Important discussion becomes unruly when people silence the other side
The other night, as I was walking to the library, I noticed something that made me take my headphones out and put my phone in my pocket. Chalked pro-life slogans were strewn across the sidewalks between the TLC and the library, and I had to read them.
Unfortunately, they only left an impression as long lasting as the Crayola chalk which put them there. These writings moved others, however, and soon sparked a discussion right there on the sidewalk. Sadly, some people did not handle this open forum as well as others.
When I was done reading, I continued on my way, hoping someone would respond to the messages on the sidewalk to create an open forum of discussion. Just a few hours later, my wish was granted. As I was walking to my car, I passed someone furiously writing down legal and socioeconomic justifications for abortion rights.
The abortion debate is one I try to stay away from, because as a man, I don’t feel like I have a dog in that fight. It’s not really my place to get involved with a woman’s body, since it is a woman’s body, and if old white men were the ones getting pregnant, I doubt there would be any debate at all.
Not everybody is as passive as I am. Since then, the sidewalk has taken on a life of its own, with most of the big arguments for both sides of the issue given some concrete space.
That is, until people started scribbling things out and washing some of the chalk off the sidewalk, making it nearly impossible to read some of the arguments displayed.
I understand it’s a heated issue and, in the minds of some people, abortion is one of the biggest problems American society needs to solve. However, that doesn’t make it okay to stop someone else from giving their perspective by erasing their arguments.
In comparison to the sidewalk chalk on campus, nobody has ever attempted to take away the library preacher guy’s overly aggressive signs or the Bible he vehemently shakes at onlookers. Last week, the sidewalk served as a rare opportunity for students to take place in a political discussion. It was pretty civil, albeit a little passive aggressive, and anyone could participate. In fact, someone even left chalk at the scene so there was nothing to hold opinions back.
Public discussion of any issue is pretty rare, so when it appears, everybody needs to do their best not to stifle it. Covering up and washing away opposing views is one of the best ways to make sure everyone loses.
It wouldn’t be okay for someone to take the zealous preacher’s sign away. It’s equally not okay to obstruct somebody’s opinions in a discussion, even if it’s just a note on the sidewalk.
Justin Ackerman can be reached at [email protected]