News & Views for Anarchists & Activists:
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ASU Web Devil
Thursday, October 07, 2004
Wake up call
More students than ever are registered to vote in 2004, but
does political activity end there?
by Thomas Throssell
Students see signs promoting John Kerry and George W. Bush
for president. They see chalk outlines near Hayden Library
promoting Bush, and then after some anti-Bush touchup, see
that they have been altered, proclaiming him as "pro draft
for '05."
Everyone walks past these signs every day. They may agree or
disagree with the message, but the response is the same on
campuses across America: Young voters are coming out in mass
for the 2004 election.
According to a recent Gallup poll, 73 percent of 18- to
29-year-olds say they are registered to vote this year. In
2000, 65 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds said they were
registered, and 69 percent said they were registered in 1996.
The political scene on campus is as busy as a sorority on a
diet of ephedrine. This activity is more evident as the Oct.
13 debate at Gammage Auditorium approaches. The debate is a
chance for students to make their voices heard and become a
part of history.
Unfortunately, many students will be dutifully attending
their classes, working out at the gym or stuffing their
faces with Burger King instead of becoming politically
active while the spotlight is on ASU.
It's true that students are registering to vote in record
numbers, but for most, filling out the registration form is
as political as they get. Political science professor Kim
Fridkin says that for students, grassroots activism just
isn't a priority.
"Students have a lot of constraints on their time and
obviously registering to vote is a lot easier than
protesting. You have to be a lot more involved to figure out
what the issues are," she says.
Joshua Anijar, a political science senior and local
activist, says students aren't politically active because
they aren't thinking critically about political situations
anymore.
"I don't think people realize that they can do something. It
took me a while to really think about it; I would go to a
protest and I wouldn't see a point in it . . . we'd walk
around the block and nothing happened, nobody changed. We
need to come up with a new way of doing this [protesting].
We need to find a new way of politicizing space," says Anijar.
"Politicizing space" means using public space in a
politically active way. It's legal, and it's protected by
the Constitution.
This doesn't mean Bush bashing. Not all activists are
liberal environmentalist tree huggers. There are students
who protest for Bush, and students who protest for Kerry.
They are students that are not afraid to stand up for what
they believe in.
But Anijar says people tend to shy away from protesting
because it is scary at first.
"You just need to take that first step. People always say
they have stage fright, but then they get on stage and are
all right. You have to take that dive, that leap of faith
that you can make a difference, that you can do something,
and do it," he says.
Drew Sullivan, a member of the Monsoon Anarchist Collective,
adds that consequences also dissuade people from an activist
lifestyle.
"There is a threat of retaliation that protesters fear. A
lot of people don't want to risk their livelihood. In the
end you still have to live with the fact of injustice," he says.
Though there is sometimes a risk involved, Fridkin says she
encourages legal protest.
"I definitely encourage people who feel strongly about
something to go and protest because they can make a
difference," she says.
Many protests and activist events have been coordinated
around next week's debate. Those interested only have to
volunteer themselves.
A convergence space will be set up at Gentle Strength Co-op,
located on 234 W. University, in Tempe. The space will be
open from the evening of Oct. 8 to Oct 14. A newsroom will
be setup to help Indymedia Journalists cover the debate
itself on Oct. 13.
Anijar says it doesn't take much to become politically
active -- an imagination and a will to make a difference
suffice.
"Be creative, be creative as humanly possible, you don't
need a lot of people, you don't need a lot of money to do
anything," he says. "Use your tools that you have in front
of you, and politicize space, take over space."
Reach the reporter at
mailto:thomas.throssell@asu.edu
--
Dan Clore
Now available: _The Unspeakable and Others_
http://www.wildsidepress.com/index2.htm
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1587154838/thedanclorenecro
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News & Views for Anarchists & Activists:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smygo
"It's a political statement -- or, rather, an
*anti*-political statement. The symbol for *anarchy*!"
-- Batman, explaining the circle-A graffiti, in
_Detective Comics_ #608
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