Tuesday night, Student Council passed a resolution affirming that it “strongly denounces and deplores violence against any member of our community based on sexual orientation or gender identity” and declaring that it considers any act of violence against anyone here motivated by these biases “an affront to members of the University Community and to the values of the University of Virginia.” This rhetoric is strong, and the statement it makes is clear and relevant to the students at the University today.
Still, talk is cheap. In the past, resolutions like this tend to represent Council patting itself on its back, excitedly announcing to its constituents that it, collectively, holds an opinion it would be self-destructive for its members not to publicly hold at a University with a value system like ours. All too often, resolutions pass unanimously with rhetoric supporting or denouncing one thing or another; only rarely do people stop to ask if Council is putting its money (our money) where its mouth is. By purchasing 1,000 candles for the Stand Against Hatred event, which will be held in the Amphitheater on Thursday night, Council has done just that. As a student without anything to gain or any back-patting to do, I congratulate them. Hopefully, this is a sign of more to come.
I commend Council for backing up their words with tangible actions this time by buying these thousand candles. Now, as a community, let’s make sure each of those candles is being held up on Thursday night as we Stand Against Hatred.
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