Editorial: Student voice has weight
May 6, 2008
We editorialized against the Missouri Civil Rights Initiative a few issues ago: we hoped people would continue to educate themselves, and when the time came for the issue to get on the ballot, it would not receive the appropriate number of signatures on the petition. We’re pleased that what we hoped to be actually came to fruition.
But the positive effect is much bigger than just the failure of an unjust initiative to gain support. Students have again proven themselves to be a driving political force, and one to be reckoned with. We wanted something, we activated in droves and though it would be hard to pin the initiative’s lack of support solely on student efforts, we can at least say we helped substantially. There was a concentrated effort on the part of students to organize education and protests involving the bill. We are so glad to see our peers step up for what’s right, and to see the overwhelming effectiveness of their actions.
So what’s next? Students, don’t let this momentum slip away. There are upcoming contests in November, such as the presidential election, that are going to need your continued efforts to legitimize the student vote. It’s never too early to get informed and involved.
More May 6, 2008 Forum Stories
- Pass 'student curator' bill now — For 12 years, the UM system’s students have struggled for a voice and a vote for the student representative to ...
- Student voice has weight — We editorialized against the Missouri Civil Rights Initiative a few issues ago: we hoped people would continue to educate themselves, ...
- Political activism starts now — In my five and a half years at MU, I’ve been involved in two presidential primaries, a presidential election, a ...
- A heart-to-heart talk with Friesen — Well, children, it looks we’ve come to the end of another semester together. We’ve gone through a lot: There were ...
- Fated to sit on the sidelines — I’m not an idiot, but for some reason ever since I arrived college I’ve had a hard time proving that. ...
Most recent Forum Stories
- A 'major' cause for concern — Colleges have a major problem. It’s not global warming or the economy or even the war. It’s a different type ...
- Fancy buildings never taught us anything — Seniors have been sent off, final exams are next week and the academic year is coming to a close. We’d ...
- How finals bring friendliness — I have approximately two hours to write this column before I should return to what passes for normal in my ...
- My domestic incompetence — The fridge is like a disappointing friend in my life. You expect quality. Diverse, substantial content. An ordered interior that ...
- The Maneater's editorial policy — A letter from Joel Gold, founding editor of The Maneater: A newspaper has a personality of its own. That personality ...
