I come from a highly politicized country where abstaining from voting is considered shameful. In Turkey, the rule of “no politics at the dinner table” would be met with ridicule. I grew up in an even more politicized family that may not eat dinner together every night, but no matter what, will sit down at nine every weeknight for the nightly ritual of watching political talk shows and fiery debates—both of which are much more tense and humorless than anything I have seen in America.
One of the reasons I chose Georgetown was because I knew I wanted to be surrounded by people who are as obsessed with politics as I am, and as any Georgetown student might expect, my wish was fulfilled ten-fold. Thankfully, my tendency to refresh my Twitter feed every 20 minutes is anything but discouraged, and I expect to wake up to fascinating articles on urban crime already being discussed in my group chats.
In the aftermath of the election, I sense a great deal of anxiety around me. I suspect that it is not because a majority of Hoyas are liberals who supported Clinton, but because they understand the policy implications of our president-elect’s roughly proposed agenda. I share this rightful anxiety. But I maintain a great deal of hope, which comes from a firm belief in American institutions and in the power of the American voice.
My friends here and in Turkey are aware that I am extremely frustrated with the current state of American politics. But my cynicism about American politics has always been accompanied by a call to action. I know the value of the freedoms of speech, expression, and assembly because I come from a country with a long tradition of suppressing all three. With the latest crackdown in the aftermath of the July 15 coup attempt, activism in Turkey has become nearly impossible. The current state of emergency dictates that no form of protest is permitted. None. No peaceful sit-ins, no candlelight vigils, no marches, nothing. Any of these almost guarantee detention and arrest, and I will not even go into the horrific human rights abuses that take place in Turkish prisons.
But America has a tradition of change through activism. I acknowledge the overwhelming influence of corporate money on policy-making in America, but history proves to me that when enough people demand change—and demand it forcefully, with action rather than words—change happens. After all, it wasn’t Wall Street that gave women the right to vote, and it wasn’t corporate CEOs that fostered the Civil Rights Movement.
I want you to understand that you possess something more valuable than your vote: you have a voice that is heard and has the power to bring about change. I want you to acknowledge this privilege and your moral duty to exercise it on behalf of every oppressed group in the country, as well as peoples abroad who unquestionably bear the brunt of the intolerant currents in American politics.
And I know that activism can still be very dangerous in this country, especially for black and brown people. Just look at the injustice and violence that is happening in North Dakota as I write this piece. This is one of the reasons why I am promoting activism while it is still possible. We can remove the stigma associated with it and advance democracy in this country.
With all that said, I must add that I am not talking about candlelight vigils. I am most definitely not talking about Facebook posts and retweets and reblogs and the like. Solidarity is important and valuable, but it is not enough if we want to protect the lives and rights of vulnerable populations in this time of extreme anxiety. I am talking about boycotts, strikes, and acts of civil disobedience that actually cause inconvenience to those who choose to continue injustice, whether it be politicians or corporations.
My message is clear. No matter what your political affiliations and convictions are, your complaints are useless if you refuse to change things that you most definitely have the ability to change. We are lucky to attend an institution that allows student activist groups to fight against injustices everywhere, so instead of sitting in your room and sharing the same old hopeless articles on Facebook, find out how you can get involved in your community and make your voice heard.
Deniz is a sophomore in the SFS.
