Lariat Letters: Students trump political activity with social change

The following is a response to Lariat copy editor Amy Heard’s March 29th column, It wouldn’t hurt to have some political activism on campus:

One of the things I like about Baylor is the way students deal with social justice issues. Instead of spending long hours in the sun holding picket signs, we spend long hours in the sun actually working with others to change what we see wrong in the world.

If I were to list all of the missions and organizations that involve Baylor students, I would exceed the 300-word limit for this letter.

Instead of defying authority, as if we could make ourselves martyrs and heroes by standing in the way of police officers who are just trying to do their job, Baylor students work with authority to create social change.

The truth is Baylor students do get “worked up” about important issues; they just often express their views in more constructive ways.

Anyone who thinks Baylor students aren’t getting worked up about the contraception debate should make friends with someone from Bears for Life. I’m sure there are plenty of students worked up about this particular debate in that organization. If you don’t know anyone in Bears for Life, I do not represent that organization, but I would be happy to debate about contraception any time.

Thank God we didn’t have something as ridiculous as Occupy Fountain Mall. Someone who would want such a thing is crazy. The protestors at UC Davis disrupted classes, got in the way of other students, were not even led by students and had no clear goals other than to defy authority.

I am proud to go to a university where students are smarter than those protesters.

— Elizabeth Weinrich
Temecula, Calif., senior