Why Student Politics Has Gone To The Dogs

Political busy bodies on campus are getting in the way of true representation

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Diverse and radical thinking was rife in Warwick’s student politics this year – but those who represent us are failing to embrace it.

The more diverse voices that were being heard this year, more than ever, have been treated unfairly. Instead we see a student body and certain political keyboard warriors from the SU’s top brass trying to feed us their political views and why anything outside their catchment is vehemently wrong.

The quashing of the Game of thrones motion highlights this point. Anything outside of the SU’s stance on student politics was thrown away and never given a chance for the student body to have a say. Instead what we need is a student union that allows us to vote on legitimate, viable and well backed up motions, no matter what their severity is. We are all grown up enough to make our decisions.

Bowater, who started the motion to rename the SU president as a Khal or Khaleesi

We were all clever and intuitive enough to get here ourselves and we don’t need to be told who to vote and not vote for. Of course we can be advised. Put posters up for certain parties. Promoting them. Not throwing around words like Xenophobic and Racist.

I am no follower, voter or supporter of UKIP. But what I am a champion of is giving everyone a fair chance. To constantly log on to my Facebook to yet again see more keyboard warriors tossing the words racist, thugs, xenophobic, homophobic etc around is disgraceful.

For those who represent us in societies and student body boards it is their duty to help us, advise us and guide us to making an intuitive decision; not classing anyone who votes outside of their textbook ideology as a racist pig with no political understanding. It is truly demeaning.

What it also does who dilute the meaning of racist. To class 30+% of the voting population as Fascist (which is in effect what they are doing) is simply ridiculous. Trust me, they’re are many more people worthy of a Fascist title, let me tell you.

The student body is there to represent us not to stick posters on walls saying “are you happy with this?”; with results showing a UKIP lead. Quite clearly hinting that it is outside the norm and we should all rush to the Ramphal and vote against UKIP.

To stop an uprising of Fascists from getting rid of all other nationalities and religions from Britain? It’s not going to happen and it never will. Let people vote for who they want. Freedom of speech is a two way street. It works both ways; these keyboard politicians want to call UKIP all Fascists etc etc and then at the same breath come out for support for Trotsky (trust me its out there and I would say Trotsky is more dangerous than Farage), joking or not, then let them.

Or equally, as seen recently, even joke about Angela Merkel being a Fascist with a fake Hitler moustache on! But let people vote and feel comfortable for voting outside the norm. Don’t create a society on campus where even saying the words UKIP or Nigel Farage cause you to be glared at.

You may call UKIP and others scaremongers but, in way, so are you guys. Lets return to voting for more microwaves on campus and have student voice for student wants. Not a barrage of politicised nuisance on which, if disagreed with, we are belittled and told off. So where has this student politics gone?

Take the Khal motion by Aaron Bowater. It was a pure example of a student built motion with a huge support base. Instead of embracing the democratic voice we have, it was dropped because it would degrade the University’s name and prestige. But let me ask you Ben, do you not think having a student body actively involved in the student voice is more important?

A student society where we can debate, vote and pass motions if they meet all requirements. Instead we have an NUS who spends a large majority of time deliberating if we are allowed UKIP on campus rather than spending more time focusing on what is important like student marking boycotts and how to help students.

Surely students is what puts the S in NUS. People may read this and think I’m wrong and disagree. But at the end of the day we live in a democracy, voice your views and arguments against.

Hey, it’s a free country at the of the day.