"We Should Not Give Them Power Over Us by the Way We React to Them"

"If we hold ourselves to these standards, the way that students have engaged in the past does not work. Across the country, students have responded to these individuals by protesting, by shouting them down, by drowning them out. From Middlebury to Berkeley, these protests have gained national media attention and enraged people across the political spectrum, but have done little to stop these bigots from coming to campuses or to protect communities of students.
"In many situations, protests are extremely valuable. Over the past year, as the Trump administration repeatedly threatened Muslim Americans, undocumented individuals, LGBTQ persons, and more, Americans across this country stood up in some of the most prolific forms of civic activism in our nation's history. In these situations, protests can be inspiring, can build community, and can set the stage for real progress.
"Yet, we must be able to realize when certain forms of protest are not working. When students shout down extremists, these bigots are empowered rather than erased; the bigots receive media coverage, and with it, legitimacy that they should never have."

In the Columbia Daily Spectator, the executive board members of Columbia University Democrats pursue a wise strategy.