A storm has been brewing in the Purple Bubble, and we’re all curious storm-chasers. As we try and criticize our institution –-whether it’s for who we choose for our Spring Fling concert (http://williamsrecord.com/2014/03/12/chance-the-rappers-controversial-lyrics-spur-campus-dialogue/ ) or the commencement speaker (http://williamsrecord.com/2014/04/23/selection-of-commencement-speaker-bloomberg-sparks-controversy/)–even ordinary days on campus can suddenly become tense due to a controversial op-ed. I’m always surrounded by people who have something to say, and I really enjoy meetings of the minds. Take my article with a grain of salt; I don’t have the answers to all our problems, and perhaps there are places where my suggestions may fall short. However, I do feel that keeping these few points in mind as we spark discussions will help us make them as meaningful and productive as possible.
What is your means and what is your end? I feel that a lot of great discussions are lost in the idea that the goal is to get the other person to say, “No, what I was saying was weakly substantiated and offensive and wrong and you are wholly correct.” If you’re the kind of person who gets that to happen with ease and frequency, my unix is reo1 and I’d love some tips and tricks. Otherwise, it is not only unrealistic, but also incredibly frustrating to both parties to have someone try to change your opinion on something you feel very strongly about when neither of you intend to budge. The point of these kinds of discussions is that they’re based on some kind of fundamental disagreement. Have at it.
If the objective is to poke holes in their argument or to simply have them think about the subject matter in a deeper, more meaningful way, then I believe it’s a worthwhile effort. A conversation is still productive when you disagree if you discover along the way that there was something relevant you never thought about, or that maybe you were misinformed about some aspect of the topic at hand. Believe it or not, everyone can win. Which leads to my next point…
Understand a lost cause. Remain open to the possibility that it was a massive waste of time and the person you’re speaking to is so closed-minded that there’s nothing you can do to help. This is also a worthwhile conclusion. The sooner, the better.
Pay attention to whom you’re talking to. Very often, I have found myself in heated discussions just to realize my “opposition” and I are more or less saying the same thing. It’s very anti-climactic to feel your face burning, your blood pumping, and your fists white-knuckled just to say, “Oh. Yeah, me too.” What will be gained through a discussion by a group of people who feel the exact same way about something?
Play fair. This was going to go into the above section, but this works better. Who’s participating in these conversations? Are you a student who identifies with the topic of discussion? Or are you a provocateur on your soapbox? Are you attempting to speak for all students who are similar to you, or against all students dissimilar to you? If it’s a proper, open forum and dialogue, do the faces in the room all look the same? Why (or why not)? Representation is important!
Saying, “You’re a conventionally attractive, able-bodied, hetero cis-male from a white upper-middle class family so your argument is irrelevant” is unhelpful. We can turn to privilege to help explain where a student is coming from or why they might not understand or take into account a certain point of view, but that doesn’t – in and of itself – repudiate what they say. Attack the claim, not the claimant. But this goes both ways. If I won’t dismiss your argument because of your (potentially privileged) identity, don’t dismiss my response because of my own (potentially marginalized identity). Am I really being “uppity?” Or are you just wrong? (On this note, be sure to report abusive incidents or harassment (http://speakup.williams.edu/report-an-incident/ )
Talking about grammar, spelling, stylistics, etc. is almost always a cop-out. “*You’re.” As long as they got their point across, what does it matter? If they used spellcheck or sent it to the Writing Workshop, would you buy their argument then? If not, you’re grasping at straws and need to move on.
Stop being so passive-aggressive. I don’t know what it is about campus culture, but we have a tendency not to say what we believe when we want to. Stop that.
Anonymous posters suck. If you feel so strongly towards something, put your name to it. I understand this is easier said than done, but it’s difficult to take anonymous voices seriously. Who do I turn to when I support their cause or when I object to something they have said? Nobody knows, that’s the problem. The argument I hear against this is that people are afraid of the backlash they receive. If you’re a person who wants to criticize an argument – not the arguer – re-read the “Play fair” section before you create your response.
Let’s stop pretending offensive things we say are satirical. Either it wasn’t so you’re trying to say it is to get away with what you said, or you’re really bad at satire, in which case, I’m still suspicious of your motives. Don’t play devil’s advocate if you don’t actually believe what you’re saying. Being provocative for the sake of provocation prevents people who are actually trying to learn and grow from their interactions from doing so. Also, it’s just downright annoying. Don’t provoke a discussion and then be dismissive of it. Also very, very annoying.
“Talking is nice and all, but what are you going to do about it?” I don’t know yet. We can figure that out if/when/as we talk about it. Actions that have been taken without nuanced discourses tend to be the cause of controversy on campus. Let’s get this part right before we figure out what the best ways to be an activist are. If you feel empowered to speak, you are more likely to feel empowered to act.
And if you think this article, or its basic premise is stupid, take a long moment to think about the last time you voiced an opinion on campus, even if it was a class discussion. Think about what kind of pressures you were feeling prior to the statements you made and how this place has contributed to the way you express yourself about the things you care about. If your opinion was unpopular, how comfortable did you feel sharing your perspective?