Initially I found the peace protest in front of Miami University's on-campus Seal to be refreshing and certainly a change of pace for this school. It is always encouraging to see college students become actively involved and discuss issues beyond celebrity gossip and pop culture. But as time as worn on, I have grown increasingly impatient with the peace signs and the protest for a war that began more than four years ago. These protestors have quickly become a constant presence on the Seal. Every daylight hour is spent holding signs made on notebook paper and giving passersby peace signs like we are reliving the year 1968 all over again. And throughout this protest, the bronze Seal and its surroundings have become lost in the unoriginal signs and hot air that now emanates from its location.
With its protection inscribed in the First Amendment, the right to protest should be practiced not to garner attention but to make a point for those listening. That is why protestors usually focus their efforts on influential places such as the United Nations in New York or the White House in Washington, DC. A quaint and quiet Midwestern college campus is not exactly where decision-makers will be hearing peace protestors. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid do not make it out to Oxford very often. The only listeners will be people such as me-students late for class who are unable or unwilling to put up with peace signs and political agendas when all we want is a spicy chicken sandwich from Bell Tower.
The number of protestors has increased considerably since this hijacking of our lovely college Seal began. All the various lost causes of Miami have joined in on the fun, including the notorious Students for Staff-an organization apparently unable to realize when the battle has been lost. With all the Miami activists on board, it is sad that I now must avoid the Seal on my way to class. The Seal was once a tranquil place with welcoming benches and a fun superstition of avoiding the seal when exams are looming. Now, ironically, the serenity of that picturesque setting has been lost in a circle of peaceniks who seem to have been born in the wrong decade.
If the Iraq War enrages you so much and you wish for immediate withdrawal, write your Congressmen and letters to the editor. By all means, protest on the National Mall in Washington and let your collective voice be heard by millions across the world. But give me and my fellow Miami students the seal back. Protesting in Oxford, Ohio will not end the Iraq War or influence powerful people in government. Miami students cannot bring peace to the Middle East with a flip of a switch. It is not clear anyone can. And from what I have witnessed, Miami students are only becoming less receptive to this constant message of peace these protestors continue to berate. Disgruntled with being interrupted and disturbed during a routine walk to class, students are quickly losing whatever initial interest they had in the protest.
The indefinite length of this protest is also irritating. It's a peace protest-we understand. Weeks and weeks of protest are not necessary. The message on day 1 will be the same as the message on day 25. Miami students do not need to be constantly reminded that the same group of a dozen or so people continues to want peace. The Miami community understands the message. Now go home, buy some Halliburton stock and allow students to enjoy the fall colors in complete tranquility.
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