The recent lack of protest on campus is symptomatic of a larger apathy at UW-Madison and campuses nationwide to the policy of the presidential administration and to contemporary issues as a whole.
The university community is unique among social institutions in that its student members are perceived differently from their peers as somehow less than adult and as a result are brushed off by their political representatives as inconsequential or worse. This is a hypocritical, yet persistent image of a significant demographic, which, in just five to 10 years will become part of the educated upper class of society and the voting bloc that will elect the next half-dozen presidents.
Where college graduates not only go on to earn more money than their high school friends, college-educated citizens are more likely to vote than their contemporaries who end their educational careers at or earlier than high school. Yet it is this blue-collar electorate who is the subject of much unsuccessful mobilization by both parties.
It is the result of this negligence that protest has long been a tool of university student bodies because it gives a meaningful voice to this sorely underappreciated constituency and reinforces within a community the shared philosophy. However, as modern students are becoming increasingly involved in their day-to-day lives of classes and jobs, channeling their focus into multiple activities to the detriment of their political awareness, the role of protest has diminished in recent years to the bustle of getting by.
While protests of the Vietnam War during the 1960s and '70s on campuses across the country set the standard for all subsequent rallies, they have had mixed effects on later generations because of the impact the Vietnam protests had in shaping the identity of that particular set.
The impact of protest is undeniable'protests throughout history have defined whole ages. Not only were protesters labeled as hippies and defined by their outspoken politics but their ideological opposition was also shaped by the events of the day and many of the beliefs formed 30 and 40 years ago persist today.
Particularly in Madison, one of the most outspoken and visible campuses during that tumultuous period, the legacy of liberal protest has had a tempering effect on today's students and for a reason that may not be apparent'it is a reaction to our parents' politics.
In reconsidering the use of protest as a political device, though, we would do well to aspire to the legendary protests of the 1960s and '70s. It would be nearly impossible to recapture the atmosphere, enthusiasm and circumstances of such a landmark period. So many protests of late have fallen short in their lack of eloquence and earnestness.
When it unites a socially or politically stifled people, impassioned and genuine protest leaves an impression on one's oppressors-the historical instances are numerous. From recent instances like the World Trade Organization protests in Seattle (which turned, unfortunately and ineffectively, for the worse into riots) to symbolic anti-tea tax maneuvers by our nation's founders (that's the Boston Tea Party for those of you scoring at home), there is a fine tradition of Americans stating their dissatisfaction through protest and mobilizing the likeminded to take action as a result.
In a time in which few dispute the one voice of the establishment, it is the protestors on the bus to Washington, D.C., carrying signs to the Capitol or just gathering for a cause on Library Mall who provide the counterpoint that makes our society and our nation as a whole the vibrant exchange of ideas that we value.
