In the next few months, on college campuses across the country, student activists will be staging protests, holding events, and engaging their peers in a variety of ways. When one says “student activist” though, what does one think of? I think of those students on the extreme Left, the environmental radicals, the campus socialist groups, and so on. But why should the hard Left hold a monopoly on student activism? Would it surprise you to learn that normal student activism on the Right actually exists?
A friend of mine from college would always say that those on the Right have a personality that they want people to stay out of their business, that’s why they are on the Right in the first place. We’ll vote and pay attention to the issues, but attending rallies and pulling off dramatic stunts is where we draw the line.
I appeal to those students who identify with the above characterization. As a former student activist on the Right, I can attest that you don’t have to do anything embarrassing or weird to make a difference! Most of the time all you have to do is show up for a meeting or an event a club is holding. The more bodies in attendance shows how many people are supporting the efforts.
Some may say that just showing up doesn’t really make a difference. But if students see that no one is attending the events put together by those groups on the Right, why would those students have any respect for the Right in the realm of government? You can have a direct role in changing the debate on your campus and in your fellow students’ minds simply by showing up.