May 11
GUESTS: Two organizers of the
Bard College Students for Justice in Palestine, discuss the
difficulties and successes they have had in promoting
Palestinian rights on campus.
Bard
students exonerated
I don't remember being politically active in college at all. There was the dark specter of Vietnam hanging over all our heads. I didn't think the impending war was immoral, but I certainly recognized the dangerous place that the draft put me in. Is self interest ever admirable enough to qualify as political activism?
But at this age, I can recognize activism when I see it. And the Bard Students For Justice have it.; they are ambitious, bright and committed to human rights. They are also excellent organizers, and attending their meetings is like listening to a corporate board. Only these students are not pushing some product to an acquisitive public. They are campaigning for dignity and justice in Palestine.
By the early late 1960s, many colleges were filled with students like these. They wanted to end the war, to overcome racism, and to create a new society that would respect everyone's rights. No doubt, some of these goals were achieved, and some of these students reaped the rewards of knowing that they were on the right side.
Perhaps political activism is ultimately for oneself. Standing up for what's right fulfills a basic need we all have to judge ourselves as worthy. I think groups like Students for Justice in Palestine certainly have that right.
