I was one of the many attending Wednesday’s Student Senate meeting.
To the Editor,
I was one of the many attending Wednesday’s Student Senate meeting. In support of Bobcats for Israel, I sat in on the filibuster that they attempted to perform. However, not even half an hour into the meeting, the four students who had been chosen to speak were arrested, and later charged with fourth degree misdemeanors. For those who had been verbally heckling them, physically crowding them in, and otherwise attempting to intimidate them, however, there were no such repercussions. I was shocked and horrified.
Ms. Marzec claims to be in favor of free speech, however, she openly opposes those attempting to exercise their First Amendment rights if they do not agree with her. The actions of the four students arrested were within both U.S. law and Student Senate regulations, therefore, there was no reason to have them taken out in handcuffs besides fulfilling a personal agenda.
Ms. Marzec is president of a group that is supposed to represent all OU students, and there is no room for personal goals when performing that job. Neither shouting over us, nor physically intimidating us, as some students attempted to do to the speakers, nor taking us out of sight will make us go away. We are tired of shutting up as other students try to make us feel unwelcome and uncomfortable on our own campus. More than that, we are tired of your hypocrisy.
Wednesday’s meeting has proven one main point: Megan Marzec and the rest of the Student Senate do not support our freedom of speech. They support their own.
Carolyn Miller is a student at Ohio University.
