Last weekend’s march in New York City protesting the War in Iraq—attended by a large group from Wesleyan’s Students for Ending the War in Iraq (SEWI), Matt Lesser ’09’s campaign for Middletown’s Planning and Zoning Commission, and the ever-building media coverage of the 2008 presidential election bring to our attention an all-too-familiar topic: political activism on campus.
The semester has just passed its midway point, and most of us excuse ourselves from reading the newspaper every day or putting our political support or opposition into action, on account of having too many Economics problem sets to complete and too much British 19th-century literature to read. When was the last time you seriously thought about current events in the Middle East? Have you given any thought as to which presidential candidate to support? In fact, many of us will (hopefully) be voting just over a year from now: the election is scheduled for Nov. 4, 2008.
A less daunting, but nonetheless significant, social responsibility is to read up on Middletown’s local elections (scheduled for next Tuesday, Nov. 6). Although the majority of us hails from outside of Connecticut, we’ve chosen Middletown as a residence for four years. To know the city’s current events and politics is key.
SEWI’s persistence in its various endeavors is impressive, if not motivating. Lesser’s campaign is a shining example of political activeness. On the other hand, we don’t expect ourselves to all run for seats on Middletown’s various boards and councils. Ambition such as Lesser’s should at least stir us to renewed activeness. Read the Middletown Press. Pick a bone with your Congress representatives, in a brief email. Write a letter to the editor—or a Wespeak!
It doesn’t hurt to repeat what may now seem a pesky exhortation: Wake up and get involved.
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