I woke up because I had to use the facilities. I unzipped my tent, stepped outside on to the wet dewy grass. The bright yellow light blinded me and my socks got all wet.
What am I talking about? I’m talking about Tent City. Several professors, staff, departments and students organized it. The event’s goal was multi-faceted. For some it was an outlet for which to protest the U.S. bombings of Afghanistan. For others it was an educational event. But for most, Tent City was an opportunity to come together, discuss ideas, listen to one another and to invited speakers. Participants got first hand perspectives from a woman born and educated in Afghanistan who is now a member of the group Christians and Muslims for Peace. Her past includes working for the United Nations and the U.S. Peace Corps. Another speaker from the UN Association gave a mission briefing on the humanitarian crisis and spoke about his experiences in the U.S. Navy. As a group, we talked about the political and historical situation in Afghanistan in addition to religion, media, culture and sociology.
The open forum or ‘sharing circle’ was a chance for students, teachers, staff and community members to express ideas, personal memories and opinions. I heard opinions from just about everyone. I listened to a woman speak about her father fighting in World War II. I watched people roll their eyes and give each other dirty looks because they disagreed with what was being said. I listened to another woman who had lived through war, who warned us to not throw the word war around ignorantly. I learned that oversimplifying others opinions is also ignorant and that listening carefully to where others are coming from will make me a more educated person.
However, during the sharing circle it came to my attention that an individual had received death threats for publicly stating their opinions. This is sad, scary and unnecessary. Veterans, young veterans at that, lost their lives and their futures fighting for freedoms that allow us to be open with our ideas. Girlfriends lost boyfriends; mothers lost sons and friends lost friends. People trying to censor and threaten others because they disagree with their views, are disrespecting this freedom. Disagreement and discourse is an important aspect of being at an academic institution, whether as a student or as an employee. Discourse will also lead to an understanding among people. People should not be afraid of expressing themselves; they should instead be listened to carefully. When people stop talking is when ignorance and misunderstandings arise.
Tent City helped me re-evaluate my ideas. And while I have gained new perspectives, I still feel angry and sad that millions of innocent people, including children, will suffer starvation and freezing climate conditions in Afghanistan.
And while Tent City might not compare in many ways to real refugee camps ,I think that it gave me and others a more hands-on understanding of Ramadan, suffering and hunger in general. It was amazing to see professors and students from different disciplines come together, sit out in the cold and talk about stuff.
To end the event there was an Interfaith Service where a rabbi read from the Torah and a Muslim man read from the Koran. People listened and closed their eyes in respect. A Buddhist nun also spoke about her beliefs and then our Protestant campus minister read a prayer. Then we all read a litany aloud and lit candles in honor of peace.
Anna Roy, senior international studies major, is assistant features editor of the Campus Times. She can be reached by e-mail at roya@ulv.edu.
