It's starting those discussions that takes courage. It forces the ones who start them-people like those in SHIFT-to stand up to accusations that they're rabble-rousers, atheistic zealots, mean-spirited attention seekers. We get to dismiss them as closed-minded when we don't agree with them, and let them take the heat when we do.
The level of outrage has less do with SHIFT's behavior than our own anxieties over freedom, security, diversity and identity. Find the pictures of the Rock on Facebook, or read the online comments in the wake of the chalking affair-you'll see anonymous insults and hateful polemics from every side of the ideological spectrum. SHIFT doesn't have to do much to draw out that ugliness. They draw a stick figure, or hand us a Sharpie. We provide the controversy.
In The Daily Northwestern today, a wonderful column was printed, written by a senior named Mike Carson. It's called SHIFTing the Blame, and I encourage everyone to take a look at it:
A noteworthy excerpt:
Feel free to post comments and join the discussion!
Cassy Byrne
President of SHIFT
(Secular Humanists for Inquiry & FreeThought)
Northwestern University
SHIFT's ...
