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Dennis Murphy

For the students, by the students

Dorm Politics: Liberist Explains His Side of "Staying Neutral" When it comes to the Election
Joe Wilson, Corner Post Staff

The Presidential election is Nov. 9. This means that there is still time to decide what matters to you and who to vote for. Many people have decided already. Among them there are the few who are very vocal about whom they prefer be it Bush, Kerry or God forbid Nader.

Being a freshman not accustomed to this barrage of politics I sat back for a while to observe things. As I looked around the first floor of Defoe I was overwhelmed by the amount of Pro-Bush Anti-Kerry propaganda on the doors of my neighbors.

I am not really a Republican or a Democrat. I am among the few who believes that I do not need to affiliate myself with a party. I try to look at each political topic individually and choose my candidate based on what they support not what party they are.

With that said, I need to also say that I am pretty liberal. I support full civil rights to gays including the right to marriage, adoption and military service. On the other hand I am against abortion for my own reasons.

Since I was a liberal in a hall of Republicans I did what every red-blooded…or bleeding heart liberal would do, I tried to stir up trouble. I don’t hate Republicans I just enjoy controversy.

While other covered their doors with big “W” stickers I put up pictures of Che Guevara. While others put up articles blasting Kerry I put up doctored propaganda posters I found online. Something I hoped would stir up some kind of reaction.

“Thank you corporate news- you write what your told!” “Got that tired feeling- its just individuality trying to reassert itself- don’t give in!” “Be a good American- don’t try to think.” “Americans used to fight AGAINST tyranny.” These small posters were just to good to be true. Everything I put up seemed to attack conservatives directly. But I never put up a Kerry or Bush sticker. I never supported a candidate because I still don’t know whom I will be voting for. I wanted others to decide whom they thought I would be voting for.

I also put up small pictures of liberals like Allen Ginsburg of “Howl” fame and Jack Kerouac. If you don’t know them I feel bad for you.

I expected angry visitors the moment I put up my propaganda. I waited patiently for the conservatives to come with their pitchforks and torches but no one ever came.

I kept expecting someone to say something but only one person ever said anything and I found it was one of two other Democrats on the floor. His name was Lee Logan from two doors down across the hall. He only said, “I like the posters. I think we got them from the same website.” It turns out he had several in his room.

It wasn’t until I asked my roommate Jordan Grey what he thought of them. After all what was on that door represented both of us. He was, despite being a Republican, almost indifferent to the door.

Others I asked about the door either said that the posters were kind of funny or that they didn’t care. Disappointment is an understatement. I was pissed off that I could not piss anyone else off. I went to all the trouble of trying to make people mad and nobody got mad. I could’ve cried.

But being the manly man I am I toughed it out and thought of why my liberal plan had failed.

I found two possible reasons.

1. People really don’t care about politics.

I decided against this one. My floor is pretty active in democracy. My roommate went to a Matt Blunt rally not long ago.

2. People are tolerant of others political views.

Its not that my neighbors don’t care, they respect my views enough to let me express myself in my own way.

So I urge everyone who can vote to express themselves in some way, any way. Take a stand for something. People should tolerate your view and most will. There will be some who don’t get democracy and will ridicule you for your position. They just don’t get it. You will be standing up for something you believe in; hopefully you wont blindly follow one party. You will be doing something others fought and died so you could do.

It’s a plus if your stand for something makes someone else mad. Once that happens politics gets a lot more fun.

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