Dear Editor,
The events at the University of Missouri showed authoritarians demanding the ousting of executives because their feelings were hurt. Whether or not the students as a whole wanted the executives removed, we will never know. This is because the authoritarian mindset is not based on the will of the people but instead based on the notion that a few select individuals should dictate every outcome – like what is happening presently at Ole Miss.
The recent decision to remove the Mississippi state flag has brought a wave of criticism. Much of it focused on an ASB member for claiming the “students” wanted to remove the flag. I’m sorry, but was there a student referendum I was unaware of? Instead of supporting a democratic student referendum on the issue, the Stalin-like ASB member has taken the model of authoritarian governments around the world who refuse to allow people to vote on the issue, then triumphantly claim to represent what the people want. Look no further than freedom-loving countries such as North Korea, China and Cuba. Even the military junta government of Burma just allowed a free election for the first time since 1990. Is the ASB really worse than a military junta? Of course, we all know the real reason a democratic student vote is not allowed: if there is a vote and the results conflicted with the Politburo ASB voting results, then there would be a lot of embarrassment in the ASB. It’s hard to claim to be the will of the students when they vote against you.
Let the students vote on the flag.
Will Pomeroy
Juris Doctor
School of Law ‘17
