Forgive me in advance for waxing philosophical. I wanted my last column to address a more fundamental issue than my previous ones As I read about all the protests and progressive causes of the moment (many of which I support), I find myself pondering some big questions: What is the goal of all this?
I’m breaking from my scheduled programming this week to talk about an issue that’s on everyone’s mind: the soda machine in The Link is broken again. Just kidding.
The “free speech” vs. “political correctness” debate rages on. Liberals claim that there is no issue—that “free speech” is just a right-wing red-herring used to justify bigotry. Meanwhile, conservatives bemoan the dreaded “PC Police” and its alleged chilling effects on rational discourse. To them, PC is just doublethink preventing critical appraisal of minority groups.
A new wave of political activism is polarizing America. Both left and right are throwing caution to the wind for the sake of making points.
Economic inequality is a grand challenge for our generation. Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, it’s impossible to ignore the writing on the wall. The gap between the haves and have-nots is widening. While our proposed solutions may differ, one thing is certain; we must take action. Unrest is growing. Ted Yavuzkurt is a Trinity senior. His column runs on alternate Tuesdays. If you have a comment for him, he can be reached at tdy@duke.edu.
Voting season is around the corner for the most divisive presidential election in recent memory. Whomever you support, whatever your beliefs, I want to make one thing clear: no candidate is going to turn this ship around alone.
Whenever I think I understand the world, I’m due for a rude awakening. Consider the recent events in Cologne.
Dear Duke Community, I left the conversation Friday feeling angry, sad, concerned and conflicted.
