It May Not Get Into the Daily Bruin...

...but I'm posting on my online journals to at least reach out to the UCLA community about the shit that's flying during our student government elections. The attacks against "Students Power!" people have hit me personally, and there was no way in Hell that they were going to stop me from responding.

Enjoy.

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Shameful Attacks Hurt Democratic Process

By Randy Bautista

Ideally, the USAC undergraduate elections are a celebration of the democratic process, where students who wish to improve campus life run for office, hoping to implement their plans for a better UCLA. However, the shameful attacks against several students involved with the election have brought a viciousness that compromise the integrity of this valued tradition.

The shameful attacks I am referring to are the attacks targeting USAC presidential candidate Jenny Wood and the vicious heckling targeting the students participating in the Speak Out Wednesday afternoon. This past Friday, Wood was verbally attacked on UCLA Radio by an opposing USAC president, who wished to “smash her face into the ground.” At the Speak Out, hecklers wore “FUCK Students Power!” T-Shirts, and calling a Students Power! supporter a “chink” who should “go back to the fields.”

It’s incredibly shocking that such words could come from UCLA students. How does UCLA, one of the most racially diverse and socially progressive campuses in the nation, breed an atmosphere that allows such hateful speech to breed? But what is most disturbing about these incidents is that the targets are students who genuinely want to improve campus life.

Running for USAC is not easy, and the students who participate in the election process have tremendous courage. They sacrifice countless hours creating their platforms, participating in debates, flyering, reaching out to the student body, all in the effort of serving the campus. Some of us may disagree with their plans, but such critiques should be made in a desire for their success, and not their failure. Such malicious attacks compromise the safety of these students, and ultimately, it is the UCLA community that loses. For the sake of our community, students must confront these acts of hate. And one of the most powerful ways students can do this is by participating in the USAC elections themselves.

USAC is an incredibly powerful vehicle for change. USAC represents the undergraduate student body, and the students who sit on USAC set the tone for the campus as a whole. Therefore, students should be critical of those running for USAC. Do they reflect your values? Will they be active in creating a climate supportive of all students? Will they challenge acts of racism? Sexism? Homophobia? Your knowledge of the candidates and their platforms, your engagement in student issues, and your conscious effort in getting the right people into USAC will help bring integrity back to the USAC elections, and help push this campus in the right direction.

Every student at UCLA has a responsibility to breed an atmosphere of support and acceptance for all members of our community. As a recent alumnus, and someone who has tremendous love and respect for UCLA, I challenge the student body to become conscious agents in this community of support. Get involved in the USAC elections, and bring integrity back to the democratic process.

Bautista is a recent alumnus and former President of Samahang Pilipino.