1. If you are trying to convey an actual message to your student body, perhaps you should address us like people. Incoherent phrases, random “fuck yous” and arbitrary insults only serve to weaken your argument and detract from your actual message. I think that your point was probably lost on most of your readers, including myself.
2. After reading your Wespeak, I think you have a lot of misdirected anger. Yes, it sucks that you got your computer stolen. But hey, shit happens. And the criminal who stole your computer didn’t specifically choose it because you’re a student of color or because you feel like you might not have enough money to replace the computer. Whoever stole your computer is a terrible person, and probably just thought to themselves, “Hey. Here’s a random computer, I could use one of these and I’m going to take it!” If there was a party going on in your friend’s house, maybe you should have locked your computer away somewhere. I can probably name at least twenty people on this campus who have had their computers stolen, and they don’t go around vilifying the entire student body and using it as a platform for voicing their own frustrations with diversity/student of color issues.
3. This Wespeak reminds me of the time a bunch of students locked President Bennet in his office because they “weren’t being heard.” If you want to be heard, you have to say something worth listening to. Don’t hide behind sheepish curse words and loud, belligerent forms of expression to get noticed. Say something meaningful, make your opinion both heard and understood in an effective and eloquent manner, and maybe something will get done about your issue.
4. Finally, in response to the “I witnessed several acts of cruelty by white students at this university. They looked like jocks” comment: Wesleyan is only as accepting and tolerant a place as we make it. It’s not a magical place where intolerance and injustice just disappear we have to work to foster this caring, accepting and supportive community. Students should want that kind of an atmosphere and should strive to both create and maintain that sort of feeling on campus. I’ve witnessed several acts of cruelty by ALL STUDENTS, not just white ones. Everyone regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, whatever is capable of cruelty. The last time I checked, cruelty was not a gene exclusive to white, affluent jocks. It’s blind insults like yours that perpetuate this cycle of disrespect and cruelty. My final point after this long Wespeak is not to insult you, Jose, or to say that the things you feel strongly about aren’t important or worth listening to, because they are. But primarily, I just think that Wes needs to wake up and start making more coherent arguments that people will actually want to listen to.
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