The final two months of 2010 saw the greatest single demonstration of power ever displayed by our generation within Britain: despite what much of the media has told us, an increase in tuition fees had almost nothing to do with these protests. That great body, comprising of students from across the country, marched to the gates of Whitehall not concerned with the thickness of their wallets, but because they had been lied to. Nick Clegg, for several months before his election, through his party’s manifesto, newspaper articles, speeches, radio podcasts, online videos and televised debates, lied to the students of this nation. As a consequence, fifty thousand people, unified by that most rare but indiminishable of emotions, passion, reminded the government where the power of this nation lies: in the hands of its people. In the hands of its youth.
Though Lord Browne’s bill passed, the protests were not a failure. In just four weeks we absolved an international perception of our obese, alcoholic, complacency; reminded the monarchy of the fragility with which it rests; and declared to those with power that we would abide by their deception, and corruption, no longer. For the first time within our own history, we found a voice. We could not help but be heard. The question we should be asking; is why have we stopped?
I refuse to accept that aside from a nine thousand pound debt, we believe there is nothing wrong with our world. Nothing else that concerns us. Nothing else worth fighting for.
When Julian Assange, a man defending the freedom of thought and speech, demanding a transparency of government previously unheard of, though desperately needed, was persecuted on threat of execution with charges so fictitious, so bullshit, that even the world’s media had no idea quite what they were; where were we? Where were the students? Where were the protests? Wikileaks has released more “classified” documents in the space of four years than the entire world’s media combined has ever given us. Is that not worth nine thousand pounds?
When Liu Xiaobo a man fighting for the inalienable rights of men, of freedom and democracy was imprisoned and our Government did nothing to protect him; where were we? Are our rights to vote, our right to religion, our freedoms to think and write and protest, are they too not worth nine thousand pounds? Are they too not worth marching upon Whitehall to defend?
By fighting for so little, we will accept so much. Through fear, or complacency, or ignorance, we continually commission a deceitful few. We silence our own voices. We censor our own protest.
Without rebellion, without passion, our eyes will be drawn only to consuming, commercial, advertisements and the lying propaganda of the empowered: everything else, anything that has genuine meaning will remain but black and white, hidden behind our own bloody rubber-stamp of approval.
This student paper, any student paper, provides literally every single student the opportunity to express themselves unsolicited, uncensored, and without fear of persecution. Many people have, and would, die for that opportunity. The student Union fights for the students, however, much like the government we would protest against, we are nothing without the support of the people. With that support, if we were unified with passion once more, we could begin to change this world. We are not a mob, thugs or delinquents nor are we not too young to do anything. We are a voice. We are a power. And our government should be goddamned petrified of what we can do.
Though not every question that confronts us can be answered, we have a duty to acknowledge that the question exists: that there are things terribly wrong with this world. This powerful play will always go on, we must each find the strength to contribute a verse.
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