By
Rebecca Kuensting
January 28, 2010
“No cuts, no fees — education must be free.” This was the chant that caught my attention and drew me to Red Square last Thursday afternoon. When I arrived, I saw that a large group of students and campus employees had come together with signs, banners and megaphones to protest the recent budget cuts and tuition hikes that have financially crippled many students and long-established UW workers.
Though I agreed with much of what the protesters had to say — the recent changes in the UW’s budget have absolutely made life more difficult for the students whom the UW is meant to serve and for the workers it employs — I became concerned over the course of the demonstration that some of the protesters didn’t intend to deliver their messages by exclusively peaceful means.
The UW branch of the International Socialist Organization (ISO), which participated in Thursday’s protest, handed out brochures titled “Fight Back,” which seemed to encourage violence: “We need mass militant struggles to compel the politicians to meet our needs — to make them put the burden of the crisis on the rich, not the poor, students and workers.”
While I can appreciate the need for rousing rhetoric in times of social upheaval, the idea that, in this day and age, any group hopes to gain supporters with a platform that encourages “militant struggle” is almost laughable. Where were these people last Monday, when we all celebrated Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of peaceful change?
And while this is, one hopes, nothing more than a case of exaggerated diction — there was certainly nothing militant about the peaceful, thoughtful and articulate demonstrators who assembled on Red Square — it emphasizes the fact that we are entering a time of social upheaval, which may bring profound changes to this campus. As groups like the ISO and the UW Student/Worker Coalition continue to protest the budget cuts and gain more supporters, it is likely that protests on campus will increase in size and frequency and that, eventually, they will be rewarded with a response from the legislators and administrators, who rationalized the budget to begin with.
Until that day comes, we can look to other universities for inspiration.
The ISO’s brochure cites California’s recent budgetary gains for higher education as achievements worth emulating.
“In California,” the brochure says, “protests have been successful in forcing Schwarzenegger to propose redirecting funds from prisons to education.”
However, the brochure does not mention what California protesters did that was so successful and goes on to suggest “militant struggle” as an appropriate means of protest.
The truth is, faced with cuts to higher education in September, students, employees and faculty at California’s public universities utilized peaceful strategies. According to CBS, protesters in California relied on “rallies, teach-ins and class walkouts” during protests at “eight of UC’s 10 campuses.”
We can learn a great deal from the protesters in California, whose persistence generated solutions for budgetary problems very similar to those currently facing the UW community. Peaceful protests that demonstrate opposition to budget cuts in an organized, articulate manner are more likely to have an impact than violent protests or stubborn displays of anger. We need to enter into a dialogue with Washington’s decision-makers and propose reasonable solutions to the problems the state is using our tuition and wages to solve.
Reach contributing columnist Rebecca Kuensting at opinion@dailyuw.com.
15 Comments
#1 Sean
on January 28, 2010 at 12:59 a.m.(Denver, CO | Unverified Name | UW Community)
Even some of the countries that have traditionally offered free college are changing that due to the financial crisis. To call for free college is a nice thought but it isn't going to happen in this "free market" fixated society. As to any calls for violent actions, please remember some of the people you encounter on campus exercising their free speech about political matters are part of a fringe and some of us refer to them as "nuts".
#2 Ariel W.
on January 28, 2010 at 9:33 a.m.(Seattle, WA | UW Community)
California activists were successful by utilizing many protest tactics. Many occupied buildings and refused to leave. This is civil disobedience, which we respect when honoring Martin Luther King Jr. yet condemn when folks do now. California students were militant, but not violent. The only folks who were violent were the riot cops who beat student protesters.
As for free education, many universities in the US were free a generation ago, including the UC schools and CUNY schools in New York, and it's entirely possible the university can be free again. Maybe we'll have to decide we value education more than profit for corporations. In the mean time, I'm not afraid to dream big.
#3 militant child
on January 28, 2010 at 9:41 a.m.(Vancouver, WA | Unverified Name)
wow, who knew people were so disconnected to what the word militant means...look it up in the beloved Webster-Merriam dictionary and you will find something like...a militant is an individual engaged in warfare or combat...fighting...now, i'd argue that we are all engaged in warfare, by simple virtue of how the world exists today...a militant engages in warfare in a direct aggressive way. This does not mean unchecked violence. This does not accompany a lack of political analysis. Its a very passionate heart felt way of engaging...and partnered with a sense of a collective power. This scares you? makes you think of violence? well ur dude mlk was eventually assassinated due to his own militancy...my friend, take up the banner and walk or become irrelevant to the working class struggle.
#4 Maria J.
on January 28, 2010 at 9:56 a.m.(Seattle, WA | Unverified Name)
It's okay for Bush and Obama to use violence to murder innocent people, but it's not okay for ordinary working people and students to fight for access to education, food, and water. Is that what you're suggesting, Rebecca K? Maybe you should talk to some people actually engaged in militant struggle instead of pulling something out of your ass.
#5 sk
on January 28, 2010 at 9:57 a.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name | UW Community)
The author deeply misunderstand the concept of militancy. I'll let her figure out for herself what it actually means. Suffice it to say that Martin Luther King, whose peaceful legacy you urge activists to emulate, did not, like you, find militant struggle to be "laughable." For him, it was "indispensable."
In a 1967 speech, he said: "If we realize how indispensable is responsible militant organization to our struggle, we will create it as we managed to create underground railroads, protest groups, self-help societies and the churches that have always been our refuge, our source of hope and our source of action..."
#6 Steve Leigh
on January 28, 2010 at 10:07 a.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name | UW Community)
I agree with Ariel's comment and that of "Militant Child". None of the major, fundamental gains that people have won in this country---civil rights, ending the Vietnam War, abortion rights, social security, labor rights, affirmative action, unemployment compensation etc. etc. have been won by "reasonable dialogue". They all took militant struggle---struggle that disrupted business as usual. The problem is that those in power do NOT represent students, workers etc. They represent the interests of business owners to maximize profit. If we do not interfere with their ability to exercise power and continue to make profit, they will not grant concessions. "Reasonable dialogue" is appropriate for people who are pursuing similar goals. The goals of students and workers to lower tuition and increase jobs and wages are directly contradictory to the goals of those who run the government. This is why "militant" struggle is necessary. No one is advocating unreasoned violence for the sake of it. However, to be effective, we have to understand the fundamental conflict of interests and act accordingly.
For those who want to really oppose the budget cuts and tuition increases, join the UW Student/Worker Coalition. For those who want to generally transform society to make human needs and not corporate greed the driving force, get involved with the International Socialist Organization.
#7 Johnny
on January 28, 2010 at 1:20 p.m.(Seattle, WA | Unverified Name | UW Community)
“rallies, teach-ins and class walkouts” = militant struggle
#8 Helen
on January 28, 2010 at 2:54 p.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name | UW Community)
Let's try looking at definition #1 from the Oxford American Thesaurus of Current English, shall we?
militant adjective 1. militant members of the organization: aggressive, assertive, vigorous, active, ultra-active, combative, pugnacious; inf. pushy. 2. militant groups/armies: fighting, warring, combating, contending, in conflict, clashing, embattled, in arms, belligerent, bellicose. opposites: retiring; pacific; peaceful.
#9 Megan
on January 28, 2010 at 3:24 p.m.(Rennes, France | Unverified Name | UW Community)
It doesn't really matter that "no one is advocating unreasoned violence for the sake of it". The point is simply that the word "militant" is powerful and shouldn't be used lightly. Especially when its attached to groups of angry, ignorant 20 year olds who have no business associating the word with their names unless they have actually seen war or marched for racial equality.
Maria J-- are you seriously comparing the horror and strife of war violence to your self-pity over having to take out loans to finance your "higher" education at the UW?? Why don't you take your head out of YOUR ass and look around?
#10 Brian_Cox
on January 28, 2010 at 3:49 p.m.(Seattle, WA)
There is no such thing as ANYTHING being free. If you think you'll get it, just because you "wants it for yourselves", ... you're simply willing to steal from the Washington Tax Payer to get it.
There is no bottomless pit of tax dollar out there. Squeezing Washington tax payers for more money just because you want it, is the wrong formula for any economic turn-around in this state.
If you think otherwise, it's a comment on what a horrible job our education system is doing to produce well informed civic-minded citizens.
#11 John-Claude
on January 28, 2010 at 4:04 p.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name)
@10,
(1) Washington Tax Payers have been paying to build and maintain the UW for generations. Those who make less than $100,000/year pay for 60% of the state budget. It is imperative that education be affordable to ensure social mobility.
(2) Used to be, lots of things around here were free. Two centuries ago salmon were so plentiful you only needed to dip a basket in the river to catch them, and the regional economy was a gift economy.
@9
(1) "An armed conflict between nations horrifies us. But the economic war is no better than armed conflict. This is like a surgical operation. An economic war is prolonged torture. And its ravages are no less terrible than those depicted in the literature on war properly so called. We think nothing of the other because we are used to its deadly effects...The movement against war is sound. I pray for its success. But I cannot help the gnawing fear that the movement will fail if it does not touch the root of all evil --- human greed."
-M. K. Gandhi
(2) What the hell do the French know about militancy?
#12 c
on January 28, 2010 at 4:10 p.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name | UW Community)
Dear Megan,
Included in people fighting against privatization of the University are a number of students of color, working students, queer folks, folks with disabilities, and, also, a large number of custodians, including a number of immigrant workers who have lived through and in some cases fought against dictatorships. I echo militant child in saying that for folks like us, we are in the middle of a war zone. The idea that the university is only for middle class or rich white folks is a myth. The struggle over the U is not distinct from struggles over liberation for folks of color here in seattle, or our friends, families, and comrades abroad.
#13 UW Student
on January 31, 2010 at 9:16 p.m.(Seattle, WA | Unverified Name)
#9, Megan, if words are so powerful, let's just all chant "Don't raise tuition" a hundred times and that will solve our problems. You don't seem to comment on the violent words of the legislators or the administration. "Sorry, kid, you have no future cuz us rich folks decided you can't have one" sounds pretty violent to me.
#14 Joe D.
on February 1, 2010 at 1:25 p.m.(Seattle, WA | UW Community)
It's hard to get active when you have little to gain. The folks at risk here are the low level line staff of the UW and their families. The children of the now shrinking middle class. But hey if you have to drop out of UW for economic reasons there is no draft board waiting to send you to basic training. True jobs are hard to find-but you don't risk a shooting war so why get upset?
#15 Matt
on February 5, 2010 at 3:21 a.m.(Renton, WA | Unverified Name)
There is going to be a student strike against budget cuts at UW on March 4th as part of the National Day of Action to Defend Public Education
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid...
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