#NotMyCampus
To Whom It May Concern,
Tuesday night, while anxiously watching the election results pour in, I was inspired to see that millions of Americans had turned out to voice their opinions. As results were reported, I was shocked to see the discrepancies between the polling data that had been reported and what was happening in reality. Though down in exit polls, Donald Trump was winning every swing state on the path; state by state his path to victory became more viable. I asked myself, “what caused this discrepancy?” I soon realized that many voters were too afraid to publicly support Trump - scared that their identity would be reduced the title of “racist” or “bigot.” To me, it is shameful to live in a nation where individuals are afraid to voice their beliefs for fear of being shamed. Moreso, I am disappointed by the University of Michigan’s response to these election results.
The University’s response to President-elect Trump’s victory is perpetuating a hateful climate that makes students feel ashamed for voting for Donald Trump. Wednesday morning, I had a lecture canceled because our Professor “could not expect us to be able to focus on the curriculum after the election.” Later, I saw postings on Facebook for a vigil where students could mourn the results. When I received President Schlissel’s email endorsing the vigil, I was appalled. Nobody has died, the United States has not died; democracy is more alive than ever. Simply put, the American people voted and Trump won. People all around the country voted for him and over 60 million people backed his candidacy. To encourage students on campus to grieve over the results is fear mongering and creates an even more polarized campus. Had Secretary Hillary Clinton won the election and Trump supporters held a vigil, they would have likely been called white supremacists, racists, sexists, and bigots. I am confident that President Schlissel would never have endorsed such an event under that circumstance. As the president of a public university, I find his response biased and polarizing to the campus climate while he should instead be focused on unifying the student body. My frustrations climaxed when I arrived at Biology lecture Wednesday morning and my professor decided to convert our lecture into an open forum on the election, rather than discuss the reading I stayed up until 1 AM taking notes on the night before. I was encouraged that she wanted to have an open conversation, but when she made a statement before opening up the conversation to student dialog, I realized how biased and one-sided this conversation would be. What proceeded was not an open dialogue, but a fear mongering and a hateful rant. One by one, students went around the room and shared why they are scared for Trump to be President. When a student added it is important to understand why people voted for Trump and not automatically assume they are racist, our Professor responded that she has “tried to understand other people’s opinions but as hard as [she] tried, [she] is unable to understand how anyone would ever vote for a racist and a sexist like Trump.” Our professor created an environment where she tried to make students feel ashamed for voting for Trump, and therefore, intimidated students from voicing their opinions.
I am proud to have voted for Donald Trump and I will not be ashamed for standing up for my beliefs. I think that his policy proposals will foster much needed economic growth, improve health care, strengthen foreign policy, appoint a strong Supreme Court justice, and create a stronger America. No part of my attraction to Donald Trump involved racism nor do I know anyone personally who was attracted to Donald Trump for racist reasons. I recognize that there are racist people in America and I condemn their closed-mindedness, but it is equally close minded to believe that all Trump supporters are racist. To now be reduced to a racist for supporting Donald Trump is to ignore my actual identity which is unacceptable. There is no perfect candidate - I recognize that Donald Trump is not perfect - but neither is Hillary Clinton. I find it deplorable for people as educated as students at the University of Michigan to look at me and say they do not want to try and understand what I believe because they are hurting too much - I am hurt that because my opinion is different than theirs, it is deemed irrelevant. It is sickening to be generalized in such horrible ways by people who claim to preach open-mindedness and support for all. What hurts me even more is that the University is not encouraging students to understand each other and the complicated choice it is to select a President, but have instead has chosen to foster hate, blatantly catering to a certain group of students on campus while indirectly ignoring others.
The University of Michigan promotes identity and self-worth. The experiences that have created my identity are unique to me. I understand that others people's identities are unique to them and though I can respect their identity, I do not and cannot share the same experiences nor am I able to feel their emotions or concerns. I can, however, respect their opinions. I am distraught at how others are unable to extend the same courtesy to me and to understand my identity and beliefs.
Donald Trump was a far more dynamic candidate than the media and Hillary Clinton’s supporters made him out to be, Donald Trump represents is far more than the racist comments he has made and his success in this election is evident of that. The issues at stake are crucial in determining how America will progress in economic and foreign policy. These factors, coupled with his views on national healthcare and the Supreme Court nomination were what determined my vote for Mr. Trump. The University of Michigan should be encouraging its students to respect and challenge one another’s opinions, not hate one another for them and subsequently endorse vigils and promote ideas that are there to silence people those in opposition. This was an election, nothing more, nothing less.
America is a republic and a democracy. It is an incredible nation with an inspiring electorate that is motivated and passionate about a diverse set of issues. What keeps us strong is stimulating dialog and respect for one another's beliefs. Not hate. To move forward as nation we must accept the election results and unify as I would have done, and expected to do, if Hillary Clinton would have won. The response on campus has only perpetuating a polarized campus climate and I am appalled at the University of Michigan for condoning the hateful rhetoric. The University of Michigan needs to recognize that there are students of all beliefs present on campus and encourage a respectful dialog instead of fostering hate and stereotypes. The University of Michigan’s response to Donald Trump's victory has been insulting, biased, and only addresses a portion of the student population. I stand strong and optimistic to contribute to a unified national front, and I am excited at the possibilities to come, yet all I can currently focus on is the hate the University of Michigan is fostering.
Sincerely, Amanda Delekta
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*****The following personal statements do not necessarily represent the views of those who signed above nor College Republicans at the University of Michigan. Please include your name at the end of your statement.*****
As a fifty year old returning student, with an incredible love for this University, I find this behavior by Mark Schlissel and all of the faculty disheartening and communistic. No one has the right, especially our educators to steer, intimidate or instill fear upon anyone because of their differing political opinions. I am a proud conservative woman that promotes economic prosperity, individual responsibility, more freedoms with less government. That does not make me a racist or a bigot! Thirty years ago, we showed up for class, exams and fulfilled any other responsibilities that were on our schedules with no questions asked. The thought that this faculty postponed exams and other curricular activities, attended a vigil, offered psychological counseling and other nonsensical activities because their candidate didn’t win is UNBELIEVABLE to me! This University is going in the wrong direction if you think promoting this kind of childish behavior is good for the future of this great nation. This behavior, if not changed by this President, faculty and Board of Regents, will lose that honor of graduating The Leaders and Best and will end up as a nation of entitled brats that throw away the principles of liberty.
Michelle Wright
School of Kinesiology. Class of 2017
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To Whom It May Concern,
I am a freshman here at the University of Michigan. When I applied to this school, I knew I was coming into a place where many people would have beliefs that differ from mine. I really looked forward to contributing to a student body with a multitude of opinions and identities that would spark debate and inspire intellectual thinking among some of the brightest young adults in the country. The University says it protects people of all backgrounds with all ideals and identities. The great thing about having such a diverse community is that everyone has a different perspective on life. Herein lies the crucial piece of information the University failed to note when I applied.
The diversity the University promotes and the ideals it preaches are not, I have recently learned, intended to protect everyone. Rather, it exists as an attempt to target, change, and convert specific viewpoints based on the perfect yet unachievable vision the University has to create a student body that solely consists of people who reject those who may believe certain things. I voted for Donald J. Trump for president, and I feel as though the University does not care for the ideas that I can contribute to this campus because of it. I am not a racist. I am not a bigot. I am just a kid from New England who got into this University just like everyone else. I am someone who wanted to experience a different place with different people in order to broaden my knowledge and stance on the world. The ridiculous double-standards and hypocrisy the University endorsed when President Schlissel sent out the email Wednesday morning was just another action the University has taken to try to undermine those who do not have the same ideals as those the University so vigorously protects.
I am astonished that President Schlissel fully supported a vigil for a losing presidential candidate that clearly would not have occurred had the outcome of the election gone the other way. It was a fair election. The people spoke, and the people proved to reject the idealistic values the University proved to us that it vehemently supports while leaving behind all others. Mr. Trump won because people like me are sick and tired of people and institutions telling us the “correct” way to think and view the world. The University’s actions have continued to prove this point from the second I got here up until this very day. This is a “welcoming place for all members of society” as President Schlissel put it in his email, although as a person who rejects the forcing of the social progressive ideas unto myself, I very well know I am not to be including in that “welcoming society.” The University claims to champion the open exchange of ideas, yet it continues to aggressively push a certain way of thinking. I respect people who have beliefs that align with those the University is pushing, but the fact that for months I have been ignored and left behind as a student at this institution because I do not fit into this progressive utopian vision is obscene.
There is a portion of the student body that feels as though the University goes to great lengths to blow their candle out to make others’ brighter. I am saddened to see that the University does not support my expression of ideas equally when compared to people who have different opinions. I am open to people of all viewpoints, and some of my best friends have many different ideas than I. I cannot believe the University will not behave the same way and accept that you cannot please everybody. When will people realize and accept there is no utopian campus, there is no single “safe space,” but there is a community full of highly intellectual people that should be open to each other’s opinions and expressions, no matter what. People interpret things in different ways, but according to the University, “expect respect” seems to only be going one way. The actions of the University and, ultimately, President Schlissel have proven that fact.
So far, I am saddened, disappointed, and upset with how the election fallout has been handled, as it is so blatantly one sided. This is not the campus I thought I was going to be a part of when I came here in the fall. I thought I was coming to a place open to all people from all walks of life with all ideas. It turns out that statement is true, but only if your ideals align with those the University imposed upon us. In other words, people have their right to freedom of speech and expression, but only until their beliefs no longer align with the so-called “correct” beliefs, then people are not allowed to freely express those opinions. In one word, this oppression of the diverse thoughts Michigan pushes so greatly is disheartening. I thought I was coming into a place where diversity and debate was encouraged for the intellectual enlightenment of all. I was wrong.
I sincerely hope you acknowledge and seriously consider our expressions and legitimate concerns. If the University really cares so deeply about intellectual diversity, this issue will be addressed immediately. This is a problem that cannot go ignored any longer. The reputation and credibility of the University of Michigan is at stake. This is not the place I worked so hard and fought for so long to get into. Please start treating me like I belong.
This is Not My Campus.
Lincoln Merrill
College of Engineering, Class of 2020
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I had a professor directly compare the election to 9/11, before he asked if anyone in the room was from New York. It didn't go over well. Comparing the democratic decision of a country to a terrorist attack on that country should not be in the classroom.
I didn't vote for Trump. I voted for a Third party candidate that I thought better represented my ideals. Trump was my second choice, because of the similarities between the libertarian and republican policy platforms on many issues that are most important to me. Polarizing the student body between two candidates is unacceptable, but blatantly declaring that any vote that was not for HRC was bigoted, racist and sexist is an extremely disappointing statement from a president of such a prestigious institution.
If Trump is not your president, then perhaps you aren't mine. We didn't riot and hold a vigil when you took office. We didn't stop going to class and ask for support because there was a change in the leadership. It wasn't even offered, because that would be ridiculous right? And if you wish to continue the rhetoric that this is a diverse and inclusive institution I strongly suggest a change in position of blatant ostracizing of any conservative students. Until then, the university of Michigan does not deserve the social accolades it adorns itself with.
I’m a fourth generation student, with a last name that is greatly appreciated by the engineering and athletic departments for the familial contributions. $50k a year for my tuition is a drop in the bucket that pays for a prestigious higher learning institution to silence a minority opinion. This ideology discrimination, much like Wednesday for the liberals, is classless.
-Sam Junge
LSA Class of 2018
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My parents are Middle Eastern immigrants who fled Lebanon in the late 80s, escaping war and religious persecution. They both voted Trump, and it was a clear choice for them too. While they did not agree with many of Trump’s statements, at the end of the day, they were far more concerned with their ability to provide for their family than they were with some of Trump’s negative comments as, with any good parent, the drive to support their family and children superseded anything else.
My parents’ concerns were echoed across the country, as millions of Americans went to the polls to cast a vote for Donald Trump. When the smoke cleared, and the votes were counted, to the astonishment of most, including those who voted for him, Trump had won the election. However, what is more significant than him winning is why he won, and contrary to the beliefs of many on this campus, including President Schlissel, it wasn't because of racism, it wasn't because sexism, or bigotry. No, the reason Trump won is because, as a nation, we have continuously ignored the plight of a large portion of the country who, for the past 8, 12, even 16 years, has been clamoring over its struggles to no avail, in ways which many people have not even considered before. When people stand up and say that the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) has hurt them by raising their insurance premiums, only to be shouted down about how it has helped other people and it is therefore an irrefutable good, that does not buy their favor; when people act like the economy has recovered and is robust, and that everyone should be happy with the results we have seen, stating facts that unemployment is down to near 4%, which hasn't been seen since before the recession, and yet ignore the fact that millions of jobs in manufacturing states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, or Michigan (look who won those states too), left and never came back, and that the people who used to work in these jobs are now working longer, harder hours for less money, when we ignore that plight, we do not gain their favor. When people stand up and say that the current policies of the country are not working for them, that in they have been detrimental to them, and we still refuse to acknowledge that this may be the case, we do not gain their favor, not one bit.
It is extraordinarily arrogant to assume that those who backed Trump are unequivocally supporting racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of hatred, yet that is exactly what Presidential Schlissel did. Instead of being introspective and asking why people voted for Trump, President Schlissel denounced them; instead of putting himself in the shoes of a middle-class American trying to survive in the rust-belt region of the country, where the manufacturing industry has been decimated, President Schlissel demeaned them.
As a Lebanese-American student on campus, I can say without a doubt that I have never felt marginalized due to the color of my skin, I have never felt threatened simply due to my heritage, and I have never felt afraid to voice my opinion because of my ethnic background. However, as a conservative on campus, it is a whole other story. As a conservative, it is often not worth articulating my perspective on controversial topics, it is not worth expressing a viewpoint that a reasonable person can believe in, because it is not worth the condescending and often hostile responses.
With all this said, I myself did not even vote for Donald Trump in the latest election; however, not supporting Trump does not give me the right to belittle, denounce, and effectively marginalize all those who did, as I recognize that there are legitimate reasons, well outside of bigoted perspectives, that would lead a person to vote for Trump. Even Secretary Clinton and President Obama, while clearly disappointed in the results, announced their support for President-elect Trump, and encouraged other Americans to do same. To quote Secretary Clinton, “I still believe in America and I always will. And if you do, then we must accept this result and then look to the future. Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead.” It is a shame that President Schlissel does not feel the same way.
Respectfully,
Reebehl El-Hage
College of Engineering, Class of 2017
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For most millennials this is the first Presidential election we have participated in. Unfortunately it was also an extremely polarized one with high emotions on both sides. I go down my timeline on Facebook and see my peers threatening to unfriend people who voted for Trump, and calling those people bigots, racists and homophobic on a personal level. This is not okay. If you believe that the majority, or even close to half of the citizens of the United States are racist, sexist, xenophobic and/or homophobic, that is a sad opinion of our country - and simply isn't true. People voted for Trump with the hope that his actions would outweigh his words. He's not a career politician that is practiced in voicing himself well (obviously). But he promised a great America, which is a message that resonated above all else with people who had been left behind by the system and were hurting. People like my father who lost their dignity and pride when our jobs and factories started moving overseas at a rapid rate, and who therefore became unemployed with no source of income at no fault of their own. I have faith in our country and I hope that Trump's advisors and policy decisions will do as promised with the good of our country in mind. It's only four years, we will survive. We have had very polarized elections before, but our country moved forward because we didn't "unfriend” and personally attack each other over differing political views. You have reasons for why you voted the way you did, and others do too. Be understanding of that. It doesn't make them evil. Most Republicans and Trump voters are your friends, neighbors, and peers, not uneducated racists homophobes etc, in fact the majority (especially those on this campus) are pretty progressive these days and are committed to fighting for equality as well. I realize that some marginalized groups are scared right now, and I understand why. But just because Trump won that doesn’t mean, as I’ve heard so much in the past few days, that “our country has been set back 50 years”. Nothing about our social progressiveness as a nation has changed. We will still continue to push for equality. What happened was that people saw a frightening problem with our economy and our government politicians, and made a choice to put our social reform on pause, not push back or against, but just on pause, while we take some time to focus on our economy and other pressing issues. After a two term presidency under one party, over the course of history it is completely normal, even typical, for the opposite party to take control in the next cycle. This is not a shock. With the options we had for candidates, voting based on morals and values went out the window for most people. This election became a change vs. no change decision. People had to choose between Clinton, who was seen as a continuation of the Obama administration and the past 8 years struggling to provide for their families, or voting for Trump, with the promise of the change that people who felt left behind by the system, and rightly so, were so desperate for. Remember that we all have the same greater goal of making our country the very best it can be for everyone, we just have different opinions on the path to get there. But it is not okay to hate people and call names because they voted differently, and it is not okay to condone it. If we continue to do so, it won't be Trump that brings the eventual demise of our country, it will be that kind of divisional mindset. We cannot survive this unless we pull together. Stop furthering the division, and stop the name calling. It is hurtful and it is only making things worse, and I know that's not what we want for our country. We are not democrats and republicans, we are Americans. We will rise above this if we come together, and as a public institution, this is the message our University should be promoting.
All due respect,
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I like many others truly chose this university because I believed that it would be the best way for me to voice my opinions, while respecting those of others and learning together. I truly believed that this University would be the best way for me to learn new ideas, and grow as a human. I went to the “vigil,” that was held in the diag. That alone I felt was an extremely inappropriate word to use for what I saw. When I think of a candlelit vigil, I truly think of someone whose life was tragically cut short by disaster, someone like Rachel Scott (a Columbine disaster victim). What I saw was the opposite. Keep in mind to anyone that is reading this, yet did not go, this is an event that the President not only condoned, but even spoke at. While standing very close to the library, I witnessed one of the most frightening things I have seen all election. I saw a young women, whom I assume is very level-headed and kind in another circumstance, but instead of “kind,” and “accepting,” like our University says they support, she was instead extremely derogatory, and uncompromisable. Whether you voted or approved of Trump, and his running mates or not, fact of the matter is he won the election process of the United States, and will, barring something strange, be the president. Trying times like these is what I thought were times when we all came together, and proved the motto that so many protesters use being “love Trumps hate.” Instead when broadening my horizons to other political beliefs, I witnessed speakers shout things to the effect of never accepting the Trump administration, and fighting tooth and nail to destroy anything he works for. To me, this seems the exact opposite of what our country was supposed to stand for, and was extremely shocking to me. This is a time in the United States that we need to come together, not drive in the wedges that separate us. President Schlissel, I believe this is the stance that you and the rest of the University needs to take, not simply appealing to those that didn’t like the result of the election. As you have probably already started to realize, and certainly will if you chose to continue reading, we all have different reasons for our political ideologies. Whatever they are, we are not bigots, we are not sexists, we are not xenophobes, homophobes, transphobes, etc. We are human beings, human beings who have a different view than that of the majority of our campus, and yet when the very highest executive in our university talk about us, or people with similar ideologies, those are the words that come out of his mouth. That is not inclusive, and this is not the campus that I chose to continue my education. I chose somewhere accepting, where we could have differences, discuss them, and still love each other when we were done. Instead, within my first three months on campus, I am told I am a bigot. So President, why am I not included in the “inclusiveness,” of the University? On a positive note however, even professors that I know to be supporters of the Clinton campaign, were at least to me and my classes very accepting, and explained what had happened, and how every major poll was incorrect. There are silver linings, and information is what people need in times like these, not blind, boundless emotion. We will stand together, I guess I had just hoped that the rest of the University could’ve at least tried to stand with us too. Perhaps I dream too big, thank you for the lesson President.
---Kyle P. Veit, University of Michigan class of 2020
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One of my professors spent the first 10 minutes of class lecturing us about how evil, sexist and racist Trump is and ranted about how the electoral college is corrupt and needs to be changed. When he finally said he would start lecturing I visibly reacted, just by putting my arms up a little as if to say “finally” and he looked at me and made a comment about how he wasn't even going to comment about me. Then he told us he was going to hurry through lecture so we could ask questions at the end about the election, which promptly turned into a discussion about how bad Trump is. I have to say I stopped listening to them and put in my earphones so I didn't hear the whole conversation but from what I did hear it was just an opportunity for students and the professor to insult Trump and his entire election as “racist, sexist, and xenophobic.” This isn't the first time my professor has insulted Trump. Consistently throughout the course he called used Trump as an example of “xenophobia” and I believe has even compared him to Hitler once or twice. -David Hayse
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To the Leadership of the University of Michigan:
Born to immigrant parents and from one of the most liberal cities on the West Coast, I understand how we can disagree politically but be friends, neighbors, family, and part of a welcoming community. That community is not here. It is unacceptable to our peers, students and professors to have a different viewpoint. More troubling, it is also unsafe.
In a message to Michigan students, faculty, and the entire community following the election, Dr. Schlissel stated that “We are at our best when we come together to engage respectfully across our ideological differences; to support ALL who feel marginalized”.
That night, Dr. Schlissel spoke at a ‘vigil’ on the Diag. “Ninety percent of you rejected the kind of hate and the fractiousness and the longing for some kind of idealized version of a non-existent yesterday that was expressed during the campaign,” said Schlissel, referring to the majority of students voting for one presidential candidate.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion should transcend ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomic boundaries, and extend to political diversity and the diversity of thought. All minorities deserve protection, including political minorities. While it is understandable that the University do its best to console those in distress, it must do so in a way that does not marginalize others.
There has been a great deal of hate and disparagement on campus recently. On Wednesday, “Kill em’ all” was painted on ‘The Rock’, next to the symbol for the Republican Party. Dr. Schlissel and the University chose to ignore this very hurtful and violent statement.
Earlier this year, he wrote “Last week and again yesterday, anti-Islam messages were written in chalk on our Diag. These messages are repugnant and hurtful to members of our community.” More recently, Dr. Schlissel said “our community discovered hateful fliers in a variety of places on our campus. We do not know who posted them, but these racist, discriminatory and offensive fliers were hurtful to our community.”
Harm is not felt exclusively by one group of people. Selectively responding to harmful events only serves to further divide our community, in a time when we need to come together more than ever before.
Dylan Ma
Class of 2019
College of Engineering, The University of Michigan
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I am truly afraid to walk around on campus and embrace the fact that I support our president-elect. Even though “acceptance” and “coexisting” is preached, the events on campus the last couple days have turned the tide the opposite way. The rhetoric and tone on this campus has promoted disdain for us Republicans.
-Scott Kowalski
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As an Indian immigrant, I can speak directly to the charges I’m sure we’ve all heard that all or most Republicans are somehow racists (not to mention sexist and homophobic), charges that the left has been making since long before this election cycle. I am one of the few in my community that has not bought into the identity politics of the left and votes Republican.
My vote for Trump was not an expression of agreement with everything he has ever said or done. I like to think of myself as a very tolerant and open-minded person. I do not hate any race or religion of people, and I do think there are legitimate arguments to be made that some of the things Trump has said do not correspond with that sentiment.
Along that vein, Trump was not my first choice. In fact, he was my least favorite of all the candidates in the primary. I really did NOT want him to win the primary. But once he was nominated, I had a choice to make. There were a number of different routes I could have taken: I could support my party’s admittedly flawed nominee, vote for a candidate whose ideals were anathema to my own (whether we’re talking about Clinton or any of the third-party candidates), write-in a more palatable option, or not vote at all. I never considered the second option, but, for a time, I seriously considered the latter two.
What ultimately made me change my mind and vote for Trump was, interestingly enough, something a leftist wrote on the Internet. This individual talked about the importance of voting, citing the fact that the president nominates justices to the Supreme Court as a primary reason. It was then that it struck me how irrational I was being. I was putting my dislike of a candidate’s personality above something as important as the balance of the Supreme Court, particularly in the wake of Scalia’s death. I realized that this country absolutely could not afford another Sonia Sotomayor or Elena Kagan on its highest court. Nominating a conservative replacement for Scalia is vital. Given Scalia’s pro-life views, there are literally lives at stake in nominating his replacement (I am a strong pro-lifer; I recognize that not everyone here may agree). Once I saw my vote in these terms: as a choice between a deeply flawed but ultimately reliable conservative (regardless of what he said 10 years ago) and a perhaps more polished candidate who supports the slaughter of innocent, helpless children, it was an easy choice to make. I still have little enthusiasm for Trump as a person, but I do NOT, and will never, regret voting for him.
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I’m not even safe at my own home. Tonight I heard students yelling “F*** you Grant Strobl” outside my apartment. This is among countless issues with students who are empowered by the liberal political machine of the university through their several “statements.” Shame on the university for picking a viewpoint and discouraging intellectual diversity. It sounds like that $85 million dollar “diversity” plan is just funding more of the same hatred toward conservatives.
Grant Strobl
LSA, Junior
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It's disappointing that Mark Schlissel and his University are upset that the rest of Michigan voted Republican. It's petty. Mark Schlissel is enabling childlike behavior from adult students.
Nick Murray
LSA, Senior
Computer Science
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As a student who comes from a family that has been proudly representing the University of Michigan for two generations, I feel I can no longer share in that pride. My mom spent four years training as an athlete at U of M and went so far as to represent the university at the 1984 Olympics, and my brother recently graduated as Lieutenant for the Air Force. I wanted to follow in my family’s footsteps; to graduate from a school that I am incredibly proud of and do something significant that can represent what I thought was a great university. With regards to the occurrences on campus since the election, I can honestly say I feel ashamed to be a student of this university, a university that condones hatred and hypocrisy when it so deliberately preaches inclusion and open-mindedness. The inclusion our president speaks of seems to be only applicable to those who share his same opinions. For those of us who don’t share in those beliefs, we are told and shown that we do not matter and our opinions should not be heard. I am incredibly appalled by the steps this university has taken to ensure that those who hold Republican and conservative values are told that they mean nothing. This is a time where President Schlissel has an incredible opportunity to lead and represent this university; an opportunity to bring together ALL students regardless of background, values or beliefs. Instead, however, our university president has taken steps to see that our student body is more divided than ever.
President Schlissel has a duty to the university and all of its students to create a safe environment for learning where we can gather knowledge and face new challenges together. President Schlissel has failed the university and our student body on this front. Not only has he taken sides and very clearly demonstrated who he supports and who he won’t give any consideration to, he has allowed this university to foster sentiments of hate and an extreme lack of willingness to listen and understand. Mr. Schlissel, it is your job to represent ALL students of this university. It is your job to make sure ALL students feel safe and welcome...it is YOUR job to ensure the very values and traditions that the University of Michigan was founded upon are secure and available to ALL.
As a student who feels personally isolated, afraid to express her opinions, and hurt by the measures taken by the University to accommodate only a portion of the student body, I cannot believe that the U of M I was so excited to attend has been tarnished so quickly by those pushing their opinions that they feel are the only correct ones. That is not the University of Michigan my mom represents; that is not the University of Michigan my brother represents; and it is certainly not the University of Michigan that I choose to represent.
Patricia Sholtis
Ross School of Business, Senior
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As many signs as there are plastered around campus promoting open discourse, the free spreading of ideas, and embracing diversity, I am taken aback that the university community that I am a part of utterly fails to live up to a single one of those arbitrary claims. I have, until this week, hidden my political views and opinions from nearly everyone I have encountered here at the university. Meanwhile, I have chosen to be tolerant of others as they freely voice opinions diametrically opposed to my own. In my residence hall, I have been relegated to a small private group chat of like-minded individuals, too scared to discuss in public our commonly held beliefs. My family sends me messages incessantly warning to not show my colors as they are hearing of violence and death threats online emanating from this university and others across the nation against students who support Trump.
The painting of “The Rock” with “Kill Em All” alongside a Republican Elephant stepped over the bound! Those responsible should be expelled, arrested, and prosecuted for inciting violence. The fact that one of the most iconic centerpieces of the campus community was allowed to be defiled in such a way, and that such action has not yet been disavowed and harshly condemned by anyone in university leadership is disgusting. When posters were found on campus telling European-Americans to be proud of their heritage, every single department and member of leadership released a statement that or the next day condemning the poster. This is a preposterous double standard and a commentary on the very state of this ailing university!
The President and Chancellor of the University of Missouri were both forced to resign amid a comparable scandal. It would be unfortunate if the good University of Michigan name were to be smeared in such a way, but that almost seems necessary.
This divisiveness cannot stand and the silent majority will no longer be silent after 8 long years of exile. This is my America and he is my President, but this is Not My Campus.
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To President Mark Schlissel and University Officials:
I grew up in a small town in Indiana. I was raised in a very conservative family and always felt comfortable voicing my opinion in my hometown with people, whether they shared the same views as me or not. I came to The University of Michigan knowing that it was a campus that encouraged progressive thinking, especially in the social aspect, and I was fine with that. It bothers me that I am willing to accept other people for their political views but do not feel that reciprocated in many instances. In those instances, it usually leads into accusations of me being a racist, deplorable, and ignorant, among other things.
I find it very unprofessional of Mark Schlissel to provide so many services to the people who supported Hillary Clinton, when I have a strong feeling the same services would not be provided to Donald Trump supporters if he had lost the race. I am still in shock that services have not been opened up to people who support Donald Trump. The amount of fear, intimidation, and hatred going around campus right now towards supporters of Donald Trump is not acceptable. I find it extremely irresponsible that this has not yet been addressed.
I was talking to a friend in the hallway today, whom also supported Donald Trump, and someone was listening into our conversation. After about thirty seconds of my friend and I having a private discussion, we were both called racists, which is simply not true.
My point is, if you want The University of Michigan to remain the #1 Public school in the UNITED States, you may want to address these issues instead of encouraging them and standing alongside members of only one part of this amazing community. This university is attended by some of the greatest minds in the United States and from all around the world, it would be a shame for future senators, governors, or even presidents to feel as if they can’t voice their opinion due to the lack of attention to this growing problem. The University of Michigan is known and loved for it’s great amount of diversity, unity, and integrity, if this continues to go unaddressed these qualities will fade away. I respect you a great amount and all you have done for this university, but this, in my opinion, is irresponsible and something that simply cannot be ignored.
Mitchell Brown
LSA, Freshman
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To President Mark Schlissel and University officials:
Whatever happened to “Spread Ideas, Not Hate”? The rock was painted yesterday advocating for the killing of all those who voted for Donald Trump, complete with a drawing of an elephant, the symbol of the Republican Party. You went out on the diag last night and basically said that all those who voted for Donald Trump were voting for hate and outdated times. Not so, in fact, I really do not like Donald, and voted against him in the primaries. I voted against Hillary Clinton, because I felt that she is a liar and, in my opinion, was the worse option between the two.
The fact that you and the rest of the university officials sit in silence, or even make statements trying to make out all Trump supporters as hateful people, is disheartening. I am a student here as well, and I thought all of us were supposed to be welcome on campus. Just because I do not like Hillary Clinton suddenly means that I am not welcome here? As President-elect Trump said, he is the president of all Americans, whether they voted for him or not. In a similar manner, YOU are the president of all students at this university, whether they agree with your political opinions or not. I have been proud to be associated with and support the university since I was a little kid, but if this is the message you want to send, then I want no part in it. Universities are supposed to be where the free exchange of ideas take place, not the shutting down of political opinions differing from your own. Start doing your job and backing up what you are saying.
Warmest Regards,
Liam Houlihan
LSA, Junior
Political Science
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Hello All,
This University has an obligation to make all viewpoints feel welcome. A couple weeks ago the Michigan Daily published an article surveying students about who they were going to vote for. 70% said Hillary Clinton while only 13% said Donald Trump. This concerns me because this University is planning on spending 85 million dollars on diversity over the next few years, but how about some diversity of opinion? With President Schlissel’s coddling of Progressives and his endorsement of the vigil, he only makes his plans look even more hypocritical. The same people who have been saying “Love Trumps Hate” for months are now writing “F**k Trump” on the diag and “Kill Them All” on the rock. Let’s stop letting one side of the argument get away with so much nonsense.
Thanks,
Evan J. Wright - Class of 2020
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I am a minority conservative. I am not a self-loathing, racist, homophobic, transphobic, bigoted religious-nut that the left wishes I was. I think Michigan should start hiring professors on the basis that they teach you “how” to think and not “what” to think.
Sincerely,
An LSA Junior who is too frightened to identify herself.
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I am fully aware of the University's extensive policy for DEI on campus. In this plan it is apparent that you have NOT considered inclusivity of political thought. University representatives publicly supporting protests and sending condolence emails to students does not make for an inclusive environment. In fact, the University has alienated many students and promoted a hostile and unsafe environment on campus. This week I have witnessed more derogatory statements, hateful comments, and threatening dialogue than my last four years combined and the administration is supporting this climate on campus. Where is the inclusivity? Where is the safety? All I see is hypocrisy. Actions speak louder than words, Schlissel, and your DEI plan is nothing more than just a lot of words as your actions to encourage a hateful, stifling, and unsafe environment scream volumes above that expensive plan.
I would like to propose a little thought experiment for you, President Schlissel. Let’s say it’s 2012, and President Obama has just won re-election. Let’s say the rock is painted with “Let’s kill them all”, let’s say students are in the diag protesting the results-- defacing images of the president-elect and the American flag. What would your response have been then? If protests of the same hateful magnitude occurred in 2012, would you voice your support of the protests as you are now? Would you sit in silence as students paint the rock with death threats to a whole group of students who hold a certain political ideology? I have received emails and University apologies for much less threatening flyers earlier this year. I would really like to understand why there is such a double standard. Why are certain students’ lives and safety more important than others?
Supporting the outright defiance of accepting the results of a Presidential election is an abysmal example for students. The election process in the United States is the most fundamental expression of democracy. From the events of the past week, I have learned that the University of Michigan does not respect the democratic process nor does it foster diversity and inclusivity. It is now apparent to me that the University of Michigan is more concerned about censorship of opinions than they are about the physical safety of students who do not promote their liberal agenda.
Rachel Neumann, COE Graduate Student
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I have experienced more verbal attacks and insults in the past week than I have in my entire life. People have completely written me off as a friend, just because I happened to vote for a different candidate. I will be made a stronger person because of this leftist hatred; these un-American actions also make me more proud to have stood by my beliefs and voted for Republican candidates. When the university reaches out to its students to create a more inclusive atmosphere, I really hope they don’t hold a double standard against young conservatives. I’m now hesitant to walk to class with others and am especially wary of sharing my unique views and opinions in the classroom, not because I regret my vote, but because I fear for my safety. Every election has a winner and a loser. I’ve voted in elections where I have come out on the losing side. I didn’t resort to vulgar protest, I didn’t end friendships, and I certainly didn’t inflict harm on the other party. I look forward to a Trump administration, not because I am a bigot, racist, sexist, creedist, etc., but because the economy will be back on track by the time I am in the work force. To the university, I simply ask that you care for the safety of all your students, including my fellow conservatives in this letter, and not just those who easily fall for your liberal agenda.
Molly Grant
Proud Republican and LSA Junior
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I came to this university fully aware that it tended to lean more to the left. My mom told me that, if anything, coming to school here would only strengthen my beliefs because I would have to fight for them. I would have to become more educated so I could explain my beliefs to people who disagree with me and would listen. I brushed it off, not aware of how true this statement was. Recently, I have had to defend myself against insults and backlash from strangers, close friends and even my roommates. I used to just let people talk and try to make me feel bad about my beliefs. I would not interrupt them or tell them why I think what I do. But not anymore. I have started to tell people my beliefs and try to explain if they will listen. My mom was right, my conservative views about politics are only growing stronger. Any efforts to persuade me to change my opinions are failing. I voted in this election with an eye towards economics, security, government control of personal decisions, states’ rights, religious freedom, and all the other people coming into the national government with the new president. I sided with Republicans. This does not make me a bigot. And yet I have been lumped into that category and have been cast as an uneducated person. The university, by promoting events that I, as a conservative, would not be welcomed or tolerated is promoting discrimination. It is promoting biases based on one aspect about me. The university has failed miserably in its quest to promote diversity because a university that harasses people of differing beliefs is not diverse. It is not tolerant. And it is simply unacceptable. Despite what people say, Donald Trump is our president. I have accepted the outcomes of elections where my side has lost, and it is time everyone do the same for President Elect Trump.
Madeline Roty
Sophomore, School of Nursing
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It’s embarrassing to see my university coddle students for losing an election. It’s unfortunate that this academic institution promotes diversity in all forms, except for the diversity of political opinions. President Schlissel, I would urge you to help this campus learn how to accept defeat, but after this week’s vigil, it seems you are promoting the immaturity already demonstrated by my peers, even going as so far as basically endorsing a presidential candidate, after she lost.
Max Rysztak
LSA Junior
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To President Schlissel and University Officials:
It's so disheartening that an institution devoted to learning and exposing young adults to differing ideas and world views can be so obviously opposed to those differing ideas and world views. Within the year and a half that I've been a student at the University of Michigan, I've seen this school become an echo chamber for those with liberal views, while simultaneously shunning and shaming those who disagreed with that ideology.
Contrary to popular belief, there are minorities who supported Trump and the Republican party. I, myself, am a member of the LGBT community, and there's nothing that infuriates me more than someone speaking on my behalf because I just so happen to be a part of that community. My voice as a conservative gay male is being silenced, acting as if there are no conservative members of the LGBT community at all. Being LGBT does NOT mean that I'm left-leaning, nor does being a Republican mean that you're homophobic.
I will not be labeled as a racist, sexist, xenophobic, and laughably homophobic person simply because I voted for a certain candidate. That overgeneralization is exactly what causes violence, division, and unnecessary tension.
President Schlissel, I'm not asking for you to change your views, nor am I asking for the UMich campus to suddenly become a Republican's paradise. I'm asking for a campus that welcomes anyone, regardless of their own political views. Eliminate the bias that exists on this campus, and instead create a welcoming environment for all students, no matter what their views are.
Gene Green
LSA - Class of 2019
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A quote from Ronald Reagan on the topic of the protestors becoming violent (which in case you were unaware, is happening on our campus):
“All of it began the first time some of you who know better and are old enough to know better let young people think that they have the right to choose the laws they would obey, as long as they were doing it in the name of social protest."
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Dear President Schlissel and University Officials,
Honestly, the hypocrisy shown by the student body and the university this week has been completely astonishing to me. What happened to respect for our country? For our President? The United States has grown so politically polarized and focused on an “us vs. them” party mentality that we are failing to understand the role of the President. The President is meant to represent the people and what the people want, thus we vote. I am sick of seeing posts and hearing comments about how “disappointed people are with our country” and how “ashamed they are”. These are awful words and so incredibly disrespectful. It was a close election, much closer than anyone could have anticipated, and many people are unhappy with the results. Being disappointed that the candidate whom you were rooting for lost is one thing, but name calling, showing complete disrespect to the soon-to-be President or those who voted for him, and insulting half of this country is a new low. The number of times I have heard students on this campus refer to all people who voted for Donald Trump as “idiots” makes me sad. We are not idiots, less intelligent than you, or even uninformed. We simply have differing opinions. Obviously, many people in this country believe that Donald Trump is offering what we need: change. We live in a beautiful country, that, yes, needs some change, but that is what I voted for when I wrote Donald Trump’s name.
We do not need to “mourn” America, or call names. I am shocked that people voted for Hillary Clinton because they disliked or were offended by statements made by Donald Trump, but now they are doing just this themselves. Calling your peers (and half of our country) bigots, racists, homophobic, xenophobic, transphobic “deplorables” is completely insulting and wrong. The fact that this University that I consider to be so great is supporting these statements and behaviors is horrifying to me. The fact that not just students, but professors as well, are discussing their open hatred of Donald Trump and how unintelligent people who voted for him are makes this campus feel unsafe for me to share my opinions. I do not feel like I can openly wear Republican or Donald Trump shirts without being verbally attacked by peers and university staff alike. The lack of respect by liberal students on this campus for those with different views than their own is surprising. I have always thought that students at the University of Michigan were extremely open-minded and willing to accept others, but this does not appear to be the case when the minority has opinions different than their own. I love my peers who are liberal. I disagree with some of their opinions, but that does not make me respect them any less.
I understand people on campus are upset, and will definitely disagree with me, but please be respectful. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. The number of times in the past 72 hours that I have seen hateful jargon thrown around is astonishing and definitely an issue with America. We, both the Republican and Democratic party, have the same goal: to make America great again. So, please stop promoting the refusal to accept that he is our President, make overgeneralized claims about Republicans, and using hateful words. This campus is constantly promoting creating a safe space for all minorities, but what about us? What about those of us who voted for Donald Trump? I do not feel safe on this campus or in my classrooms sharing my political orientation or who I voted for without fear of being verbally attacked. It is unfair that on this “inclusive” campus, many students are feeling more excluded than ever. I was extremely upset when I learned that the campus was holding a candlelight ‘vigil’ after Donald Trump won the election. Would this have been done if he had lost? Would the university promote it? Who would attend? Would those who were upset that Trump lost receive any support? Would we fear being attacked for our views? Please consider that not all students on this campus hold the same political views, but that being said we are still students at this university and our views are valid. Please do not promote disrespect for our country and our president. This is not the campus that I love and has become my home throughout the past four years.
Sincerely,
Jillian Brooks
Proud Republican & LSA Senior
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The most troubling thing for me is the double standard that exists. Undoubtedly, Trump supporters would have been expected to respectfully accept the outcome of the electron if HRC was elected. Now that trump has won, HRC supporters are not doing what they would have expected from us if the results were different. If Trump supporters gathered to “mourn” the election results, it would have been called a gathering of “racists” and “bigots.”
It saddens me when people compare what has happened to an “attack” on America. Hearing professors compare it to 9/11 is even worse. I am from NYC and was in the city when the worst terrorist attack in US history took place and I lost people who I knew. I want the professors who said this to go to the 9/11 memorial, look at the names engraved in the walls, and be grateful that something like it has not happened again.
I support Trump because I believe in Republican policies, which I believe can fix our broken healthcare system, improve foreign relationships, and appoint a Supreme Court Justice that will uphold the Constitution. The polarization of Trump supporters is what perpetuated a Trump victory and will continue to do so until the HRC supporters, the media, and public institutions—like The University of Michigan—work towards solving problems productively, not by mourning an election with an unexpected outcome.
Anonymous UMich Student
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I've been called a lot of things in response to the outcome of this election. Racist, homophobic, sexist, evil, stupid, and many other horrible things. I spend every day trying to make the situation better, but none of the people that insult me want to do anything except that. There are a number of Clinton supporters creating a disgusting double standard on this campus and in this country. Some claim to be afraid based on their ethnicity while making me and people with beliefs like mine fear for our sanity, our friendships, and our way of life simply because we didn't vote the way they wanted us to.
I am not a racist. I am not a sexist. I am a republican. And I voted for Donald J. Trump for president. I should not have to stand up and defend what I believe in just because some people don't like it. I should not be labeled as things I'm not just because I don't agree with someone’s choice of a presidential candidate.
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Dear Mr. Schlissel and University Officials,
I am a Republican. I am not a racist or a sexist. I do not believe in all the views that our President Elect has voiced over the period of his campaign. But I did vote for Donald J Trump to be our next President because I believe that he is the best candidate to help bring attention to a working class in middle America that has clearly felt marginalized by the current situation in government. I am a second generation Wolverine that was raised a fan of the University since birth as my mother studied here and I grew up just north of Ann Arbor. I came into the University knowing the reputation of Michigan being a very liberal campus and I welcomed this as a chance to expand and critique my own views as well as help others do the same. However, after this election, now more than ever I do not feel comfortable presenting my views in a public space because of the immediate discounting and over-exaggeration of my opinions based upon the fact that I am a Republican. How is it that an institution that promotes inclusivity and the acceptance of the opinions of all take any form of stance on this presidential election? It hurts me to say it but at this moment I almost feel ashamed to be a Wolverine. I do not want to be a part of a university that picks and chooses which groups will benefit from the “equality” that it promotes.
Mr. Schlissel it is very unprofessional in my opinion that you have decided to voice what you have to the University that you know full well is not completely disappointed by the results of this election. Not only have you been unprofessional but so have many of the professors here that are supposed to be the shepherds of academia, however, I had to witness a professor breaking down into tears in response to talking about the election. Professors cancelled classes and even moved exams because they assumed that everyone needs the time to cope with the election results, however, as a student who pays tuition to come here and studied all night for a test just to have their education interrupted by this unprofessionalism is wrong to me. The promotion of a vigil by the University is another whole issue itself because as a state funded institution do you think it is appropriate to promote this kind of demonstration in reaction to a national election where a Republican won? I know that if the results of the election had been reversed there would be no solace for those that wanted Trump to win. Just think of the culture that you are promoting within this campus about elections since for majority of the campus it was their first one. You are not only allowing but encouraging these young people to not unite behind a new candidate as Americans rather to deepen the rift that exists between these two groups of educated young adults. The fact that the Rock was painted with “Kill them All” and “F*ck America” and this garnered very little attention by the university is just a testament to the kind of environment that YOU sir are creating here.
Mr. Schlissel I hope that you can read through this letter and these personal statements and realize that you have done exactly what you preach against. You and the rest of this campus has reached a point of ultimate hypocrisy and double standards, promotion of equality and open mindedness but only if it within what is deemed as the standards that you have set for the “correct” opinions. I am proud to be an American. I am proud to be a Republican. This is my America. Donald Trump will be my president and this is NOT MY CAMPUS.
Sincerely,
Joshua Redlinger
LSA Class of 2017
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To President Schlissel and University Officials:
It’s unfortunate that identifying as Republican on campus is not accepted here at the University of Michigan. I was extremely disheartened by the letter received from President Schlissel on Wednesday morning. His views certainly do not represent my feelings regarding the outcome of the election. In addition, the rude comments made by my adult professors about Trump supporters and “the silent majority” have left me feeling insulted and unwanted on this campus. My parents and siblings all voted for Donald Trump. My dad works two jobs so that we have quality health insurance to cover all of my bills from my very expensive cancer treatments and surgeries, in addition to all of our other life expenses. The Democratic Party is completely out of touch with real people and apparently so is the president of our university. We live in a democracy and for Mr. Schlissel to disrespect the outcome of the election is embarrassing and appalling. He certainly disrespected me and my vote with his email.
I’ve heard many liberals say that “love trumps hate”. If this is the case, why am I seeing so much hate?
Alexandria Miller
College of Engineering, Class of 2016
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In a university that claims to welcome all viewpoints, it pains me to see how much the president of the University panders so much to the left. For your information, the environment towards college Republicans is extremely one of hatred and hypocrisy. And this bigotry towards us Republicans come from many of your own faculty. If this is news to you, I highly suggest you refrain from using the words “inclusiveness” and “diversity” in any of your current and future campaigns, because the so-called “campus climate” is anything but hypocritical. Take, for example, a poster in East Quad stating people with privilege are supposed to feel uncomfortable in safe spaces. Ultimate hypocrisy. After being displayed for weeks, I can only guess the reason why this message was taken down before parent-weekend. Take, for example, a brochure - supposedly made by the East Quad staff and adorned with the block M - specifically calling out and attacking another student, Grant Strobl, for his views on pronouns. Unbelievable. Take, for example, a professor postponing an exam – just because Trump won. If the University cannot control the hate and hypocrisy streaming out from the left; if the University cannot identify themselves the employees (including student staff) amongst them who perpetrate this sort of hate, you, Mr. Schlissel, have greatly failed your duty as President.
And in the interest of the Left who many see this message, I have these words for you. I am a person of color. I support Trump. I am not a racist, bigot, or another other derogatory descriptive noun your one-sided brains can conjure up. I’m sick and tired of all of you using these terms against us Trump supporters, and I highly suggest you partake in some introspection before you speak.
Chris Pang
Class of 2019
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To whom it may concern,
With the recent results of the election, I as a proud Republican was extremely prideful to see my party have success in an election that the pollsters had already counted as a loss. Wednesday coming to class I was thrilled at the opportunity our country has to grow and prosper under the new President-Elect Trump. However, my excitement for the future of our country was completely put in the shadows of the university’s support for those that needed to mourn the recent results of the election and the stereotypes that people associated Trump supporters with. One particular example of annoyance stems from my history professor, who teaches a class about the Holocaust. Countless times he likened the ascension of Donald Trump to power as that of similarity to the way Adolf Hitler assumed power. He even instilled in the minds of my peers and I that a Trump Presidency has the potential to take a similar course of an Adolf Hitler reign in Nazi Germany. Coming to this university I knew that I would be exposed to all that a liberal arts education has to offer, including opinions that differ from mine.. However, I did not ever think that my professors and university would have such an extreme bias towards one side and make those of us on the other side feel so polarized. Needless to say, I expected so much more from the University of Michigan, and thoroughly am appalled at how university officials made those of us who did indeed support President-Elect Donald Trump feel as though we were people of a deplorable character.
Ashley Calcagno
College of Literature, Science and the Arts, 2019
University of Michigan Women’s Soccer Team
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I have seen countless posts, tweets, instagrams, and snapchats, claiming that all Trump supporters are racists, xenophobes, misogynists, disgusting pigs and bigots. One such post used 4 of those words in conjunction. My life has been threatened by far-leftists, and my friendship with many ruined. If I don't defend my opinion, then I am automatically labelled and generalized. The same type of generalizing that liberals bash Trump for. If you say I am worthless because of my opinion, if you're going to devalue me and my beliefs, then you are just as bad as you claim Trump to be. For a group that has been preaching "Love Trumps Hate" for this entire election cycle, I certainly don't feel the love.
Barrett Fitzgerald
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I don't have much to say other than the fact that I am extremely disappointed in our campus and the atmosphere it has maintained the past couple days. I do not feel safe saying that I am a Republican or that I am a believer in conservative ideals. I haven't since the day I started classes here in September. I feel that it is me against a whole bunch of other people and if I speak my mind and share what I believe, I will basically be chastised for it. Even though the university preaches equality and diversity, it is the direct opposite of that. I know that if I were to tell other I supported Trump and voted for him that I would be ridiculed and shamed and labeled a bigot, racist, homophobic, xenophobic, you name it person and that is definitely not what I am. Clearly people do not take the time out of their day to LISTEN to the other side and UNDERSTAND. It's just like that quote “We don't listen to understand, we listen to respond” and people that differ in belief from me are responding in the most negative way that they preach against! I feel extremely unsafe on campus and in my dorm as I know that if I were to voice who I voted for, it would be very bad for me because of all of the nasty names I would be called and comments that would be made against me. This university is supposed to be my home where I feel safe… why isn't it the safe place it has been so desperately stating that it is? I love my country and I accept all others beliefs and ideas, but this is Not My Campus.
Ashley Heskett
College of Literature Science and the Arts
Class of 2020
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I also am afraid to say that I am a Republican on campus. I recognize that I have some privileges that others do not have. I feel bad for those who do not feel safe, and I hear them. I understand that Trump “extremists” may feel more comfortable exercising their legitimate hate crimes against minorities but this is not what Trump had advocated for. I am afraid because admitting I did not vote, I voted for an independent party, or I voted for Trump means that I am racist, homophobic, sexist, xenophobic and etc. I am not these things, I love these people. Instead of being judged by my character, for smiling, caring, and listening to others, I will be ostracized on campus if I reveal myself or my vote or my non vote. I “am” the problem according to President Schlissel and countless other students even though I love all people and have fought for these marginalized people’s rights in the past. If you did “not vote” for Hillary Clinton you have contributed to the end of the world and others safety. All of my qualities are thrown out the window because of a simple vote. Isn’t this hypocrisy? Is that not the issue minorities are facing? Racism is based upon judging those on the color of their skin rather than their character. However, to defend racism, the same logic is being applied to those that are perceived racists. Two wrongs do not make a right. When simply, there are several reasons for why someone could vote for Trump, not vote, or vote independent. People generally vote for themselves which does not mean they do not care about minorities or love them. It does not mean they support Trump’s comments that may be offensive. It means that illness could have kept people out of the polls on Tuesday. It means that someone could have voted for Trump because their parents small business is drowning and they cannot afford food on the table. It could mean they voted independent because they care about their child in the military and do not feel safe with Hillary Clinton as the Commander in Chief. Furthermore, calling people names such as “bigots” is no way to “fix” a problem (that may or may not exist) or educate people. For those that truly ARE racist or hateful, the way to end that is not to shun them but educate them. Befriend them, establish rapport, understand them and help them come to the conclusion about why their thoughts and hateful comments might affect others.
“If I die while Trump is in office, that is on you”
Sarah Barber
School of Nursing
Class of 2018
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“You are ignorant, uneducated, and prejudiced. Read a history book. I hope you are ashamed. Please never speak to me again.”
“I am ashamed to have ever called you my friend. Thank you for not seeing me or millions of individuals as human beings. Review your life choices you need it. You make me sick.”
“You disgust me”
“You sicken me”
“I just can't understand your perspective”
Above are just a few quotes I have received from fellow students and friends along with numerous social media posts all along the lines of “if you voted for Donald Trump you are a sexist, racist, homophobe, and xenophobe.” All of which I am not.
Ali Torrence
School of Kinesiology
Class of 2018
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To Whom It May Concern,
I am a descendant of a Mexican immigrant who came to America illegally. After fighting in WWII he was deported and had to go through the process of coming back legally. I am not racist, nor a misogynist. Donald Trump has never said one thing that is racist. It is a fact that there are illegal aliens in the United States that have committed murders and rapes. Donald Trump is not sexist. He employes more female executives than most other large businesses and his campaign was the first ever in American history to be ran by a woman and win. It is the left that is perpetuating the falsities that he is hateful. It is the left that is actively working to spread racism, misogyny, and general hate. And it is the left that is rioting and burning cities because they didn’t get their way. For the University of Michigan to coddle and endorse the left’s mentality at this time is utterly disgraceful. A college campus is supposed to be an area where people can openly and freely exchange ideas. The University of Michigan is actively working to silence free speech by behaving in this manner. If people are upset Donald Trump won the University should hold a discussion between the two sides to allow the students to learn the opposing side’s reasoning, not shut down classes and tell them it is ok to stay closed off from anything that may be even the slightest bit offensive. The university is only setting students up for failure in the real world by doing this.
James Pellosma
Political Science
Class 2014
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Mark Schlissel,
I am sick and tired of you always sending out emails about diversity and creating “safe spaces” for minority students but leaving out others. I resent that you proposed to give free tuition to low-income inner-city minority students who are accepted to the University of Michigan in order to increase “diversity.” I paid full tuition to attend the University of Michigan for four years and it is DISCRIMINATORY for you to subsidize the cost for low-income students with my tuition dollars. Your HAIL Scholarship fund is a form of financial discrimination and it must go!
If you claim to love these minority students so much, then I challenge you to go live with them down in the ghetto of Detroit. You claim to support the Muslim students on campus and you tried to block the showing of the movie “American Sniper” because you thought it was Islamophobic. Well, if you love the Muslim students on campus so much, then go live with them in the Middle East for a year. Go live in a country like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, or Iran. See how they treat you being an upper-class, white, Jewish, gay-rights supporting, male. See if they show you the same “tolerance” that you show to them. You are nothing but a hypocrite and the Alumni Association will never receive a penny from me as long as you are at the university.
Mark Schlissel, you are an embarrassment to the University of Michigan.
Dan Szuba
School of Kinesiology
Graduated May, 2016
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I have been the recipient of many expletives and vulgar gestures on campus because I wore a hat supporting President-Elect Trump. I also have yet to attend a single class since the election where my professor/GSI hasn’t said something inherently against the results of the election. In my environmental science class the morning after the election, my professor compared it to waking up the day after 9/11, and that sincerely angered me. Overall, this campus has made me feel scared to share my beliefs, which I thought was one of the primary goals of this university. But clearly it only supports students expressing themselves when their beliefs are in-line with those of the biased faculty.
In Trump We Trust,
Nick Volk
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The university endorsed a vigil as if a tragic death had occurred, and it is obvious that there would have been no vigil had the election played out differently. Hearing the university president applaud only the 90% of the student body who voted for the unsuccessful candidate was disheartening. I do not understand how it can be constructive to alienate those students who voted outside the university’s explicit preference. Students should be encouraged to express their political beliefs, but the administration of a public university has no place taking sides.
Students need to be encouraged to seek out opposing viewpoints, not coddled in safe spaces.
-Ross senior tired of being called a bigot
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Dear President Schlissel,
I understand why you felt the need to email the student body following the election to reassure students who may be very upset and even fearful due to the result. You correctly assumed that many on this campus would be devastated at the outcome of the election. I also understand why some students felt the need to organize a gathering to discuss their thoughts about the election. Your participation in the event, however, was not merely to assuage their fears.
The quote, taken from the University news paper, the Michigan Daily, stated that you believe that ten percent of students, the ten percent who voted for Donald Trump, are full of hate and divide the nation. I was shocked to read that the University president was willing to espouse the same generalizations of bigotry and hatred towards the Republicans that I see from many of my peers on social media. The Republican Party is not a symbol of hate. The policies of Republicans, which did not originate with Donald Trump, are based in ideas we think will improve the lives of all Americans. I voted for Donald Trump because I believe in the policy stances of the Republican party, and I believe that Donald Trump fits my political views much better than Hillary Clinton. I did not vote for Donald Trump in the primary, not because I thought he was a bigot but because there were candidates who had policy views that aligned more with my policy views. The fact that you, the University president, would assume that all of those who voted for our President-elect, Donald Trump, are full of hate is extremely and personally offensive.
As an individual, you are free to hold that view, it is your right as an American. However, as a public official you should have never associated this viewpoint with the University of Michigan when you spoke to the rally on Wednesday. This merely increases the divide in our community that legitimizes hatred against Republicans. Why does your Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion campaign not apply to political viewpoints?
Sincerely,
Kathryn Zoller
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Mark Schlissel,
I was quite astonished the other morning to wake up to your email following the election. I am the son of an immigrant. My mother moved here from Brazil to pursue an education at 18 years old. After many years, she went through the true and valuable process of attaining her citizenship. She became an American citizen. Many other immigrants have gone through this process too, because it is sacred. I, myself, am a dual citizen, of Brazil and the United States. I am also Jewish, a persecuted minority, ESPECIALLY on this campus, where I have never seen you release a statement denouncing anti-Semitism at Michigan. I have experienced it first hand, both when a swastika was drawn on my car here on campus, and also when there was practically no response, from the police and campus who I reported the incident to.
I would just like you to know that Trump supporters are more diverse than you may think. Some of us are minorities. Some latino. Some jewish. I have been ashamed of the so called “diversity” on campus, that has at every step of the way left me out. But some of this was expected, I understand persecution and have dealt with it from peers. However, the political and liberal bias the University has expressed through classes, professors, and campus events has morphed into a persecution against those who do not align with the University’s beliefs, and this has been the most disheartening of all.
Max Tiago Blumenfeld
BGS 2016
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To whom it may concern,
As a prospective freshman last winter, I toured the University of Michigan as a wide eyed high school senior who had just been accepted at one of the greatest academic institutions in the world. Coming from a Hispanic family in Miami, I was completely unaware of how the people in Michigan would act towards Hispanics and I was reassured by a family friend that Michigan was one of the most diverse and inclusive schools in the country. However, once I got on campus, I realized that this could not be further from the truth.
I have received more hate in my entire life at this university for my political and religious beliefs than I have for being a Latino in my entire life. While elections bring out the worst in people, being told to “f**k off you nazi” by a HRC supporter for wearing a Reagan-Bush shirt is unacceptable on a campus that claims to be “open and accepting” as you claim it to be.
Seeing people cry, rant, and riot after a democratic election, one of the greatest feats in the history of mankind is a kick in the face to our founding fathers, to those who died for our country so we can continue this wonderful process, and all those who fought to keep this process going. While you and many others may have not liked the results, having a vigil for absolutely no reason is not what this school or this country represents. As Americans, we accept the results of the election, regardless of whether we like them or not and we support whoever is the president and hope that they will make the best decisions for the country and the world, and based on the University’s and Countries actions, we have completely abandoned this idea and at this rate, the country will truly fall apart until we decide to put our differences aside and actually accept everyone’s idea, which the democratic party and this University have failed to do.
I ask you President Schlissel, to call an end to the this hypocrisy and make conscious efforts towards unity amongst the student body and stop actively promoting division amongst our student body.
John M. Hyland
College of Engineering ‘20
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I am a straight, white, conservative male. I am the exact antithesis of the mainstream liberal ideology. And I give my fullest support to Mr. Trump. I was expecting this public university to respect a wide range of views and beliefs. It has become incredibly apparent, however, that that is not the case. Holding a candlelit vigil in mourning for our nation after this election? Which was endorsed by the president of this university? That is a soft reaction by people who can’t handle when everything doesn’t go their way. When people call people like myself racist, sexist, homophobic, misogynist, etc. for supporting our President-Elect who, like it or not, will be the Head of State for the next four years, they are alienating themselves. It also makes people like myself feel very little sympathy for HRC supporters. This nation voted and we the people clearly wanted Trump as President over HRC. Those who voted for HRC or third party or didn’t vote and are upset about the result need to accept what happened and, if they truly are that upset, then they need to get back to work and try to effect change, not hold vigils.
Also, cancelling class and exams because of it? That is unacceptable behavior by a WORLD RENOWNED university. Disrupting the academic environment is absolutely abhorrent and those who chose to do so should be ashamed. I am appalled by this university’s reaction and sincerely hope President Schlissel acts more maturely in the future.
Ryan Collison
Computer Science Engineering - 2019
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To Mark Schlissel and the Faculty of U of M who cancelled class on Election day:
When did Universities stop being a place where everyone can talk about their ideas? I came into this school knowing its politics. Knowing that as a conservative who’s beliefs are cemented in fundamentals rather than emotion, in a supersaturated liberal campus I would have to know myself forwards, backwards and sideways.
Since entering the campus I have been cut of by professors when they ask for viewpoints on social policy issues during an intro sociology class, assigned readings that are blatantly one sided on the political spectrum without the opportunity to discuss them with a different perspective, and assignments in which all arguments are allowed, but only evidence from certain readings is permitted. This is not discourse. This is not discussion. This is indoctrination.
If the democrats won the election on Tuesday there would have been a rally on the diag for Clinton. We held a vigil. Why not a forum? Why not let the students themselves work through their emotions? Instead, the faculty validated the growing polarity on this campus. This could have been an opportunity for students to speak with students about the election and their views. Instead you and the administration held a partisan event that could be boiled down to a cry-in at the diag.
I do not deny that there are indeed students on this campus and otherwise that took actions against the law and in bad taste on Wednesday. I do not defend them, but polarizing the student body isn’t the right step forward. All we ask is that you and the faculty teach respect to the so-called 90%. Encourage us to work together instead of fighting each other. This is not accomplished through partisan identity politics, separating us by our pronouns, or forcing us to identify with our sex/race/ethnicity. It is accomplished by reminding us students that we are ALL citizens of the US. That we ALL want good jobs and to lead fulfilling lives. That we are ALL here for the same purpose: to get educated so that we can better the world around us.
The only thing we disagree with is how to accomplish those goals. This election has shown me and many other conservatives that America is more divided than ever. Rather than amplifying that separation, both liberals and democrats, libertarians, and even those who wrote in Harambe need to realize we have more agreements than disagreements.
All I ask is this: Moving forward the faculty should not validate one side by shutting down class. It should facilitate discussion between students so that both sides can see other perspectives and learn from robust debate. Identity politics is what I believe to be the root cause of the polarity in and outside of campus. Remind us that we need to work together, across the party line, to move forward.
Harrison Seltzer, Class of 2018
College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
Ross School of Business
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To Mark Schlissel, University of Michigan Administration, Faculty, and Staff, and Fellow Students:
As a young freshman, I came to this university knowing that it is one of the most progressive and liberal universities in the country. I had also heard and understood that the University of Michigan pushes for diversity, inclusion, fairness, and most importantly RESPECT for all people, opinion, and ideas. I once believed this to be true of this University. After the University's response to this election, I am ashamed to have had thought that.
As a Republican woman, I woke up with excitement Wednesday morning, knowing that our new president elect was indeed the man I voted for, Donald J. Trump. I may have not agreed with his platforms on race or some of his sexist remarks, I was still excited to see how a businessman, not a politician, would run our great country. As I opened my Facebook account as I do every morning, my newsfeed was filled with friends saying how they hated that “bigots, racists, xenophobes, and sexists” that single handedly “destroyed” this country by voting for Trump. I was told by fellow students that they could “never f***ing accept that there was another opinion other than to vote for Hillary in this election”. I was told to my face that I am a “f***ing idiot”, a “racist”, a “bigot”, “sexist”, “uneducated”, and “backwards” for voting for the candidate whose viewpoints best aligned with my own values, ideas, and worries about this country. My fellow peers have left me in tears.
I, as well as many of my friends that will still talk to me after this election, can tell you that I am not any of those things. I am constantly a champion of and fighting for the better understanding and inclusion of many different types of people. As a member of a Diversity and Inclusion Task force, I fight to spread the word about fair opportunities for minorities, people in the LGBTQ community. As a woman, I am constantly fighting for women's rights, advocating for better and more fair sexual assault handling and education. I am constantly fighting for better safety and awareness on this campus through initiatives through student government and Greek life based initiatives. Yet, none of these things are true about me because I voted for Donald J. Trump, according to fellow students and faculty. With President Schlissel and the University backing the vigil to mourn the election and other initiatives that do not represent the spirit of democracy, my University, the place I once considered home, is now condoning and allowing people to call me all of these hateful things. My University of Michigan is calling me a racist, a bigot, a sexist woman, and uneducated.
Why is it acceptable for a university to accept the blatant racism, hatred, and alienation of a group of students? According to the University of Michigan’s “Expect Respect” Policy and its new DEI plan, it is completely unacceptable to do anything of the things listed above, and is something that the University aims to fix. Yet, the University has the audacity to go against its own policies and willing exclude a very large group of students for having a different, and diverse viewpoint is completely “acceptable”. I am here to tell you that it is not acceptable and I will not stand for this any longer.
How dare you, The University of Michigan, take away my right to have my own opinion by condoning blatant discrimination against me? How dare you make me feel so unsafe on this campus that I can no longer take out my laptop in public because I have a Republican elephant sticker on my laptop? How dare you make me feel so unsafe that I can no longer walk around campus without being afraid of being attacked? How dare you, the University of Michigan, go against the very diversity ideals that you claim you stand for?
Most importantly:
Mark Schlissel, how dare you call me a racist, bigot, sexist woman, just because I have a different viewpoint than you?
Mark Schlissel, how dare you make me feel so hated that I no longer want to attend this University?
This University of Michigan, Mark Schlissel, is NOT MY CAMPUS.
A Female Junior to afraid to say her own name in fear of retaliation,
College of Engineering, Class of 2018
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To any University of Michigan student or faculty member who has the decency to listen:
The University preaches acceptance and diversity. This is made abundantly clear. It is made abundantly clear to me when expression of my political views in my first year writing class led me to receive one of the lowest grades of my academic career. It is made clear to me when professors talk about November 9th, 2016 as a sad day for America. It is made clear to me when nearly all of my friends at the university are telling me that I should let my female, minority, and lgbt friends know that I voted for them to die. It is made clear to me when “our” university’s president informed the student body that only 90% of them made the right choice at a vigil that was comparable to those seen after terror attacks.
DO NOT preach diversity, acceptance, peace, or love, when this university is willing to systematically suppress and discredit the views of anyone who identifies as a conservative. Posters and advertising for conservative student organizations are frequently vandalized and torn down, yet the university only seems to be concerned with the extremely infrequent and isolated instances of racism that are completely uncharacteristic of this campus. Still, the University of Michigan has allotted 83 million dollars to increase this very “diversity” that has silenced every conservative mind on this campus.
I should be able to openly discuss my political viewpoints in the classroom setting without fear of being being academically penalized. I should be able to wear a “Make America Great Again” hat around campus without fear of being attacked (this has happened at an presidential debate watch party). When the candidate I support wins the presidency, the entire campus should not act as though 9-11 happened all over again. Professors should not treat Trump’s victory as a valid excuse to miss class or reschedule exams. It supports the unfounded and anti-intellectual notion that conservatives are somehow an existential threat to minorities. The University should not allow students to believe it’s okay to be emotionally traumatized by opposing political opinions by offering safe spaces and trigger warnings when conservatives express their opinions. We should not need massive security just to host a conservative speaker.
You said it yourselves. 90% of the students here made the right decision. It’s almost comical to say, but who is the real oppressed minority on campus? I don’t want to play the victim but this has gone too far. Nine out of ten students are there for each other, thinking the same way, thinking that the other ten percent are subhuman. The university has endorsed and offered financial support to this viewpoint. The very diversity programs you have invested in have led to POC student organizations petitioning for safe spaces free of white students. I lost friends my freshman year after they found out I was conservative.
It is rare that conservative students will make demands on such a large scale like this, but there is a major problem on college campuses across this country. There is a major problem with the style of discourse that they promote. At the very least, out of basic decency, end the hypocrisy of pretending that this is an institution of free and open thought, when it is very clear that the only thought supported at the University of Michigan is that of hyper liberalism.
I love this university. I love the students here. But I can’t say with any certainty that they love me back.
We look just like everyone else, we come from many backgrounds, but our thoughts and opinions are not accepted here. This is not my campus and this is not okay.
Justin Korfhage
College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
Class of 2019
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I stand in full support of this letter and am deeply embarrassed by a university that is said to foster ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion.’ Regardless of how this university defines it, diversity includes that of political beliefs as well as what the Civil Rights Act contains. This university is doing its young people a disservice, by encouraging and coddling those who are upset. Education is supposed to prepare us to meet and confront those in the real world who disagree, and to do so respectfully and gracefully, not with hatred and tears. In the real world you do not receive an extension because you were ‘too upset’ to do work all week. But apparently this law school does. We must be taught HERE, that this conduct leads to a termination notice, not a sympathetic pat on the back. President Schlissel, give us the education we NEED and DESERVE, not what you want to provide. Prepare us to work with those across boundaries and across borders to foster collective, collaborative change because that is true education. That is what eradicates ignorance. Encourage respectful dialogue, rather than just your own.
Also, please be informed, President Schlissel. Public universities are agents of the government, and thus must protect first amendment rights. Those vocalizing political views different from your own have the right to do so. You, however, do not have the right to silent that speech. Doing so is a blatant disregard of our first amendment freedoms and fruitful ground for a constitutional lawsuit.
As a student in grad school, I can guarantee students that this hysteria will not get better, even if continued education is said to increase tolerance. The dean of our own school sent out an email, that I can assure you would not have been sent if Hillary had won. But we must stay strong fellow Conservative Wolverines. Our actions will speak louder than our words. And remember, if you are the minority here, this country has spoken freely and fairly, and you are the majority.
Jenna Neumann, Future JD
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To students who have decided to label Trump supporters as bigots, fascists, racists, and homophobes,
To the students who yelled at me publically and called me a fascist on the Michigan bus,
To the students who gave me dirty looks, cursed, and screamed at me for wearing a Trump shirt,
And to everyone who burned American flags and rioted today,
As a Republican on this campus, I feel extremely labeled. On a campus that preaches diversity, equity, and inclusion, the 10% of campus who did not vote for Hillary is either hiding in the corner, or experiencing hate on this campus.
I had a senior come up to me in my Trump shirt saying “Thank you. I’ve never felt safe to tell anyone I was a Republican or supported Trump these past 2 years. I feared losing friends. I feared how people would look at me and label me. This campus isn’t supportive of Republicans at all.”
As a freshman, I imagine myself in three years in her shoes. I do not want to feel like this when I’m a graduating senior. Is this really the culture at Michigan? People genuinely afraid to be who they are, and represent a minority opinion on campus? I came here expecting inclusion, not hate.
Soldiers fought and died for American freedoms and rights. We are privileged to be able to vote and in no way should people be supporting the idea that Trump is not our president. We owe our POTUS an open mind. And as a leading University, my professors should not be supporting missing class due to this election.
I remember my first week of freshman year, waiting in line to meet President at a greet and meet. To me, he represented a great next four years at Michigan. Months later, I see the President condoning a vigil for an election. I know my closest friends, an immigrant, a Muslim, and Latinx who voted for Trump. I no longer want to experience hate on this campus because of my support of Trump.
I’m Latina. I’m a female. I’m a Republican. I support the President of the United States, Donald Trump. While I expected Michigan to feel like my home, this is #NotMyCampus.
Maria Muzaurieta
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To Higher Education, Democrats, and Whomever Else,
The letter sent out by our President not only encouraged more self-pity and intolerance, but also made it even more uncomfortable for conservatives on campus. I am afraid to voice my political opinion because most of my peers shame me and call me a racist or a bigot for voting for Trump, when I am neither of the two. Trump is not a racist. He is not sexist and he is not anti-Muslims or against Mexicans. Most college students on this campus have some idea that Trump is a hateful, evil being, and refuse to listen to the facts and find concrete evidence that supports their claims. Then, they accuse all of his supporters of having those values as well, and shame us, threaten us, and say we deserve the hatred and intolerance. I know that I have free speech, but it feels as if I don’t on campus because of the reactions that come out when I say I voted for Trump. I have been harassed online, and even blocked, for simply writing out the words “President Trump!!!” with enthusiasm. I am aware that Trump has not had the best character, and neither has Hillary, and this election was obviously out of the ordinary. I cannot stand, however, being called a victim just because I’m a female now that Trump is my President. How am I a victim? I voted for him!
Yes, there are accusations against Trump, but there were the same accusations against Hillary’s husband, and nobody knows the truth. Yes, the vice president has hinted at conversion therapy back in 2000, but that was also back when Hillary did not support gay marriage and in a different time period. Plus, Pence is not our president, and Trump supports gay marriage and LGBTQ rights.
Your letter encouraged more worrying and more hate, and less acceptance of our future President and our conservative peers. It encouraged protests and blindly accepting false information and exaggerations about our future President, and discouraged conservative students from even feeling comfortable trying to explain facts to others.
I am not signing my name because I do not want to be hated.
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To Higher Education and Democrats in general,
As a small government conservative at a university that has shown it is very liberal and without a doubt bias in response to this election, I want to challenge your views on a few topics. These topics include free thought, diversity, hubris, and why you are scared to begin with.
1. Diversity
First I will focus on diversity, according to many at my school and the university, diversity is predominately based around equal representation for different races and religions. They see everything based around race, gender, and religion and divide everyone into categories that are largely very broad generalizations. It is my personal belief that America is actually beyond judging people based on their race, gender or religion since our constitution protects everyone equally under the law. Once you are a citizen of this country you give up these subdivides that are representative of balkanized nations and become an American.
In America diversity is found in view points and values, this diversity is found in different communities across the nation. For example the city of Ann Arbor has its own culture and values, these differ from those of New York and from the small town located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Across the country you have mining towns, tech cities, logging towns, manufacturing cities or towns, and farmers. All of these communities have different cultures and values that are specific to them and the people within these communities identify with these values if they know it or not. It is a lot like Europe, you wouldn’t say France and Britain are the same, so why treat Michigan and Florida the same? When it comes to the way these communities vote, they vote for the candidate that they feel best represents their culture and values or who they believe helps them succeed. If you observe this different thought on diversity, the democrat party isn’t very diverse. They win a large number of votes, yet fail to win even close to a majority of communities across the country. If you don’t believe me just observe a results map that shows county votes instead of state results. As a result it can be said that the Republican Party is more diverse due to the overwhelming support of varying communities across the country who have their own values and refuse to let the minority of the communities dictate their values and rules to them.
2. Free Thought
Free thought is the ability of people to learn and develop ideas for themselves. It has become too common for places where ideas are supposed to be challenge to encourage group thought. It is very apparent from the actions of my University that there is a right and wrong view point, especially when they hold a vigil to show their sorrow for the country. If you are not a democrat or for big government, higher education is a tortuous place where the professors and a large percentage of your peers share a specific view counter to yours and act like you are either a terrible person or not enlightened enough. Not only does it seem like there is a lack of debate but there is also the very blatant rejection of differing viewpoints with people subscribing to thought not based on merit but on the popularity of it and blatant acceptance because it is cool. These factors all create the presence of group thought and lack of individualism. It is this group thought that easily justifies my redefining diversity earlier because the view of people on campus these days has nothing to do with race, gender or religion. These factors rarely cause this group who shares the same liberal ideals to vary at all in what they support and shows that race, gender and religion don’t have a true effect on policy views compared to a person’s environment. With race, gender and religion being relegated to simple words used to crush debate or demonize another group for disagreement regardless of the reason for disagreement. As a result the terms racist and sexist have become words that no one can take seriously in a debate since they have been over used for things that have nothing to do with the definitions they fulfill.
3. Hubris
This is a huge issue I have with not only my University but also liberals in general. You have a ridiculous amount of hubris surrounding your ideas and policy. The first thing I have heard since the election was how the uneducated support Trump and the insinuation that any educated individual must obviously support their enlightened and more “educated” opinions. I just want to point out that even though Trump won the vote among people without college degrees, who also happen to have educations still since you know high school and all that. But Trump also won parts of the demographic with college educations. Now let me break it down to show the hubris and bias of liberals. Trump won the vote of White voters with and without college degrees, Clinton won the vote among Black and Hispanic voters with and without college educations. As much as I hate breaking the vote distribution down to race classification it is necessary to point out that Trump did win the votes of “educated” individuals and Clinton also won the vote of “uneducated” individuals. So please stop with that condescending tone and attitude of being better than others, it is wrong and insulting. Especially since you are devaluing life experiences of millions of fellow citizens.
Secondly to say you have a more enlightened policy that educated people would support is inherently wrong. I have been educated, I took math at the same university of many of you with those being calculus 1 through 4 and I even took some economics classes at this university ranging from intro level to world trade. On top of that I am a big fan of history and looking to what has worked and failed in the past and seeing the failings of humanity to learn for the future. Taking all of these influences into account and I can’t soundly agree with a single big government policy that any of you propose. The math of income and spending doesn’t work, the economics doesn’t work and the history doesn’t work. Big government has repeatedly cause economic collapses and the deaths of millions throughout history and has repeatedly crushed freedom. Economics shows that increasing the demand but crushing the competition doesn’t decrease prices. It also shows that increasing min wage only hurts the middle class who don’t get a raise due to the wealthy charging more to pay the raise to the poor. Math also shows that there is a limit to the amount of money you have to work with and when used with economics shows that there isn’t a way to pay for any of your policy without bankrupting the country.
History proves all of my points but you think you are smarter than those who came before even though you propose the same exact policy just thinking you can do it better. Not only do most of you have these views as college students, you have these views without any real world experience in most of the industries that are the target of further control. The hubris of thinking you know better about something you know nothing about is outstanding.
4. Why you are scared
You are scared because for years you have supported abusing the power of the executive branch and trying to push the views of a few communities on the whole country with expanding government. Now you find these powers in the hands of someone you disagree with and it scares you and frankly you only have yourselves to blame for disregarding our constitution. So learn a lesson that history was right again and that our constitutional limits on federal power are there for a reason. These prime reasons being freedom is a delicate thing, rulers far away from the community are inherently out of touch and don’t actually understand the issues. Another reason is that Michigan, California, Texas, etc. are all different, they have different views, industries, and values. A larger more powerful federal government seeks to change this and decreases the strength of our nation. The reason this diversity is a strength is because of the different views, strengths and weaknesses. This allows our economy to be stronger and prevents a complete collapse if one system fails. It also allows states to experiment with policy and see what works and doesn’t work without the whole country being put in danger. Our federal government is designed to mutually defend the states as well as manage trade, not give entitlements and so on. Entitlements are a right of a state to institute or not, this allows people to move to or from states with policies that they like and proves if they are viable or not. It also allows communities across the country to choose for themselves what works and doesn’t work for them and is the ultimate freedom provided by our constitution.
5. Conclusion
If you actually read this I hope that you take some time to think it over and see where the other communities across the country are coming from. This election came down to one defining issue and that was voting for what represented one’s community. For many it was in response to the last 8 years and how much the power of the government threatened the ability of these communities to decide their futures and maintain their livelihoods. A big proponent of this is the Supreme Court and the types of judges each candidate would appoint, one never mentioned the constitution once and the other did. That right there was vital, the court upholds the constitution which protects these communities and their right to self-govern. I know you didn’t see the danger of Clinton in this regard, but this is because she was pushing the culture and values of your communities on the rest of the nation. That is why I would like to point out that there is less danger from Trump, he doesn’t want to control your lives, heck he probably will not want to be a part of much policy, but the people he is working with are for less federal powers and in favor of communities choosing their own paths. No one is going to go to your city and change your laws unless they violate the federal laws. If California wants to increase their green energy agenda they can, if they want to tax their citizens like crazy they can. If Texas wants to have lower taxes as a state they can and if they want to use all the oil they want they can. That is what is great about our country, everyone has a place in it where they can live with their values and it is great at showing what policy works and doesn’t. It also allows people to leave places that don’t share their values and prevents an ideology from trapping people in a failed system. That is what is dangerous about a do it all federal government, it doesn’t have an exit plan and there isn’t stopping a meltdown when a mistake is made.
Andrew Beck
Nuclear Engineering Senior
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I am never one to voice political opinions on social media or even engage in political debate with friends or family. However, today I am more passionate than ever before about voicing my opinion. In the past few days this campus has demonized my beliefs. It is upsetting that individuals who have never met me, have never had a conversation with me, and have never even seen my face, will write me off and generalize me into a series of derogatory, hateful categories. I have grown up in Ann Arbor my entire life, and I am proud to be from such a diverse community where I am exposed to a variety of beliefs, backgrounds, and ideals. Yet, these past few days I have not been proud to live here. I can accept that the majority of my community doesn’t support Trump the way that I do, but I never thought that my peers, my town, and my university would denounce the population of this campus and the population of America, that did not vote for Clinton.
I am saddened to see my University President openly endorse the hateful behavior towards Trump supporters by stating that 90% of our campus did not choose to support the “hate and fractiousness” and “longing for a nonexistent yesterday”. For the 10% that opposed Clinton, this is such a misrepresentation of why they and many other individuals chose to vote Trump. One cannot deny that there is a population of Trump supporters who participate in the discrimination and hate Schlissel has spoken of, but there are extremists on both sides of the political spectrum. These extremists make up a small percentage of either party and I am confident that much of this nation, and certainly myself, does not support Trump for those offensive, discriminatory reasons. The idea that Trump supporters can only be hateful, misogynistic, homophobic, xenophobic, the encapsulation of evil, is being spread around this campus everywhere. I am not trying to change anyone’s beliefs, prohibit peaceful protests, or deny the validity of other’s concerns, rather I want to be able to express my opinions without being made to feel detested or ashamed. I want to be recognized by the University as a group that should not be marginalized, whose concerns and beliefs are viable, and should be respected just as I respect those in opposition to my views.
The University of Michigan prides itself on its efforts towards Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. It is unjust that I should be made to feel ostracized from my community, when my difference in political opinion contributes to the diversity of ideas and beliefs this campus strives to represent and claims to support.
-Rachel Hunter
University of Michigan Class of 2019
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Growing up only an hour away from the University of Michigan I was well aware that it is one of the most liberal college campuses. The University is well known for having an extremely large student population full of Democratic liberals so when I decided to come to Michigan I knew I was going to be one of very few Republican students. I was perfectly fine with that and did not think that it would prevent me from anything. When family and friends found out that I decided I was going to go to Michigan, they congratulated me and we're proud that I was going to attend one of best ranked Universities. However immediately following that they quickly warned me about how the university pushes the democratic view onto students and not let them force a change in my political views. There was even one family friend who told me his story when he attended U of M and quickly transferred to MSU after his first semester of his freshman year. He was furious with the fact that his professors were trying to reform his political views and would give him a bad grade on his paper if it reflected a different viewpoint that somewhat opposed the professor's viewpoint on the political and or social topic they were writing about.
As I am now a senior, I have experienced and realized the truth to this. I have received numerous emails and listened to many speeches over the years from the University and its president about how Michigan campus is a safe place for people to express and voice their different opinions. The University claims to be an open minded culture however it is clear that it is not now and has never been. The University has only made it a safe place for those who have the same democratic views that the University promotes. I spent three years of my life at this school scared of speaking out about my political views because I like many republicans would get labeled as a racist, sexist, homophobic person which I am very far from. I am socially a very liberal person because I believe that everyone deserves to have the same rights and be treated with acceptance and respect no matter what your race, sexual identity, and ethnicity is.It wasn't until this year that I started feeling more comfortable expressing my republican political views because I finally found the College of Republicans club and was able to connect with lots of other students on campus that have the same views as I do. I never even thought that U of M would have a club for republicans because of how much the University emphasizes only their far left winged views while looks down upon and speaks negatively of republicans. I find it very sad that it took me almost 4 years to find out that there has been a group of people who have similar viewpoints as me. I was very wrong to think that being a republican student at this very largely democratic and liberal University wouldn't prevent me from anything. It has prevented me from feeling that my ideas and opinions matter. It has prevented me from engaging in open discussion in some of my classes because the professor opens that discussion with a comment that indicates the conversation is going to be one way and bias. Michigan has also prevented me from taking certain courses that I would have like to take but decided not to, in fear that I would not be able to voice my opinions without being quickly stereotyped or judged. And now with the way President Schlissel has responded to the recent presidential election, it is clear that the University of Michigan only provides and promotes a safe space for those with the same democratic values and discourages nor even acknowledges that there are many students on campus who happen to be Republicans and have ideas and opinions that matter and should be respected. The only good that came out of the University of Michigan's one sided culture is that it required me to further expand my knowledge of history and politics. I am proud to say that I voted for Donald Trump and am glad that he is our president-elect and am upset that the University continues to spread and support the media's one-sided bias and stereotype Trump supporters. I believe it is a disgrace that the University does not equally and fairly teach nor acknowledge the Republican's political views. By President Schlissel stating that 90% of us students voted against hatred and outdated times and then went on to continue to give support to continue to speak out and voice our opinions. How am I or any of the other 10% supposed to speak out and voice our opinions after our university's president claimed our votes for Donald Trump were out of hatred. I voted for Donald Trump because I believe in in his political policies concerning health care, foreign trade and other policies that will boost our economy. I also voted for him because I believe in small business and working hard to create a successful future for yourself. It is clear that the University aims to promote and support only democratic side. The University of Michigan is not providing a fair and unbiased education. A University is supposed to educate without bias on multiple viewpoints and allow the student decide what they choose their views and beliefs to reflect. If Michigan provided us with an unbiased education on both the Republican Party and Democratic Party then we would all would be able understand or at least respect each others different view points. Instead the University of Michigan continues to promote the hatred and violence of a divided nation instead of trying to unite one another.
Carly Schaefer
School of Kinesiology Class of 17”
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It appears as though the University and I have conflicting definitions of “diversity.” From what I have gathered through messages from University officials, professors, and fellow students, it appears as though diversity is determined by race, religion, sexual orientation, and/or gender. I do not argue against this, these are contributing factors. I do, however, believe that the primary contributors to diversity are thoughts and ideas. It has saddened me to see that the University encourages a homogenous mindset in its students. Students are supposed to come here to be challenged about their ideologies, but this is a nearly impossible task when the University encourages a certain ideology and disregards others. I have had my values challenged constantly inside and outside of the classroom. Recently, when I politely asked a fellow student not to put a Hillary sticker on me, I was looked at as trash and yelled at for not wanting to make “herstory.” As a conservative student, this has benefited me because I have been forced to reconsider my ideals, and I am a stronger person and a more informed citizen because of it. I am thankful for this. The vast majority of students, however, are not afforded this opportunity. They are sheltered and their ideologies are encouraged while other ways of thought are ignored, and even looked at with scorn. I am thankful that I am a part of this University, and even more thankful that I have had the opportunity to be ideologically challenged. The University’s obvious bias and failure to remain objective and fair is a disservice to my fellow students, and for their sake I hope it will change.
I keep seeing the words “you belong” written all over campus, but these words seem to apply only to those identify as liberal. Students who identify as conservative have not been made to feel as though they belong throughout the course of this election, and especially within the past few days. President Mark Schlissel has spoken and clearly taken a side, but he did so without reminding students that those who voted for Trump made an educated decision and that they are not racist, homophobic, islamophobic, xenophobic, or sexist. I can say with certainty that if Hillary Clinton had won, there would not have been a candlelight vigil. Condoning and encouraging a candlelight vigil in response to the results of the democratic process in indefensible. We should be teaching students how to understand the democratic process, not sheltering them when it does not go their way. We should be teaching students that if they want to see change, they need to put their heads down, work continuously, and enact the change they wish to see. Cancelling classes and exams only encourages the idea that these students need time to heal and that they need to be coddled. These students were accepted to this prestigious university, and they got here by working hard, so coddling them because they are unhappy with the results of the democratic process is a disservice to these young people. Rather than amplifying the fears expressed by students, the University should be reminding students of the democratic process, the importance of the electoral college, the necessity for the acceptance of all ideas, that the president elect cannot (and does not want to) strip anyone of their fundamental rights, that the country must unite around the president elect, and how to accept defeat graciously. The University needs to teach its students that disagreeing with someone is what makes this country beautiful, and that intellectual conflict makes us stronger.
President Schlissel said, “90% of you rejected the kind of hate and the fractiousness and the longing for some sort of idealized version of a nonexistent yesterday.” This tells students that their classmates who voted or rooted for Trump do support these things. This is a completely unfair assumption, as there are countless other reasons to support a candidate. Jumping to the conclusion that those who supported Trump support bigotry and hatred disregards the fact that I, and many others who voted for Trump, made our decisions based on economics, national security, the Supreme Court, health care, Second Amendment rights, and for someone to take care of the corruption (from both parties) in Washington. It is assumed that women, among other groups, are victims of this election because the female candidate did not win. As a woman, and more importantly, as an American, this election has caused me to feel more empowered and optimistic than ever before. Hillary Clinton’s loss does not mean that our society is not open to the idea of a female president. Her loss is encouraging to me, because I know that little girls won’t grow up admiring a woman who is corrupt and, arguably, a criminal. I know that a woman can and will be president, but it needs to be the right woman. I am empowered by Hillary’s defeat because I know that an honest and qualified woman will have the chance to be remembered as the first female president, and I will be able to see her do it. I am told by many that these feelings are invalid, and the University’s blatant support of these people is inexcusable. I was able to finally vote, but I am told that I should be ashamed of exercising this right. The candidate I support won, but I am told to remain quiet or be called a bigot, racist, xenophobe, homophobe, islamophobe, and a supporter of white supremacy by those I know and love. I now refuse to remain quiet. I am called intolerant as my fellow students scream obscenities about Republicans and Donald Trump, while simultaneously refusing to accept the outcome of the democratic process or the idea that others think differently.
The University needs to remain objective and accepting of diversity of thought, not just skin color. I am not asking for the challenges to my ideologies to vanish, but rather for the other 90% of students to face these same challenges without reassurance from University officials that they are “right.” I look forward to many ideological debates and challenges, and I hope that soon my fellow students can too.
Courtney Lepine
LSA Class of 2020
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As a conservative who supported neither Clinton nor Trump, I knew full well before coming to this university that I would be part of a political minority. It is no secret that an overwhelming majority of students and staff at large universities like this one subscribe to far-left political ideologies. I cannot, therefore, in good faith consider myself a victim because of this—I know what I signed up for. What’s truly despicable here is not the political makeup of the campus. It is the systematic repression of all voices of dissent.
Campus leftists have, especially in the aftermath of the election, taken to bullying those whose convictions do not align with theirs. They call names, weaponize their own false victimhood and injury, and even threaten violence—the latter has been well-documented over recent days. They use the power of their numbers to intimidate those who would challenge them, then flee to their vigils and safe spaces when they don’t get their way. They conflate conservative speech and ideas with violence both to silence them and to justify their own real violence in response. When conservative speakers come to campus, these self-anointed “Social Justice Warriors” tear down and defile posters, stage violent riots outside the events, and then flee to the obscene number of University counselors on standby and have the gall to grandstand and declare themselves the victims of hate and violence.
President Schlissel’s comments at the vigil on Wednesday should come as no surprise to anyone who understands the political climate on campus—it is nothing new that the encouragement for the violent, toxic mob mentality of the students should come directly from the top. Though I have only been enrolled here for a matter of months, I have seen President Schlissel take every opportunity to spearhead these sentiments through word and deed. Where he has had opportunities to speak reasonably about political divisions on campus or calm enraged students, he has instead played the role of instigator. He helped students overreact when a few (of course, odious) white nationalist posters went up around campus, has been lax on fighting student anti-Semitism, and, as we saw on Wednesday, gave a de-facto endorsement of the losing presidential candidate and castigated those students who did not support her.
President Schlissel has shamed the University with his divisiveness. By placating the professional victim class on campus, he has proven that he is not dedicated to helping students learn and develop as adults. By helping to silence and delegitimize voices of political dissent, he has demonstrated his commitment to ideology over the well-being of students. It is his responsibility to act differently, and I hope he will in the future.
Respectfully,
Erik Gamm
Class of 2020
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To Whom it May Concern,
In the past week, I have sat through multiple classes where I was forced to listen to my professors describe their extreme discomfort with the election results, even using the phrase, “horrified.” In addition, I have received countless emails from administrators, staff, and students offering services, talks, and counseling sessions to understand “what the election results mean.” As a student at a public university, I find it extremely inappropriate for my faculty and administrators to have responded in this manner. It is bad enough that my social media is filled with exaggerated statements of fear and oppression, but to hear the same message from those who are in charge of a prestigious public university is disheartening and embarrassing.
I have a hard time understanding why any “group” on this campus feels marginalized, other than Republicans. I feel as though I am forced to keep my mouth shut and not let anyone know that I fully embrace my party and still believe in everything my party stands for. The rights of women and minorities on this campus are not being threatened. The rights of those who identify as Republicans, Conservatives, or anything slightly right of center, are being threatened. Our voices are oppressed and that is unacceptable and detrimental to our classmates. I am my no means “afraid” to share my feelings and thoughts and I would never ask for this campus to be turned into a “safe space” where everyone is forced to agree with me. However, my opinion should be respected by my peers and open dialogue should ensue, and the fact that administration has made clear that my opinion is “wrong” means that I am certainly not going to receive any respect by voicing it.
I am deeply frustrated with the school’s reaction to this election, and although I may be proud to be a Wolverine, I am not proud to be part of a campus where a minority opinion is stifled and condemned by the very people who preach openness and inclusion.
Sincerely,
Jessica Opila
University of Michigan Law School
Class of 2018
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The first class I had on Wednesday morning was an upper level Political Science class on the American Presidency. I was pleasantly surprised by my class’ reactions. We were able to have 90 minutes of civil discussion about the election and the future of the country. My teacher did not express any personal views and simply facilitated conversation. Later that day, my teacher started class by sitting in the front of the classroom saying how this was one of the worst days of his life and how he was incredibly scared for the future of this country. He also stated that he was wearing all black to mourn America. I am not paying out-of-state tuition to hear my teacher express his political views with blatant disrespect to people who were happy with the outcome of the election.
I have heard countless statements about how republicans are not intelligent enough to attend this school. People have made statements about how Trump supporters deserve to be shoved off of buildings. I have had friends go home for the weekend because it was difficult for them to be on campus due to the hateful attitude. People do not feel comfortable expressing their views because of the hate they know they will receive. People do not even feel safe being on campus after the way the university handled the election. By condoning the vigil and then speaking at it, President Schlissel is encouraging this behavior. His actions, along with those of the university, are very disappointing for many students at this university. Michigan preaches tolerance, diversity, and acceptance, but their reactions to the election completely contradict that. For the first time during my time here, I am embarrassed to be a student at the University of Michigan. I have always been so proud of this school and the values we exhibit, but right now I am deeply ashamed.
Hannah Student
LSA-Political Science
Class of 2019
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I do not feel safe or comfortable revealing my conservative beliefs at the University of Michigan out of fear that I will be branded as a racist and harassed by BLM and liberally-oriented Americans. Racial, ethnic, and religious minorities on campus are by far the most welcomed and the most tolerated people at the University of Michigan, who are welcomed with open arms, but conservatives of all shades of colors and backgrounds are ridiculed and harassed by their peers.
Even though I think safe spaces are quite unnecessary in a place of free speech and open dialogue, Michigan should at least be a place where everyone is subjected under the same treatment be it ridicule or open arms.
Trump’s rise to the presidency wasn’t because of misogyny or racism embedded in America, it was the ‘Silent Majority’s’ reaction to the excess of liberal activism and harassment that intruded on people’s daily lives, i.e. the marginalization that they felt from their zealous peers who were vigilant in their ‘social-justice’ activism.
Kevin
Michigan Review Staff Writer
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I do not feel safe or supported on campus by administration, especially since I am a COLORED CONSERVATIVE. I am tired of staying quiet in class to avoid being ridiculed by my own race and professors of color. I know plenty of other colored conservatives at the University of Michigan who voted for Trump who avoid being vocal about their beliefs because they don’t want to jeopardize their relationship with other minorities in exchange for being called a nigger, coon, Uncle Tom, Porch Monkey and Jigaboo. Sadly these are all words that the left on campus use when they refer to a Republican of color. Unfortunately I do not feel that the University of Michigan is a safe place for minorities who voted Trump or is affiliated with the republican Party.
Respectfully,
Cruz Garcia
LSA Class of 2020
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To Whom It May Concern:
As an incoming freshman to the University of Michigan, I was not blind to the predominantly liberal mentality of the faculty, student body, and residents of the U-M and Ann Arbor community. As a conservative, I was aware that my views would be underrepresented on campus. However, over the summer, I eagerly anticipated being part of a community that would challenge my views and allow me to do the same, knowing that I would learn more about others and myself in doing so.
This perhaps naive aspiration for my college education was crushed within my first week of classes. My fellow students were intolerant to conservative views and some of my professors condoned and voiced their agreement for this intolerance.
Since the election of Mr. Donald J. Trump, this attitude has spread and augmented throughout campus. Not only has the University and its president endorsed this intolerance, but it has also been so hypocritical as to preach diversity, equity, and inclusion while doing so. While I would be proud of being a student at a university that promotes the opinions of all, this is not as true of the University of Michigan as President Schlissel pretends it to be and as I once thought.
I would also like to address, as so many of us here have, the almost laughable inaccuracies of the way Trump supporters have been represented by showing the way I (and many others) contradict those generalizations:
- “Trump supporters are sexist/misogynistic.” I am a woman, and I am feminist.
- “Trump supporters are bigots.” I refer you to the first paragraph of this statement.
- “Trump supporters are xenophobic/islamophobic/racist/anti-immigration.” My mother is an immigrant from Guatemala and only just became a citizen this year. She also voted for and supported Trump.
- “Trump supporters are white supremacists.” I certainly hope I’m not a white supremacist as I am not even fully white.
- “Trump supporters are homophobes.” My aunt is gay, I have gay friends, and I do not think there is anything wrong with being gay.
I am not saying that Trump did not make racist and sexist remarks throughout his candidacy (though I cannot ignore the role of the media in personifying his character as the sum of his mistakes). I am, however, saying that I found and continue to find many of Hillary Clinton’s words, actions, and policies to be much more disgraceful, unacceptable, and un-presidential.
Secondly, I would like to condemn President Schlissel’s speech at the vigil held on the central campus diag on Wednesday, November 9th. I feel personally insulted that the president of the very university I attended would insinuate that I, or any of the other 10 percent of U of M students that voted for Mr. Trump, accept hate and fractiousness. I feel especially slighted as President Schlissel has promised, “a welcoming and inclusive [campus] for all” at the University of Michigan and has noted that excellence requires “[diversity] in the broadest sense of the word.” I was not aware that that breadth would be limited to the political views of the majority here at U of M.
Lastly, I find it paramount to address what is certainly the worst part of the University of Michigan and President Schlissel’s reaction to the results of the election. While you have put on this exaggerated display of mourning, you have advanced a mentality of fearfulness that is sweeping the campus. As you supposedly attempt to empower students, you disable them by both making them feel as though this election was a personal attack against them and allowing them to be self-righteously bound to their liberal mentality instead of opening their mind to the other 50 percent of Americans. While you create chaos and uncertainty by telling students it is unbelievable any American could vote for Trump, you are keeping those students from experiencing the peace they could have through understanding the real reason I and many others supported and continue to support our President-elect.
I will not say that the University of Michigan, as it stands now, is ‘not my campus,’ but I will say that I am ashamed and saddened by it. As many others have said: though I am a minority in many other ways (female, Latina, etc.) never have I felt so marginalized as I have on this campus as a conservative. And, though I fear the hate I will receive by signing my name, I also have never believed in something I have written so much as now.
Andrea L. Tillotson
LSA and RC Class of 2020
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To Whom It May Concern,
I self-identify as an independent, but during the Michigan primaries I planned on voting for Marco Rubio because he promised to have an inclusive immigration policy which I thought would be good for America and I preferred him over Trump to win the Republican primary. After it was clear that this election was going to be between Secretary Clinton and Trump, I considered not voting, voting for a third party, or writing in a candidate. I did not agree with either candidate, a view shared by the majority of the electorate judging by the amount of people who chose to protest this election by not voting. I very seriously considered this form protest, but when it was finally Election Day I decided to vote for Trump despite numerous misgivings I had about his character. I didn’t vote for him because I am a racist, bigot, homophobic, denier, or sexist; I voted for him because in the end I had more serious concerns about Secretary Clinton’s character than his. I know Trump is crass, but to be truthful on Election Day I still was not sure where Secretary Clinton actually stood as she seemed to have different policies based on who she was speaking to.
Like all many others, I too was shocked on Tuesday by the results. However, I was far more surprised by the University’s reaction than from the election results. The ‘vigil’ that was held to support devastated Democrats was a touch hypocritical if you were not also going to provide a venue for rejoicing Republicans to be inclusive and not discriminatory. To be clear, I would not have gone to either event as I am an independent and think both parties have problems. However, that was not what truly bothered me about the University’s response. When ‘Kill em all’ was painted on the rock or ‘f**k Trump on the diag’, you have been silent. This phenomena is not an isolated incident either; the other day as I stood and waited for a bus someone remarked to a friend that everyone who voted for Trump should be shipped to Alaska and then nuked. On the various University of Michigan’s facebook pages there has been an endless stream of articles explaining how people who voted for Trump are horrible people. At first I tried to not be bothered by this and simply carry on, but the truth is that saying things like that are hurtful and hateful. In other instances of hateful behavior earlier this year President Schlissel wrote to rebuke this and I respected him for it, but where is his voice now?
In my life at the University I have chosen to live a lie instead of face the hate. I portray the conservative Democrat to people simply because it is easier. Honestly I am a little afraid that signing this letter will change the way people I know feel about me. I have listened to jokes and slurs about president elect Trump and his supporters, but I remained silent because I simply did not want to be outed as a somewhat conservative independent. A friend reminded today me that simply being a kind silent person is not enough, we have to say something too. I see posters all the time saying fight for this or that on campus, well I have a message too: I won’t fight, let kindness win.
Respectfully,
Paul Knudsen
College of Engineering, Class of 2019
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President Schlissel and University of Michigan Board of Regents,
I was raised as part of a Catholic family that also happens to be politically conservative. While growing up, I was always taught to be proud of my faith, opinions, and what makes me unique. I was lucky enough to attend an extremely diverse high school, the International Academy, in which I was exposed to various viewpoints in an accepting and meaningful manner.
These attacks have even hit my place of worship as I am consistently labeled by members of my own religious community as racist, bigoted, sexist, etc. I am simply asking for some kind of acknowledgement that these evil, intolerant behaviors are not condoned by the university, unlike you have been proving throughout the past few weeks.
You recently launched the “Spread Ideas, Not Hate” movement alongside an $85 million diversity initiative. Regardless of if I believe that movements of such a nature are a good use of my classmates’ and my own tuition, I feel that these initiatives have been handled extremely poorly. Rather than promoting actual understanding of differing opinions, these movements have, in my honest opinion, only served to validate the bigoted opinions and intolerance of those that the movements were supposedly trying to make welcome. It has caused these groups to spew hatred towards others, by instantly assuming that those with differing opinions are racist, misogynistic, sexist, etc.
I hope that these personal testimonies are eye-opening to you so that we can try to build a community that accepts people, regardless of political view, not only with regards to political opinion. I am tired of people on my own campus blatantly stating that I am automatically racist for supporting Donald Trump for President and I hope that you will publicly condemn any of those who do so instead of supporting such actions, such as you supported the recent vigil on the Diag. Thank you for reading this and I hope that we, as a student body of various political opinions, can work together for true acceptance, instead of fostering hatred targeted at those with conservative opinions.
Michael Osterman
School of Public Health, Class of 2018
College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, Class of 2016
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Growing up in Ann Arbor as a conservative was tough. I had a few friends who shared my political beliefs, but it is understood throughout the Ann Arbor Public Schools that it’s better not to talk about politics if you hold any conservative opinions. Class debates about social issues or politics usually end with the teacher stepping in to prevent a large majority of the class from bullying the people with minority opinions into submission.
Another reason to keep quiet were all the rules about what we weren’t supposed to say. I genuinely try not to say anything that I think will make someone upset. Sometimes I slip up or am not aware that something I say is offensive. I found myself in situations where an accidental offense triggered so much emotion from a classmate that they had to leave the room. Feeling like I had caused these panic attacks was terrible and I quickly learned that when in doubt, silence is the answer. I put my head down and tried my best to obey vocal minority when in public places. I could only talk about my opinions in private places where I was around people who were up for meaningful discussion.
During my sophomore year in high school, I decided that I was going to speak up; I wanted to be able to safely talk about the issues and express my opinions. At my school there was an annual Black History Month assembly put on by the African American Humanities class. This assembly was hard to watch because I never felt like they got into Black History. The school took the assembly as an opportunity to take sides on pressing social issues and endorse things like the Black Lives Matter movement. As intended, this validated the previously held opinions of many liberal students and riled them up with inflammatory skits and statements. The assembly made having anything but a one sided discussion on race impossible because the school had taken a stance. When the school organized another assembly, this time by the Gay Straight Alliance, I was skeptical. This assembly featured a similar inflammatory tone and finger pointing with words like “cisgender” in place of “white”. This assembly shut down discussions on gender and sex because again, the school had taken a stance. I wanted opportunities to speak up and engage in meaningful discussion but instead the school made it clear that there was only one acceptable way to think about these complicated issues.
The University of Michigan is my favorite thing in the world and it pervades my hometown, my childhood, and my family history; it has had an effect on every aspect of my life thus far. Making my way through campus, I follow in the footsteps of my father and grandfather. Every day I pass by the place where my parents first met, the church where both my father and I were baptized, and the place where my grandfather proposed to my grandmother. If I go a few miles north of campus, I find myself in the neighborhood my parents have lived in for 30 years. If I go a few miles to the west of campus, I find the house where my grandparents have lived for 55 years. Ann Arbor is a part of who I am and I do not know what I would have left if the university were to make me feel unwelcomed here.
The response by president Schlissel and the university to the election has me worried about my place here. In my experience with Ann Arbor culture, I have seen firsthand many events that falsely claim to promote open dialogue. In reality, they are made to round up people of different perspectives and convince them to believe a single ideology. The “vigil” on the diag and the university’s other seemingly innocuous events serve the same purpose as my high school’s various assemblies; they are an attempt to end the conversation about major problems in this country by declaring a right way and a wrong way to go about solving them. The strongest way they do this is to deem anyone who doesn’t agree with them as uneducated and prejudiced. In high school, I lost the fight to share my opinions and I don’t plan on losing again. I would not be able to live with myself if I stayed silent again as my classmates rally and protested against me. This is my hometown and my university but for some reason I have become complacent with being silenced. Here, I should be able to express my opinion and be welcomed into discussion, no matter how I voted. I say this as someone who voted against Trump twice and got in many heated arguments with his supporters: You cannot judge someone’s character based on their political views.
Zeke Majeske
Ann Arbor Native
College of Engineering Class of 2020
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As a lifelong Ann Arborite and third generation Michigan Engineering student this is the first time I have been utterly ashamed to be a Wolverine; this is hard because this place is my home. As a libertarian who voted for President-Elect Trump I have experienced first hand the hypocrisy and bigotry of this campus regarding the way the left wing majority treats the right wing minority. The message that is sent to anyone who disagrees is “you are racist, ignorant, and uncaring.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Don’t tell me that when I was baptised by a gay black man! Don’t tell me that when I have been so surrounded by the left wing orthodoxy that it would be impossible not to understand the other side. Don’t tell me that when you have no way of knowing what is in my heart! I became conservative and voted for Trump after much thought over all viewpoints. So many of my friends from Ann Arbor and at this school are scared to share their beliefs because of the hate they receive for doing so from the left wing majority. We have received a death threat which I do not take lightly seeing as there have been many cases of SJWs violently beating Trump supporters this past year. This campus has been plastered with posters spewing the lie that Trump supporters are hateful. Earlier this year a debate over the Black Lives Matter movement was shut down my a liberal mob and the University did nothing to protect the debaters free speech. This week I’ve had friends tell me to hide my beliefs because of fears over personal safety. As someone whose ancestors went to concentration camps and crossed oceans for their beliefs I refuse to do so! We are sick of being called intolerant when the vast majority of intolerance is directed at us by those who are supposedly accepting of others.
Conrad R. Stoll
Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering
College of Engineering Class of 2019
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Everyone on this campus is equal. This equality is not dependent upon age, DNA, race, chromosomes, or socio-economic status; rather because we are people. I respect each person on this campus for their opinions, but they do not respect me for mine. President Schlissel, how are you promoting equality when only one party is allowed to have their voice heard on this campus? The University of Michigan is a public university and this nation was founded on democracy.
I will focus on two instances where I have been failed at the University of Michigan. Others’ life opinions were forced upon me when I mandatorily had to attend Relationship Remix freshman year. At this program, upperclassmen taught underclassmen about safe sex. As a practicing Catholic, my views directly opposed that of Relationship Remix but I was told I would suffer consequences if I did not attend. These life choices are continually pushed on students as societal norms. For example, I was told by Ross administration to pack birth control for my study abroad program. This is not the University of Michigan’s place to interfere with the institution of the family.
In light of the recent election, classes have been cancelled and time is spent in each class as professors commiserate with students. This is not how my tuition dollars should be spent. My Technological Operations professor’s first words in class the day after the election were, “I am sorry I can’t think today. I feel numb. I needed a few cat videos to motivate myself.” If you cannot think clearly, you are not mature enough to be teaching my class. Providing students with extensions because of the election results is doing students a disservice. The real world will continue to function. If an employee does not attend work because of an election later in life, they will be fired.
Finally, President Schlissel, by continually sending emails and promoting programs about Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion, you are perpetuating the problem. When children are born they do not recognize there is a difference in skin color. This is taught to them by people like you. If race is not an issue, why do you make it one?
The United States has spoken. Let us see what we can do with respect for each other, respect for the family, and respect for humanity.
Lauren Neumann
Bachelors of Business Administration
Stephen M. Ross School of Business Class of 2018
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Dr. Schlissel,
I have to say that as a student I was very disappointed with your recent remarks about the election. It would seem that the university's commitment to diversity is a diversity where everyone looks different but thinks the same. In one breath you championed diversity and inclusiveness, and in the next breath celebrated that 90% of the student body is the same. By demonizing a minority -- and yes, the campus conservative is an intellectual minority (although not one you apparently respect), you used your position as the president of a great university to further divide and create animosity at a time when our country needs healing the most.
I would encourage you to challenge yourself to understand those people who've vilified, I think you'll find there is perhaps more there than the academic bubble has led you to believe. So far you've helped champion a diversity that's been hard fought but easily palatable; I challenge you to try to embrace an equally difficult diversity: the diversity of thoughts and perspectives. This diversity is not easily achieved, because it cannot be seen by the naked eye or measured in a census. It can only be achieved by rhetoric that does not condemn but tries to understand.
Our university is not a safe space. If we allow it to be that then our motto Artes, Scientia, Veritas becomes a hollow mockery, an "idealized version of a nonexistent yesterday" as you so succinctly put it. Knowledge and truth is what we should strive for above all else. We only abandon that mission when we become convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that our viewpoints and conclusions are completely correct.
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To the Michigan Community,
As a graduate from the University of Michigan, I have been paying extreme attention to the 2016 presidential campaign. My change from a Hillary Clinton's supporter in 2008 to a Trump's supporter in 2016 isn't typical. I barely knew about Trump after he declared he would run for the president. In the very beginning, I treated him and his behavior like a joke--this guy was so funny as a billionaire businessman. Like most of people, the information I know was from the mainstream media (MSM). I didn't believe he could win the election and his speaking style was quite entertaining if you weren't serious about what he said.
But things changed gradually. When the news outlets reported more about Trump, not in positive tune, I begun to feel a little skeptical thought: is he that bad like the media reports? I decided to do my own research by using the powerful Google search engine (thank you, Larry Page, you are wonderful) and listening to his speech. I found out Trump wasn't the exact image that the MSM reported. What's going on with that? He did say quite some political incorrect things, but the MSM had a political agenda with Hillary Clinton's campaign strategy, spinning everything Trump said without context and even exaggerating reversely his meanings--It was really like an American vision of the Cultural Revolution--by labeling him “racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic” and his supporters "basket of deplorables" by Hillary Clinton.
Unlike Hillary Clinton who was busy to meet her big donors, Trump held rallies, one after another and he really cared about the real challenges of this country. He came to hold rallies five times in total in Arizona, and I attended three of them including his rally for primary election at Fountain Hills.Trump's policies are all on his campaign website. I don't have to agree with everything he said and indeed, I took a iSideWith test and only got 56% match with Trump and 36% with Hillary Clinton. I listened to many of his talks in different rallies and he knew what the American people really need and want to change. Unfortunately, his real voice was spun by the MSM and further incited with more misleading information. Race card, gender card, religion card, became the tools to smear Trump and his supporters.
I don't have to be a conservative or a liberal, but a neutral resident watching this great election. I want to learn something in this election and so that I need to keep reading and analyzing the information I received from internet (not from TV). As a result, I predicted that Trump would win 324 electoral college votes including the critical votes: 16 from Michigan, 10 from Wisconsin, 20 from Pennsylvania, 29 from Florida and 18 from Ohio, but I was wrong on Colorado, Nevada and New Hampshire and 1 vote from Maine.
How could Trump win in a landslide? He really listened to the voters and voters listened to him too and gave him a trust vote. But, where was Hillary Clinton? When she said she would wait at home to prepare for the president, I knew she would lose the race.
Even though Trump won the election, the media keeps misleading his readers and many Hillary Clinton's supporters who have been long brainwashed by the media couldn't believe their candidate would lose their long hope. They couldn't accept such a result for the belief that they have kept so long. Protest, riot, emotional ventilation and the like are the only way they could express their disappointments. Nonetheless, could they step out of the box, their comfort zone, and empathize why so many people support Trump?
It's quite pathetic to note after eight years of Obama's administration, the law and order, race tension and discrimination, among many other conflicts, are messy up. But how could you blame a president candidate and now elect for Obama's toxic presidential leadership and the MSM's faults? Now you are on the left side, and we are on the right side. Should you and we start a fight? What does democracy mean in this election? Since Hillary couldn't win the election, please blame her for her own fault. If you want to win, please be prepared for next election in 4 years. Attend rallies early, rather than protest or riot after and too late.
In the end, right now, win or loss, it's a lesson everyone has to and can learn something from this great election. It isn't about we won, you lost, it's about how to Make America Great Again!
Jinhui Chen, Ph.D.
Rackham alumnus, '09
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I did not even vote for Trump, I voted for a third party candidate, and I still feel incredibly unsafe on this campus simply because I did not vote for Hilary Clinton. I have been on this campus since 2009 and I have never felt campus to be this polarized in all my years here. I love this school, but I do not love the incredibly biased opinion that President Schlissel has been putting forth over the past week. The messages being sent by the university right now directly contradict the idea of inclusivity for all. I am scared to even share that I did not vote for Hilary Clinton with my peers. Since the election, many colleagues have approached me with rhetoric bashing conservatives, assuming that I voted a certain way. I have tried to deflect the conversation every time, especially because some of these colleagues are professors that are responsible for assigning me grades. I think the university has greatly encouraged this type of assumptive behavior, which is unacceptable from a public institution. We are better than this. Go Blue and Go (True!) Freedom of Speech.
-Anonymous Medical Student...too scared to state my name
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President Schlissel,
As a conservative, I no longer feel safe on campus. I have been asked a dozen times who I have voted for within the last week. To protect myself, I have lied to each of these students. I told them I voted for Clinton. By lying, I have protected myself from being intimidated by my peers and from verbal assault. I am disappointed to be a student on a campus where diversity is embraced, unless you are a conservative. If you are a conservative, you are labeled as homophobic, Islamophobic, racist and sexist. I am none of these things. I am simply a student who cannot speak transparently about their views even though I embrace diversity.
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I'd like to begin with the personal realization (or hope) that those
who have known me, my character, and the respect I have for everyone,
regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, etc, do not aim
shameful, and even hypocritical labels toward me personally. These
select people target this judgement toward toward group(s) of people
that encompasses myself - a white male UM undergrad that hails from a
small, conservative Dutch town in West Michigan. I, like many
wolverines prior to being enrolled, viewed the University of Michigan
and the city of Ann Arbor as an institution built upon academic and
athletic success, a tradition of excellence, and most importantly a
campus of bright, intellectual individuals that celebrate each others
differences, cultures, and backgrounds. This was what I signed up for
and what I have taken pride and passion in throughout my time at
Michigan.
My freshman year was an election year, and I quickly realized how
drastically different my political views and opinions were from the
great majority of the student body. Any time I voiced my opinion on a
political or social issue, I was greeted with shameful comments, to
the point where I sacrificed my political voice and beliefs for the
sake of developing and maintaining the friendships I had already made.
This was not a mutual agreement to disagree, but a one-sided agreement
for myself to keep my mouth shut or pretend to share the same stance
on seemingly every political issue. By the end of my first semester,
my actual political views had changed dramatically from those I
graduated High School with, yet my newly established views were, and
continue to remain somewhere in the center between left and right.
Elections to me have never been Republican vs. Democrat, left vs.
right. Every 4 years there are numerous important issues that face the
nation every election, issues that affect every American and/or those
they come into contact with on a daily basis. These issues outnumber
the number of presidential parties that have a realistically have a
chance to win the election (2); which consequently is the same number
as there are candidates (2). By democratic process, these 2 candidates
are chosen by the people to represent the 2 national parties, through
a brutal season of "he-said/she-said", lies, backlashing, and a
massive influence from the biased and un-biased media sources,
celebrities, and other nations that closely follow American politics.
This will undoubtedly result in controversy [as will the neutral and
honest words written above], yet my experience with the University of
Michigan, especially following this past election is that your
political stance, let alone your support for America and it's future,
will be greeted with resounding acceptance or hate. The UM student
body encompasses upwards of 44,000 students, each of which are
encouraged to share their voice (in a positive, all-inclusive way),
stand up for what they believe in as well as the equality and justice
for every wolverine on campus. Those who act in opposition and with
hate toward minorities, student groups, etc, the student body is
relayed the news and has proven time and time again to condone such
mistreatment, when properly informed. There remain voices that have
not been heard, literally and in terms of not having seen proper
justice and understanding for the trials and experiences they've had,
and this is both troubling and not ok; more needs to be done and more
hurting students need to be heard, regardless. This being said, you
can't label categories of students as one entity with shameful, false
identities such as being "racist", "sexist", "homophobic", etc. The
individuals that strongly advocate for inclusivity and have developed
lasting friendships with students of different race, backgrounds, etc,
are mislabeled and suffer. Minorities that are falsely misled into
believing their friends don't support them and/or that they shouldn't
trust others that belong to the same mislabeled group, not only can
tear apart friendships, but lead to misguided feelings of fear,
hostility and perhaps egocentrism for their own people group. Feelings
such as these, used in spite can tear apart a campus, "justify" hate
crimes on a national level, and the rejection of one's own nation.
Like so many, I have contemplated deleting Facebook and other social
media, having seen how some seemingly kind, respectful individuals can
post things they would never-in-a million years say to someone's face,
attempt to intimidate others to the point of death threats, and bash
the very people that call them friends and would drop everything to
help them, should they be in need. In many cases, they receive
superficial acceptance for these actions by means of "likes", comments
and "shares". Who needs genuine friends, when you can have hundreds of
facebook friends that enable and even encourage your hateful,
narcissistic, naive comments?
I am merely one student and one voice among nearly 44,000, however
this is my experience and humble opinion toward the current situation,
hostility, and division that defies everything this incredible
University stands for. I am not ashamed of the University of Michigan,
it's near 200 years of excellence, and the leaders and best that
exemplify what it means to be a Michigan Wolverine. I am not ashamed
of myself, nor the immoral, indecent and unfiltered stereotypes that
have been targeted toward students that stand for against such labels,
behaviors and hostility. I choose to stand for minorities, the
oppressed, and the very people that have responded to the election
with such immaturity, from both sides of the political sphere.
There may be a reason to fight back, whether verbally, physically or
by means of social media, yet it takes a bigger person to understand
the bigger picture and fact-of-the-matter that #LoveTrumpsHate. "An
eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind", perhaps some need a
fresh lens?
-Camden Grabill
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President Schlissel:
I detest Donald Trump’s views on any number of issues. His stance on immigration is nativist, his views on free trade are overly simplistic, his dismal of global warming causes me deep concern, and that is before we begin to dive into his personality flaws. All that being said, our campus and its leaders have reacted in a way that is overtly biased against those that made the decision to support him. For a school that claims to value diversity and freedom of though, I have this to say: diversity is ugly. It is more than Title IX, scarier than LGBTQ acceptance, and by definition encompasses beliefs at odds with prevailing wisdom.
So long as those diverse beliefs and stances do not descend into violence though, they have a right to exist on this university without being belittled by the administration. I expect more from this university, and my hope is that one day it might deliver on its commitment to diversity in a way that appreciates its full meaning.
"I disapprove of what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
-Evelyn Beatrice Hall
Most Sincerely,
Frank Morton
2017 BBA Candidate, Stephen M. Ross School of Business
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To Whom It May Concern,
Following the election there has been much talk about which groups or demographics are in danger or should feel threatened on campus. I am absolutely certain that through the actions of President Schlissel and much of the faculty here that the most endangered group on this campus is anyone that openly supports our president elect Donald Trump. The staff at the University of Michigan have all but openly stated their opposition to the results of a fair, democratic election. In doing so, they've helped confirm and promote a fear in much of the student population that is not based on facts, truth, or reality. The candle lit vigil, the crime alerts when only certain demographics get threatened, professors preaching their own views on how awful of a situation we're in... is so incredibly unfair to anyone that wants to support THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
I wear my hat with Trump's slogan on it, "Make America Great Again", around campus and I might as well be in full KKK ensemble judging by how I am treated. There could have been 100 crime alerts sent out for what has happened to me in the past week if they were sending them out in accordance to what justifies a crime alert for other demographics that are apparently more deserving of the university's support. I hear these stories of women in hijabs being threatened and I find it absolutely disgusting that any person would ever think to go out of their way to harass someone on their religious beliefs. Yet, I truly believe that if nearly any student from this university was nearby to hear someone being threatened with violence for wearing a religious article of clothing, they would step in and do something. I know for a fact I would not tolerate anyone near me being treated that way.
On the other hand, I will be walking around in the light of day, proudly supporting the next president of the United States, minding my own business, and I have been called every name in the book. I have been shoved, had my hat thrown off my head, drinks dumped on me, things knocked out of my hand, been spit on, been told to kill myself, get the f**k off this campus, and much, much more. These actions were performed by fellow students, in the presence of fellow students, and not even once has anyone stepped in to defend me, ask the aggressor to step down, or offer me any sort of support. More often than not, once someone has begun ridiculing me or knocking my hat off, or whatever form of aggression that is taken, people will join in.
This is the kind of campus you are creating. The University of Michigan is praised for its diversity, yet as someone of the small demographic of people that support THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES I am constantly wondering what is going to happen to me next because of my beliefs every time I walk out the front door. Stop inciting fear. Stop making students think they have been wronged and are owed something. Stop being biased to certain demographics at this university. All of these actions you are taking are only further endangering and ostracizing my demographic at this university. I'd like to once again state that demographic is the group of people that support THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
As Trump is constantly stating in his recent speeches, we need unity in this country. We need unity on this campus, too. This divisive rhetoric that is being pushed upon the student base is doing nothing but hurting our community. I find the recent actions of President Schlissel and the faculty to be absolutely deplorable, and urge them to make movements to heal the wounds they have helped fester. A campus filled with hate is #NotMyCampus.
With all due respect,
Conner Marion
College of LSA - Statistics
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I have felt immense discrimination and fear for my moderate conservative political views the entire time I have been here. The University does not protect conservative students at all. They have failed me. At the end of freshman year I found myself wishing I had been born liberal because it would be easier. I had to look at the wall of social justice every time I entered my dorm. I had to see everything I disagree with accepted as a form of fact. I had to watch as conservatives were rejected from being RA’s because they aren’t inclusive enough. Inclusivity only applies to liberal values. Michigan feels like North Korea. "If you disagree you should speak out” they say. I would if I felt safe.
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To Mark Schlissel-
Three things about me: I am a woman, I am Jewish and I am a Trump supporter. Three things I am NOT: a homophobe, a Xenophobe or an Islamophobe. Your assumptions about all Trump supporters would be laughable, save for the fact that I will be nearly $100,000 in debt when I complete my graduate degree at your "inclusive" university. In your tireless crusade to make sure no one ever feels offended, discriminated against or "unsafe", you have failed.
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To all who take the time to read this,
As a 2016 alumnus, I am all too familiar with the rhetoric at the University. I received too many condescending comments about my opinions as a Republican. I had professors tell me I was naive and ignorant. I was told that one day I would “grow up” and realize the truth, when my peers of the opposing opinion were praised for their statements without any criticism. Once graduated, I assumed that workplaces in Ann Arbor would have the similar political opinions, but with a more subdued and “grown up” environment; however, I was shocked, yet again, at how outright harsh and all too similar it was to life on campus.
Being that I survived 4 years on a liberal campus and still kept my to my initial political opinions, I did learn something. I learned that I had to be the difference. I had to be the person who was willing to listen to all opinions and read news on either side because who else would? Many of my professors and fellow classmates were unwilling to have an educated discussion on current events. I am an open-minded person who is extremely willing to listen to anyone. I do not express hate toward race, religion, or the LGBTQ community. I do understand that hateful acts are occurring after Donald J. Trump became the President Elect and I am so sorry for those who have personally experienced this. Violence in any case, for any reason, is unacceptable. I will be the first to agree that Trump has not made nice comments and I do not condone this, but I am honestly more interested in his actions than his words.
Continuing this rhetoric of intolerance toward a differing opinion will not get us anywhere. I am extremely disappointed that my university feels placing sole blame on the election and our President Elect is the productive solution. Inclusion is for everyone, not a selection of some. I am in shock that the University of Michigan would encourage vigils, along with cancelled exams and classes. This is not what the Leaders and the Best do. I was under the impression that if us, as UM students have lost, we stand up and respect those who have rightfully won or, better yet, listen and attempt to work together to build a better future. I ask that the leaders, regents, and president of this great university Lead and Guide students through this time because right now, this is not my campus that I loved for 4 years.
Kristen Klochko
Class of 2016 LS&A
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All the Diversity Equity Inclusion focus needs to include acceptance of Trump supporters who feel underrepresented and afraid to talk on the campus. I am highly educated but refuse to be manipulated!
Employee with an Open Mind
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I'm a white male who can't walk around campus nowadays without feeling like I'm some sort of villain for being white and male. I didn't choose to be this way. With the Anti-Trump protest/march around campus today, I even had to take an alternate route to class--not because the march blocked my path, but because the people involved openly called me a racist/sexist bigot for not joining in. These protesters talk about "unity" while all they do is create an even more divided community.
This needs to end.
Before things get worse.
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