O
ne of my favorite quotes
comes from the poet
Tyler
Knott
Gregson:
“Out of the darkness, we can
make light.” In so few words, he
conveys a very simple
concept: There is always
a light at the end of the
tunnel, but only if we
seek it. Silver linings do
not come freely.
It can be difficult, I
know, to believe there
will be light in the wake
of
this
presidential
election. After all, as
I went to sleep early
Wednesday
morning
with Donald Trump just shy of
270 electoral votes, I thought the
world was going to end. Being
quite the dramatist, I literally
thought the world would implode
or explode sooner than America
would elect Trump into the
highest office of the country.
But, as it always does, day
came, and the world didn’t end.
Nov. 9, 2016, was just another day,
albeit an extremely gloomy one.
A depression seemed to settle
over campus as students trudged
to and from class (or skipped
class entirely) with morose faces
and empty eyes, wondering how,
how, how could this possibly be
reality? But don’t mistake this
depression as defeat. No, we were
merely taking our rightful time to
mourn. And when we were done,
when the shock had settled and
our hearts finished sinking, we
found strength and solidarity in
each other.
That is our silver lining.
Of course, it’s disheartening
to know that the glass ceiling
is still very much intact, that
America will seemingly elect
anyone, no political experience
required, into office as long as
they’re not a woman. My heart
breaks for my Muslim and
Mexican peers who suddenly
have to fear for their lives, and
I’m angry that the results of the
election have emboldened closet
racists to threaten and harass
people of color, even here in Ann
Arbor. I’m sickened by the acts of
hate and intimidation expressed
on campus. I’m scared that all
the social progress made in the
last eight years on behalf of the
LGBTQ
community,
women
and minority groups will be
eradicated.
I’m
disappointed
that rape culture is so real that
half of the country
is willing to allow
a man who brags
about
sexual
assault to be the
face of the country.
I’m frightened that,
with a Republican-
controlled
House
and Senate, no one
will stop our future
president
from
building
a
wall,
defunding Planned Parenthood,
deporting
undocumented
immigrants (many of whom
grew up in America and know
no other country as home) and
so much more.
Yes,
I
am
disheartened,
angry, heartbroken, sickened,
scared,
disappointed
and
frightened, as many of us are.
But that’s the important part —
we are not alone.
Walking across the Diag and
seeing messages of acceptance
and kindness scrawled across
the red brick in the wake of
the election, it’s clear that this
university is devoted to diversity,
safety and compassion in such
a polarizing time. The swirling
chalk around my feet — with
messages such as “You belong
here” and “Love trumps hate”
— moved me to tears. The vigil
on the Diag the night after the
election was haunting, as candles
illuminated the faces of hundreds
of students who showed up to
support marginalized peers and
mourn together.
Students
again
stood
in
solidarity with those who felt
endangered after the election.
Music, Theatre & Dance senior
James Ross Kilmeade organized
a protest against intimidation
Saturday night after a student
was threatened and forced to
take off her hijab. Other students
have volunteered on Facebook
to walk those who feel unsafe
home at night.
Despite this horrible incident,
it is heartening to see that, for
every act of hate this election
has procured, this university
and its students respond in
love. I may be disappointed in
Michigan as a state for voting
the way it did, but I couldn’t be
more proud of the University of
Michigan for striving to make
the campus welcoming and
safe for everyone. It would be
easy to sit back and say, “We’re
screwed,” but the overwhelming
action stemming from pure
passion shows we will not take
this loss lying down. In the
midst of this darkness, the love
and compassion of students is
the light we need.
As we enter this trying time
together, we must preserve our
small and tentative light, harvest
it and let it grow with love. In
other words, we cannot stop. We
must continue to fight together
against hate, racism, xenophobia,
sexism and homophobia with
peace and unity. We must
continue to protect our Black,
Mexican, Muslim, LGBTQ and
female peers from those who
feel emboldened to be awful.
We must continue to make our
voices heard. We must make this
loss worth something. We must
make something good out of it.
And when the going gets
tough, we must catch the rare
silver linings. Though she did not
win the electoral vote, Hillary
Clinton won the popular vote,
which shows that a majority of
this country doesn’t support
Trump’s message. This election,
despite its result, has sparked
important
conversations
on
race,
immigration,
women’s
rights
and
so
much
more.
The American Civil Liberties
Union and Planned Parenthood
have received an outpouring
of support and donations in
the days since the election. A
map of the Electoral College
if just millennials voted is
overwhelmingly
blue.
We
students, in all our anger,
passion, generosity and empathy
— we are the future. And in these
dark times, we must be the light.
Opinion
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
4A — Friday, November 18, 2016
— Rev. Jesse Jackson addressing protesters at the
Students4Justice Walkout Wednesday afternoon.
“
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
We will outlast the meanness, we will
outlast hate. We will outlast violence.
Love will conquer hate. ”
Our silver lining
FROM THE DAILY
Response to #NotMyCampus
T
his week on campus, students continued to react to both the
presidential election results and the multiple hate crimes that
have occured in Ann Arbor since, culminating Wednesday when
nearly 1,000 students joined Rev. Jesse Jackson in a walkout protest
against racism and violence. However, one reaction stood out because of
its different focus. Earlier this week, students and others began circulating
a #NotMyCampus petition condemning and commenting on both recent
protests and a Nov. 9 vigil on the Diag in response to the election results.
Appended to the petition were personal statements by community
members expressing feelings of misrepresentation by the administration
and exclusion from their community for their conservative viewpoints.
While it’s vital that campus is a space where all feel comfortable engaging
in thoughtful dialogue about their political leanings, we feel this petition
misunderstands the fact that one cannot equate these feelings of exclusion
to fearing for the safety of their life, a salient concern for students in light
of recent indicents of violence on this campus.
We
recognize
that
the
roughly 10 percent of students
who
voted
for
President-
elect
Donald
Trump
feel
excluded, and these feelings are
legitimate. Research suggests
that the kind of polarized
rhetoric
surrounding
this
election could have adverse
effects on the social progress
that occurs when we have
conversations with those who
hold different views than our
own. It must be understood that
many students who voted this
way do not feel aligned with
Trump’s offensive ideology and
voted for him for other reasons.
But we must also emphasize
why the majority of our campus
community is frustrated by
the students who signed the
#NotMyCampus petition. We
fear the petition signers may
not understand how those who
are fearful for their physical
safety see a vote for Trump
as a vote for racism and other
discriminatory ideas to reign
in our world. It is impossible to
divorce the idea of Trump from
the offensive rhetoric and racist
beliefs his campaign promoted,
legitimized
and
normalized.
It
is
concerning
that
the
students who voted for Trump
— regardless of whether they
personally support such rhetoric
— could put aside his alarmingly
exclusionary
and
offensive
claims and promises, seemingly
not understanding how this kind
of speech can harm our country
and our campus.
The statement under most
scrutiny by the petition is
from
a
speech
University
President Mark Schlissel gave
at the Nov. 9 vigil, in which he
stated, “Ninety percent of you
rejected the kind of hate and the
fractiousness and the longing for
some kind of idealized version
of a non-existent yesterday
that was expressed during the
campaign.” With these remarks,
Schlissel made two parallels:
A vote for a candidate other
than Trump is a vote against
hate, and by extension, a vote
for Trump is a vote for hate.
Though
somewhat
indirect,
this second parallel — along
with administrators’ extensive
outreach to students both over
email and through presence
at protests — understandably
made many students who voted
for Trump feel ostracized. We
feel that Schlissel’s quote was
not attempting to condemn
students who voted for Trump,
but rather prioritizing students
who are grieving, suffering or
fearing for their livelihood.
But we also believe Schlissel
should and could represent
and support the 90 percent of
students who voted against
Trump without rejecting the
10 percent of students who did
by affirming student safety
and concerns without wading
into ideology. It is vital that
Schlissel understands this and
urges our community to come
together instead of deepening
the divide.
We do want to acknowledge
the proactive approach Schlissel
and other administrators have
taken. In the recent past, from
the #BBUM movement to the
protests against racist posters
to the creation of this year’s
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Plan, administrators have been
criticized by students for not
engaging with students enough
and
not
providing
genuine
support
when
students
are
both frustrated and hurting.
This week, Schlissel and many
administrators and staff have
been present and supportive.
In comparison to the University
administration’s past responses
to
students’
concerns
on
campus, Schlissel and other
administrators’
responses
to hateful rhetoric should be
commended.
Everyone in our University
community must be careful
not to denounce conservative
or
Republican
ideology
and
increase
the
harmful
polarization that has made
Trump
the
president-elect.
Though the 10 percent’s feelings
of exclusion should be heard,
these same students must, in
turn, hear and understand why
marginalized
communities
and their allies feel their
votes supporting Trump are
votes supporting racism. Only
when both sides have listened
and heard this can we begin to
move forward toward a more
productive, safe and united
campus.
Don’t let BDS divide us
ALONA HENIG | OP-ED
M
y parents were born
and raised in Israel,
and lived there until
they were 28 years old. They’re
my only family members who
don’t currently live in Israel, so
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
is very near and dear to my
heart. Human rights have also
always been important to me.
Last year, I met two Palestinian
refugees around my age, and
they welcomed me into their
home. They offered me tea and
cookies and showed me love,
despite coming from a country
whose military evicted them
from their homes. At that point
I knew I had to do something.
It’s incredible what three
letters can do to a student
body. As soon as “BDS: Boycott,
Divest, Sanctions” is heard, we
shut down — we pick a side.
Some consider it a divisive
movement, but I don’t believe
the resolution’s intention is to
divide us. I genuinely believe
the Palestinian students and
authors
of
this
resolution
are not solely at fault for this
division — we all are.
It’s easy to stand divided,
to surround ourselves with
comfortable conversation and
put down the other side. And at
times, I do it, too. I sometimes
shut down and tell myself BDS
isn’t constructive and will
drive us farther from peace.
If we reject this proposal,
however, then we must find an
alternative, one that will also
work to end the occupation of
the West Bank and Gaza Strip
and one that will ensure self-
determination for both Israelis
and Palestinians. We must find
ways to strive for peace and
collaboration in this effort.
My
goal,
along
with
J
Street U’s goal, is to end the
occupation in Gaza and the
West Bank. We strive to find
a two-state solution — a way
for both peoples to obtain
and maintain sovereignty and
liberty from one another, with
neither side having power over
the other, which is so clearly
not the case right now.
The BDS movement is scary
because it’s seen as a threat to
Israel’s security and, globally,
doesn’t
recognize
Israel’s
right to exist as a Jewish and
democratic state. I understand
this is a high priority for many
students and faculty members at
this University. When we hear
BDS, we, specifically Jews
on campus, are concerned
Israel is in danger. This
fear is valid — it comes
from a genuine place, but
that fear cannot overpower
the
legitimate
suffering
taking place throughout the
occupied territories.
That being said, economic
pressure is an important part
of creating change, so I’d like
to propose an alternative. We,
as a campus, need to fund
peace
projects.
There
are
numerous
organizations
in
the United States, Israel and
Palestine
working
toward
peace, such as Hand in Hand,
B’Tselem, The Third Narrative
and OneVoice. These are really
incredible
organizations
working on the ground to bring
people together and end the
violence and hatred evident in
this conflict.
Avoiding
one
another
and
working solely to shut one side
down rather than hearing what
they have to say will not bring us
closer to peace. Just yesterday,
Students Allied for Freedom and
Equality hosted an event open
to everyone to come and learn
and ask questions and discuss.
We, as members of the pro-Israel
community, need to take it upon
ourselves to attend those events.
Let me also add that we
are all Wolverines here. As
equal students on this campus,
we all pay tuition, attend
challenging classes and walk
through the same Diag. CSG is
a governmental body seeking
to represent us all and it’s time
to come together. If we, here in
Ann Arbor, can’t work together
and challenge ourselves to
listen to one another, what
does that say for any hope
across countries?
We have a responsibility to
mobilize and work together.
We must include members
of all perspectives in the
conversation. We have to put
ourselves
in
conversations
that may hurt and frustrate
us to ultimately come out
with a better understanding.
One campus’s BDS decision,
whether
approved
or
not,
doesn’t
end
the
atrocities
happening overseas. I call on
us to carry this momentum into
tomorrow and the upcoming
weeks, months and even years.
Work to change your lens, to
undo your bias. Don’t let this
be an issue we care about today
but forget about tomorrow.
The
issue
is
incredibly
controversial,
but
that
is
good — it brings passion.
I invite you to join us at J
Street meetings to learn and
grow together. I encourage
you to attend and listen to
SAFE presentations as well
as pro-Israel events. We are
on such an incredible campus
with so many opportunities to
challenge ourselves available
to us, so let’s use them. These
issues are hard and I’m sorry
for the hurt they cause, but if
we want to see change, it has
to start with us.
LAURA SCHINAGLE
Managing Editor
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890.
SHOHAM GEVA
Editor in Chief
CLAIRE BRYAN
and REGAN DETWILER
Editorial Page Editors
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s Editorial Board.
All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
Carolyn Ayaub
Claire Bryan
Regan Detwiler
Brett Graham
Caitlin Heenan
Jeremy Kaplan
Ben Keller
Minsoo Kim
Madeline Nowicki
Anna Polumbo-Levy
Jason Rowland
Ali Safawi
Kevin Sweitzer
Rebecca Tarnopol
Ashley Tjhung
Stephanie Trierweiler
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Alona Henig is a sophomore in LSA
and a co-chair of J Street UMich.
ASHLEY ZHANG | COLUMN
ASHLEY
ZHANG
Ashley Zhang can be reached at
ashleyzh@umich.edu
ALONA HENIG
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