Dear
Spectator
Editorial Board,
The College’s stated educational goals include “Understanding of Cultural Diversity” and “Ethical, Informed, and Engaged Citizenship,” but the decision to provide a paid platform to President Trump’s former Chief of Staff directly contradicts those goals. Day after day, Priebus worked to advance an agenda that is hostile towards cultural and ethnic diversity, and his disregard for the truth shows he has no interest in promoting informed citizenship.
Of course, it is important to be exposed to opposing points of view, but that does not mean every point of view deserves an amplified platform, and it certainly doesn’t mean that students should be expected to compromise their values to find “common ground” with people like Donald Trump or Reince Priebus.
As Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus played a key role in implementing the President’s illegal Muslim ban, the ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, and oversaw a president and White House staff that continually attacked the free press and lied to the American people. The student body had nothing to gain from hearing from a man who has dedicated his career to attacking our nation’s diversity and undermining the truth.
Priebus has made his career as a GOP operative in an era when the GOP playbook has been clear: never give an inch to Democrats. Priebus wouldn’t be ashamed to admit that refusing to compromise has paid off; in fact, during the Q&A session he bragged about how that tactic has helped reshape the courts for a generation to come.
Jim Messina should understand the futility of trying to find common ground with the GOP better than anyone. As a senior White House staffer, he played a key role in passing the Affordable Care Act. The ACA was a policy born out of the conservative Heritage Foundation in the spirit of moderation and compromise, and despite that, President Obama and Messina couldn’t get a single Republican to vote for the bill.
When the Common Ground series was launched in the wake of Trump’s election, the College seemed to send the message that “if we just focus on what brings us together, we can get through these divisive and scary times.” As comforting as that may sound, Priebus and his colleagues have made it crystal clear they have no interest in compromising their values in the name of common ground.
If Hamilton is serious about teaching its students to become ethical, informed, and engaged citizens, they should push them to fight for their core values with confidence and clarity. Conceding ground to radicals like Priebus or Trump serves nobody and it accomplishes nothing besides helping them advance their harmful agenda.
This letter was submitted by the Hamilton College Democrats.
