presidential campaign and develop laser-like focus on Congress so we the people can some day enjoy benefits that Western Europe has had since after WWII, benefits which include universal health care, decent pensions, living wage, laws to facilitate trade union organization and cooperative organization, university free tuition, decent public transit, paid maternity leave and paid family sick leave, and up to four weeks paid vacation. And, by using my campus to organize the people in the congressional district, we would be lowering the amount of money needed to organize initially until we raised enough for storefront property which could employ a few full-time organizers.
I cannot forget that I have to go to classes while doing all this. But, class can be a part of this work. Let me explain---
I have a Reporting and Writing 1 class, which can help me write articles to support the work I hope to engage in.
I have a class on Epidemics and Diseases, which can help me, examine some of the science that affects the scope of politics right now.
I have a Politics and Civil Rights class. You can figure out the possibilities with that one.
I have a Speaking on Message class. This will improve my public speaking skills but also allow me to write speeches I will deliver to classmates and possibly use when organizing people on campus.
I have a Posthumanism in Science Fiction class. I already plan to examine all the dystopian works out there on our surveillance culture and use it to stir up political opinion.
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