You can catch up on the various causes and angles of Concerned Student 1950 here, but let's talk about Mizzou and campus culture. Everyone seems to have an opinion on Concerned Student 1950, but one of the more eye-opening points I’ve heard against the protest is that protestors are overblowing rare, small incidents. People I consider good friends have told me that they feel these protests are unnecessary, and it is an overreaction to the actions of a few, racist idiots. People I consider leaders have said systematic oppression is all in my head. I’ve been told that racist incidents are bound to occasionally happen at any college, and that everyone just needs to calm down.
This attitude is the reason why Concerned Student 1950 is here and necessary.
Arguing that these protests are simply a response to a couple of racial slurs oversimplifies a complicated situation, and shows ignorance to the deterioration of campus culture. Instead of fostering an open environment where people should be encouraged to voice their concerns, Mizzou has made a significant portion of its student body feel unheard and marginalized. Jonathan Butler, who has been on a hunger strike since Nov. 2, told the Missourian, “We’ve sent emails, we’ve sent tweets, we’ve messaged but we’ve gotten no response back from the upper officials at Mizzou to really make changes on this campus.”
"“It’s not that bad” or "that's just Missouri" has turned into an excuse to ignore legitimate student concerns and discourage action."
Not every student has to be on the same side of every argument, but every student should have a fair opportunity to voice his or her concerns. Instead, we’ve developed a dangerous habit of accepting the status quo as the way things should be. “It’s not that bad” or "that's just Missouri" has turned into an excuse to ignore legitimate student concerns and discourage action. It’s disappointingly ironic that many of us are fine with ignoring obvious concerns and keeping things the way they are, while being apart of a college community that strives for higher thinking and making constant strides to improve our lives.
What this boils down to is whether or not we’re going to take the complaints of a significant portion of our student body seriously. An unfortunate precedent exisits in being comfortable with keeping things the way they are, to the point where those that refuse to accept the status quo are dismissed as being cranky complainers. This attitude reflects upon a lack of respect for not only the individuals feeling marginalized, but also their concerns.
For individuals like Missouri's Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder who disagree with the protests and think "the university cannot be run by individuals' making demands or using extreme actions," take a moment to consider that these protestors are responding to what they deem as "extreme actions" by the university against its students.
"Take it from a guy that got called a chink in his first week as a Tiger: it's not just racism that exists at Mizzou, but also an ignorance towards the gravity of racism and an acceptance that racism is just apart of the Mizzou experience."
Or maybe you're thinking like former Mizzou wide receiver T.J. Moe, who believes the football team's protest won't "stop ignorant kids from yelling the n-word across campus." This isn't about stopping some racist idiot from hurting the feelings of minorities. It's about setting the precedent in our school's culture that racism is not acceptable.
Maybe you're even one of those trolls on Yik Yak, addicted to pulling the strings of your anonymous peers. I'd personally suggest you find a different hobby, but if being an asshole makes you happy, who am I to tell you to stop? The point of these protests is less about lowering the voices of trolls or racists, and more to do with raising the voices of students who feel like second-class citizens at their own school.
Take it from a guy that got called a chink in his first week as a Tiger: it's not just racism that exists at Mizzou, but also an ignorance toward the gravity of racism and an acceptance that racism is just a part of the Mizzou experience. Even if you haven't personally felt marginalized or pushed aside as a Mizzou student, it does not serve as an excuse to ignore those who have.
