La Voz:

I am supportive of our right to protest the course of politics in this country. That being said, I am not sure I support or believe in the course of protest your publication obviously promotes or is subject to.

Last week’s La Voz had yet another “leap-in-logic” essay by Adam Welch. He says that, “A walkout is one of the most powerful statements that students can make and we made it loud and clear.” This is a statement that I found rather invalid given the immensity of the proposition being protested. This form of protest is mockery of the rights you have to protest the government. Here is why.

How many times do you see students picking up their belongings and simply walking out during a lecture? ALL THE TIME. How many times have you been tempted by company of friends felt that you could miss just one lecture? ALL THE TIME. Is your instructor so strict and so bound by law that he or she must keep in the class during the entire course of the lecture? No.

It is our choice to be at De Anza, to further our education, and to set higher standards for ourselves. No one forces anyone to be here and no one forces anyone to stay in a class. So just because you walk out of a classroom doesn’t portray in any way a valid and meaningful protest. To me, it means you are hungry and/or irresponsible to your studies and self. There are so many other ways to send a message; walking out of something you paid for already means shit.

So where did the walkout get us?

-The passing of both ballots

-A picture of our class president in La Voz participating in the protest, whistle and all. Wait a minute, shouldn’t she be doing all that stuff she promised in her campaign? More diversity awareness, less of the “white” view-point, and little student publications with cartoons? ahem, anyway, let’s continue….

-An Adam Welch article promoting the destruction of public property in San Francisco only to be arrested. A great message: IF I DON’T GET MY VOTE, I BREAK THINGS!!

-Finally, anger. Just plain, simple, easy to come by anger. That’s it. Pinned up energy going nowhere but a prance around the campus with signs and whistles.

-Name withheld upon request