The Berkeley Activists who fought for their right to freedom
of speech despite police arrests and eviction demonstrated to students
everywhere the power of non-violent protests and activism.
When reading this article, I was shocked to realize how
ignorant I am when thinking about academia. In my mind, I assumed academia was
completely equal and every student had the opportunity to express whatever he
or she wanted. However, after reading this article, that illusion was
shattered, and I realized how unfair academia is. The extent certain members of
the administration were willing to go to in order to enforce the idea of
hegemony disgusted me.
The activists were successful, and by being as persistent as
they were, made it possible for freedom of speech to no longer be restricted at
the university. I think the large number of students who took part in the
sit-in played a large role in the success. Eight Hundred students being
arrested during the sit-in shows how many identified with the salience of
freedom of speech and how evident the repression of their speech was. These
activists give me hope that whenever a moral conflict arises, the group
affected is willing to go out of their way for justice.
Question: What made the non-violent sit-ins so effective? After
reading of the extent to which administrators would go to in order to keep
students from speaking freely, do you feel less excited about education?
Aaron Handa
Section A02
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