Letter on the Need for Coalition
By Finnegan Wright
To the students of Berkeley, and of any other college, concerned by the election results from earlier this month:
We are in for challenging times. They may last just a couple of years; they may also last much longer. We are going to see threats to our families, friends, and classmates. Students reliant on government loans and Pell Grants may see their ability to pay for college evaporate. International students, migrant students, and children of immigrants may be at risk of deportation. Queer students may see their freedom of expression and access to healthcare restricted. Contraceptives, birth control, and abortion may be limited. Costs of living may jump.
It is of utmost importance that we act fast—faster than the Republicans can strip away the rights of our communities. We need to provide support for at-risk students, build stronger community ties, and prepare to bring people who’ve rarely been involved in politics before into a shared camp. We must have a strong, unifying vision and clear messaging. We must have strength in numbers, and discipline in action.
On campuses right now, politically-active student organizations are numerous. There is value in diversity of thought, and students who focus on a variety of issues. Yet, there is also grave weakness in division. Weakness which, in this time, we simply cannot afford. The rights and livelihoods of the people we care about most are at stake.
Many of our classmates want to get involved; many reading this are trying to figure out how. Many more will join this fight in the future—out of desire, or out of necessity. If they, in this surge to action, find themselves confronted with a spattering of groups, each with different focuses, messages, beliefs, and interests, they will freeze. We will all lose. Instead, if we can present a unified front to our respective student bodies, our ranks will surge. We will change minds, create ties, and defend our communities. We can break the sword of fascism against the shield of collective action.
Creating such a big tent will not be easy; we will have to overcome or set aside differences and disagreements. But in a time such as this we simply have no other choice. And we will not be sacrificing the autonomy of our individual organizations. We can all still pursue more specific interests, and those who join our broader community can find where they want to get more involved. However, for the foreseeable future, the starting point for interested students must be our shared union, rather than our divided parts.
The moment calls for a coalition of students, concerned with the welfare and rights of our communities, and unified by a progressive vision for America.
To those students who are already involved, it is your task to build this coalition. Reach out to the other organizations with shared interests. Find the points which unite you, and prioritize them above those which divide. Drive the stake into the soil for this big tent. Make your campus a role model for concerned students across the nation.
And for those not? Get involved. There is no better moment for action than now.
Finnegan Wright
Student at UC Berkeley
Email: finnegan_wright@berkeley.edu
Phone: (805) 680 - 8252
Featured Image: deepai.org