Walking Out on Apathy

Yesterday’s massive student anti-war walk-out was a necessary and productive display of dissent against a highly objectionable war. For Harvard students to leave classes and disrupt standard daily life was a necessary acknowledgement of the U.S. first strike against Iraq; the protest served as important impetus and vehicle for dialogue about the war. While we hope that this action comes to a quick and decisive end, it is incumbent on students at Harvard and across the country to continue to think critically about our nation’s actions, and to share their thoughts through as many outlets as possible: protests and breakfast table discussions alike.

Over 1,500 people attended yesterday’s rally in the Yard, which included Cambridge residents and high school students along with Harvard students, faculty, and staff. The protest was well coordinated with other schools across the greater Boston area and other anti-war groups in the city: after a march to MIT, the crowd continued on to Boston to join into the massive 10,000-person action converging at Boston’s Government Center.

Though President George W. Bush’s initial decision to go to war is already being executed, much more remains to be decided concerning the duration and scale of the attack. Large and visible protests, such as the walkout yesterday, can and should influence such decisions. Hopefully, such popular outcries will be heeded in the minds of future presidents and policymakers, and serve to temper the dangerous precedent set by the current war.

Protests also demonstrate the glaring lack of consensus among the American people about the war, underscoring the reality that Bush’s policies do not represent the opinion of the entire population. This message, that America as a whole is not in favor of Bush’s actions, is an important show of solidarity with a world largely opposed to war and may be important in staving off the growing anti-American sentiment.

Protest has a particularly important role to play among students. As undergraduates, we have the privilege of spending much of our time reading and studying, often about international relations, war, history and other issues at play in the current conflict. This makes it particularly important for us to take action on pressing issues; while going to class is valuable, leaving class to express one’s opinion at such an important moment is necessary and laudable. The faculty members—Professor of English and American Literature and Language Peter M. Sacks, Cabot Professor of Aesthetics the General Theory of Values Elaine Scarry, Lecturer on the Modern West Brian C.W. Palmer, and others—who urged their students to attend, rescheduled midterms to allow students to participate, or spoke at the protest, recognized the educational and democratic value of the walkout and acted as responsible role models. We hope that faculty members will continue to recognize the importance of each of us staying involved and active.

The protest presented a broad array of ideas and information about the causes and possible outcomes of war in Iraq; by leaving the classroom, students by no means ceased serious discussion. While we agree with some of these views more than others, the diversity of ideas contributed to a vibrant and genuine dialogue. The simplicity necessary for slogans and chants can sometimes damper the nuance of arguments, but the protest was a productive way to initiate deeper conversation. We hope people at Harvard, and around the world, will continue to pay attention to the war, consider and refine their opinions, and speak out about what they believe.