PSU's Response to Inflammatory Evergreen Editorial

(This is a guest editorial, written by numerous members of the PSU, in response to an article written by sophomore Communications major and College Republican Chris Johnson. His original article can be seen here.)

It would be presumptuous for the Progressive Student Union to speak for all progressives, everywhere, at all times. So is the argument that all extreme liberals are communists hoping to turn the United States into the Soviet Union. No sane person would argue a gulag is “fun”, and one person should not attempt to speak for millions.

That is why democracy is the best possible government conceivable. One person can not speak for an entire nation, and it is ludicrous to insinuate otherwise. The very same “extreme liberals” who are supposed to be pushing for totalitarianism are the same ones screaming over voting disenfranchisement, suggesting more than a little hypocrisy. Why would we care about the disenfranchisement of the American citizen if we wanted to take away their right to vote?

It is our mission, as a student group on campus, to push for human equality and justice. An injustice inflicted on a single American is one inflicted upon us all. When a single citizen is jailed in solitary confinement for years without a trial, none of us are free. The idea that our views can be expounded into communism and totalitarianism is little more than ridiculous.

International human rights are an absolute necessity for members of our group. Taking away sweatshops does not take away an entire job market; it changes the market into one that does not take advantage of the workers. By creating jobs with living wages rather than perpetuate the exploitation of people around the world, PSU feels that the anti-sweatshop campaign is one of the best ways to increase living standards worldwide. All humans deserve to be able to provide for their families without having to give up their dignity and lives in substandard working conditions.

We are not destroying America. Senator Barack Obama is not destroying America. The New York Times is not destroying America. What destroys America is fear, suspicion of one’s fellow countrymen and lack of respect for one another. Waging wars, whether against other nations or our own people through deportation and intimidation, are wrong no matter who perpetrates them. An example is the War in Iraq, where more than 4,000 soldiers have died with countless Iraqi civilians and a national debt that is currently crippling our economy which will have an immeasurable effect on our nation’s future. This war has done more to destroy our country and its image than any one hippie or politician could ever hope to. We oppose unnecessary wars that result in nothing more than loss of life and devastation because of our strong beliefs that human life is sacred. We do not believe lives should be lost because of a politician’s incompetence.

Human life is sacred; yes, liberals say the word sacred. Whether Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish or atheist, true progressives believe that all people are equal and should be treated as such. Members of our own group hold different spiritual beliefs, and are still able to realize that no life can be ignored. No religion or belief should promote hatred or superiority over another. That is the opposite of a true progressive.

Our America must continue to change and grow, which is a necessity for any true democratic society. That is what we believe as progressives.

We are students who are concerned about our planet. Caring for one another should not be seen as a weakness or a sign of evil to come. If we are ripping apart America’s moral foundations by showing compassion and promoting equality, what kind of America do you live in?