Moscow is often considered one of the most liberal areas in Idaho — a blue spot in a sea of red.
The combination of two college towns and a highly educated population lend to a Democratic-leaning city.
With those liberal ideologies comes seemingly higher tolerance and acceptance. There is a diverse range of views represented on the Palouse, many liberal and some conservative.
No matter what political views someone might have, one thing is certain — there is no place in Moscow for hate speech and racially charged rhetoric.
In early November, multiple posters with the wording “It’s okay to be white” cropped up across Moscow and on the University of Idaho campus. The wordage, although outwardly harmless, has largely been linked to white supremacists and neo-Nazi groups across the nation.
“I am disappointed to see such expression on our campus,” UI President Chuck Staben wrote after the incident. “The value, ‘Respect’ and our effort to ‘Cultivate a valued and diverse community’ are parts of our Strategic Plan.”
Still, the posters on campus-sanctioned bulletin boards remained.
UI wasn’t the only campus to find these posters scattered around. The “It’s okay to be white” slogan was plastered around campuses across the country, from the University of Alberta in Canada to Harvard in Massachusetts, according to the Washington Post.
Just before fall break, ASUI approached the issue by passing a bill Nov. 14 condemning the proliferation of the “It’s okay to be white” flyers on campus.
Created by Sen. Teja Sunku, the bill was written to “reaffirm that the ASUI Senate is dedicated to diversity and inclusion on campus in response to reports of multiple signs being found in Moscow and on campus,” according to an Argonaut report.
The bill passed, but not without pushback from Sen. Jessie Smith and Sen. Sam Harrich. The two attributed their responses by saying the phrase shouldn’t offend others and that the wording isn’t inherently racist.
However, national investigations into the widely found posters originated out of racism and hate speech. The Washington Post reports just after the 2016 election, investigators with the Southern Poverty Law Center documented a surge in posters and recruitment activity by white-nationalist organizations on 150 college and university campuses.
Although it is unknown if a specific white-nationalist group was responsible for the posters around Moscow and campus, their meaning and negativity still permeated our community.
The ASUI bill — a step in the right direction — is just the beginning for what we can do as a well-educated campus community.
The Center for Volunteerism and Social Action will host a Campus Conversation focusing on hate crimes. This creates a space for people of all ideologies to converse safely and with respect.
If we can engage in these topics more openly, they are less likely to become an issue.
When we hear or see hate speech, we can report it. When we find ourselves or others in uncomfortable situations, we can help. When there is a lack of understanding, we can educated ourselves and others.
A poster might just be the beginning of a larger issue. As young people, it’s our job to be present and speak up when those issues arise.
— HS
Mark
#fakenews