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11-05-2004, 04:15
Sorry about posting the whole article, but you have to sign up to the site to be able to read the articles. This is the Rutgers University paper.
Students grieve over re-election
By Grace Sica / University Editor
Published: 11/5/2004
Article Tools: Page 1 of 2
Media Credit: Matt Moss/Acting Photography Editor
Students gather at Brower Commons Wednesday night to share stories of frustration and disbelief in response to the re-election of President George W. Bush at the ´Mourning the Death of Humanity´ rally.
When dealing with grief, our culture has generally accepted the five-step program: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance.
The 100 people who gathered Wednesday night at Brower Commons on the College Avenue campus seemed to represent all five stages in response to the re-election of President George W. Bush.
People flocked to the impromptu gathering - referred to in e-mails and fliers as "Mourning the Death of Humanity" - as members of the University and New Brunswick communities shared stories of their frustrations, disbelief, depression and plans.
The gathering was the result of word of mouth, with fliering and e-mailing aiding in the effort. The protesters lit candles and took control of the microphone - some yelling, others with quieter tones, some free-styling, and others short and brief.
Douglass College sophomore Lindsay Napolitano, the first to speak at the gathering, was among a small group of students who returned from a similar rally at Union Square Park in New York City. She said this was a place for those unsatisfied with the election to gather.
"If America is a Republican country, ... Brower Commons right now isn't a part of it," Napolitano said. "Don't lose faith. There are a lot of us out there. ... We know we are angry now. We need to figure out what to do."
Joe Smith, who is not affiliated with the University but is a self-described local organizer and activist, said this is the time to make a plan to change the way politics is currently working.
"We need to start focusing on things we can attain," he said. "How about let's win something." The unopposed council race in New Brunswick exemplified the corruption and limitation of politics, Smith said.
People taped white paper to the backs of their jackets with sayings like "Not my vote, this country does not represent me."
Attached to her vest, protester Stephanie Smith donned a sign that read, "49 percent is not a minority." The slogan was meant to represent that the country is not a democracy because of the two-party system, she said. "This country is driven by capitalism and individualism, leaving behind a large percentage - the poor, handicapped, minorities, women, [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] community," she said. "The more the county is driven by greed, the harder it gets for these people to live the 'American dream.'"
Like many of the people out at Brower Commons that night, she was doubtful Democratic candidate John Kerry's win would have aroused the same response. "This country wouldn't have changed with Kerry" she said. "Bush's win has mobilized the people."
The day before the election, a new publication arrived on campus, a conservative paper called The Centurion. Editor in Chief James O'Keefe, a Rutgers College junior, was at the rally to hear the other point of view and hear arguments against Bush.
O'Keefe said he had one question left unanswered: "Where is the injustice?" He said it seemed people were picking the issues apart.
"Bush said we need people and support," O'Keefe said. "They have a responsibility to join the current administration, ... not to disassociate and move out of the country."
Standing across the street, Rutgers College junior Matt Peterson shook his head and said, "It's sad that this is going to tear us apart."
Peterson said he voted for Bush and recognizes some of Bush's initiatives have been unpopular, but this in itself can be the token of a good leader.
"Sometimes a leader has to go at it alone," he said. "If something needs to get done, it needs to get done." In hindsight, the idea to go into Iraq may not have been the best, Peterson said, but at the time, Bush believed it was.
Students grieve over re-election
By Grace Sica / University Editor
Published: 11/5/2004
Article Tools: Page 1 of 2
Media Credit: Matt Moss/Acting Photography Editor
Students gather at Brower Commons Wednesday night to share stories of frustration and disbelief in response to the re-election of President George W. Bush at the ´Mourning the Death of Humanity´ rally.
When dealing with grief, our culture has generally accepted the five-step program: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance.
The 100 people who gathered Wednesday night at Brower Commons on the College Avenue campus seemed to represent all five stages in response to the re-election of President George W. Bush.
People flocked to the impromptu gathering - referred to in e-mails and fliers as "Mourning the Death of Humanity" - as members of the University and New Brunswick communities shared stories of their frustrations, disbelief, depression and plans.
The gathering was the result of word of mouth, with fliering and e-mailing aiding in the effort. The protesters lit candles and took control of the microphone - some yelling, others with quieter tones, some free-styling, and others short and brief.
Douglass College sophomore Lindsay Napolitano, the first to speak at the gathering, was among a small group of students who returned from a similar rally at Union Square Park in New York City. She said this was a place for those unsatisfied with the election to gather.
"If America is a Republican country, ... Brower Commons right now isn't a part of it," Napolitano said. "Don't lose faith. There are a lot of us out there. ... We know we are angry now. We need to figure out what to do."
Joe Smith, who is not affiliated with the University but is a self-described local organizer and activist, said this is the time to make a plan to change the way politics is currently working.
"We need to start focusing on things we can attain," he said. "How about let's win something." The unopposed council race in New Brunswick exemplified the corruption and limitation of politics, Smith said.
People taped white paper to the backs of their jackets with sayings like "Not my vote, this country does not represent me."
Attached to her vest, protester Stephanie Smith donned a sign that read, "49 percent is not a minority." The slogan was meant to represent that the country is not a democracy because of the two-party system, she said. "This country is driven by capitalism and individualism, leaving behind a large percentage - the poor, handicapped, minorities, women, [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] community," she said. "The more the county is driven by greed, the harder it gets for these people to live the 'American dream.'"
Like many of the people out at Brower Commons that night, she was doubtful Democratic candidate John Kerry's win would have aroused the same response. "This country wouldn't have changed with Kerry" she said. "Bush's win has mobilized the people."
The day before the election, a new publication arrived on campus, a conservative paper called The Centurion. Editor in Chief James O'Keefe, a Rutgers College junior, was at the rally to hear the other point of view and hear arguments against Bush.
O'Keefe said he had one question left unanswered: "Where is the injustice?" He said it seemed people were picking the issues apart.
"Bush said we need people and support," O'Keefe said. "They have a responsibility to join the current administration, ... not to disassociate and move out of the country."
Standing across the street, Rutgers College junior Matt Peterson shook his head and said, "It's sad that this is going to tear us apart."
Peterson said he voted for Bush and recognizes some of Bush's initiatives have been unpopular, but this in itself can be the token of a good leader.
"Sometimes a leader has to go at it alone," he said. "If something needs to get done, it needs to get done." In hindsight, the idea to go into Iraq may not have been the best, Peterson said, but at the time, Bush believed it was.