Fight back against recent attacks on education

Fight back against recent attacks on education

Mobilization, voting good starting point for political
change

By Darrin Hurwitz

The UC Regents’ decision last Thursday to indefinitely postpone
a vote on proposals to revive affirmative action represents a
tremendous blow to California’s students and to all those who have
fought to maintain a program which fosters diversity and expands
opportunity.

Yet no matter how outrageous or shortsighted the regents’
actions of the past eight months have been, we should not be
particularly surprised by them. Instead, Thursday’s events are
simply another indication of the gradually closing doors to higher
education – a troubling nationwide trend.

The decision appears to lead up to a vote on the so-called
California Civil Rights Initiative. The initiative is a dangerous
ballot proposal strongly pushed by Gov. Wilson and his appointee
Regent Ward Connerly, which would eliminate affirmative action
altogether in schools and the workplace.

It is crucial for us as college students to realize that many of
these attacks on our education are a direct result of the political
leaders the American people have elected in the past few years.
From Washington, D.C. to Sacramento, we have allowed the numbers of
politicians who are friendly to education to dwindle; now we are
beginning to witness the harsh consequences.

What is particularly distressing about the regents’ abolition of
affirmative action and their stubborn refusal to consult those
intimately involved with the UC system before reaching a decision,
is that we are losing a pro-education voice.

Instead, we have witnessed the transition of decision making
from the education community to an elite, centralized board. The
board answers not to the public, but rather to the political
intimidations of the governor, who himself is a regent and who
appoints 18 of the other 25 regents.

While this trend is in and of itself troubling, it is compounded
by the fact that Gov. Wilson has been no friend to college
students, as evidenced by his political maneuvers to abolish
affirmative action and, until recently, his lack of concern about
skyrocketing student fees. As a result, not only has the
educational community been left out of the decision process, but
those who determine the future of higher education in California
share the anti-education agenda of their appointer.

Of course, at the same time that the regents close the doors to
many Californians eager to pursue an education, Republicans in
Washington are pursuing their own anti-student agenda, as they
attempt to incorporate into the budget substantial cuts in student
financial aid. Together, these attacks constitute an enormous
threat to tens of thousands of current and future UC students, who
may be denied access due to their socioeconomic background.

While these political attacks are certainly disillusioning, it
is imperative that we do not abandon the political system as we
look for solutions. Anger and hostility toward politicians is only
natural in the face of these attacks. But while our government has
the ability to turn its back on us, we should not forget that at
the same time, it also possesses an equivalent positive power to
foster educational opportunity and success.

The difference between a government which supports access to
education and one which tries to deny it obviously lies in the
leaders we elect to office. Ultimately, that will depend on two
factors, both largely within our control. 1) To what extent we, as
a broad-based educational community (including students, faculty,
staff and administrators) turn out to vote. 2) How well we convey
the message to voters outside of the educational community that
keeping doors open to education must be a national priority.

The road to positive results begins by simply taking the time to
vote for pro-education candidates as well as against shortsighted,
anti-education measures such as the California Civil Rights
Initiative (if it qualifies for the November ballot). Also, urge
your friends to do the same. Remember that you must re-register
each time you move and that you must be registered 30 days prior to
an election in order to vote. Bruin Democrats will embark on a
voter registration drive during mid-February to prepare for the
March 26 California primary. You can find us on Bruin Walk.

If there is a bright spot from Thursday’s regent meeting, it is
that we can make this our starting point for student mobilization
as we head into a critically important election year. Now is our
opportunity, as concerned members of the UCLA community, to begin
to change the political tide. We must demonstrate that we can serve
as a potent political force which strives for maximum educational
access and opposes those who seek to diminish it.

Hurwitz is a third-year political science major and external
vice president of Bruin Democrats.Comments to
[email protected]