Dear fellow students, faculty, and staff:
The last few days have seen escalating attacks on conservative students at Boston College in the wake of President Donald Trump’s reelection. Conservative students have been targeted on social media and on campus, being told that they condone rape, sexism, racism, and every other “ism” in the English dictionary. We will no longer sit idly by while unhinged people openly defame the character of students who voted for President Trump. This intimidation and hate speech should not be tolerated and we call upon all students, faculty, and staff to reflect on their harmful words.
Let this message be a call for unity both on campus and in the greater BC community. In the words of President Joe Biden: “You can’t love your country only when you win. You can’t love your neighbor only when you agree.” Debate and dialogue are always welcome, but ad hominem attacks on people who support a certain political candidate are unbecoming of the BC community. A lack of discussion across the aisle leads directly to this sort of animosity, and we believe it is the responsibility of political groups on campus to work alongside the faculty and staff to foster respectful interactions. We attend BC with a calling to be “men and women for others.” Being men and women for others requires us to be open to growth, loving, and committed to justice. In the wake of the election results, there is a growing disconnect between this mission on campus and the actions and words promulgated within the community.
We as the leaders of the BC Republicans call upon everyone in the BC community to avoid shutting each other out and dehumanizing those who disagree. Instead, we encourage respectful political discussion. The country has spoken, and it is time for our community to come together around our shared values as Americans.
