Students’ actions speak louder than their words
A raise in underage drinking tickets, unbelievably high parking tickets, nowhere to park, students getting kicked out of apartments downtown, nosy cops, crazy historic district Nazi ladies and so on and so forth.
The list of things that students complain about in Milledgeville is constantly growing. Each week in this very newspaper, a student can expect to find something involving one of these situations, be it in an article about how wrong something is or a student complaining in the Vent. Students are constantly grumbling about how so-and-so has to go home because she got arrested or my car got towed when I ran to do this or that. Well, I’m here to tell you a truth it took me almost 22 years to realize:
COMPLAINING DOESN’T DO SQUAT.
No matter what you think, there are logical reasons behind what is going on in this town; it really isn’t just to piss off students. Let’s look at the situation involving the “push” to get student renters out of the historic district. Yes, it is true this will kick all students living in apartment style houses out of the downtown area and mess up landlords’ renter investments. But that is what they are trying to do. Why you ask? Well, because for one, many of these houses are not being kept up properly. This affects Milledgeville’s tourism industry (yes, there really is one) negatively. It also brings in lower city revenue through property taxes. Thirdly, students bother many citizens who live in the downtown area. This leads to the final reason: It causes the older citizens to act on it.
Yes, the ability of action is the largest factor in this equation. These older citizens, who do not like students living downtown, do what students normally don’t do: They participate. They go to city council meetings, talk to their representatives, organize citizens’ groups and vote. These actions create friction that causes the governmental machine to turn in their favor, as it always has throughout the time of democracy. The battlefield of politics is just like any other battlefield. You have to have soldiers to win the battle. This is a concept that students seem to have failed to grasp.
Consider all major changes America has undergone in the past. From abolition to women’s rights, one can find the common trait of group action. Group action is fed by individual action, which in turn is fed by belief. So, if your belief is strong enough, start acting. Register to vote, attend council meetings, call your governmental representatives, even organize a protest. If you don’t like the drinking fines, let them know. If you want to continue to live downtown, show up to a meeting and show them you care. If you want orange to be the official color of Milledgeville, sign a petition and get it voted on. It’s possible.
City council meetings are held every second and third Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall on the second floor. For information regarding them or information on procedures of action, contact City Clerk Bo Danuser at bdanuser@milledgevillega.us.
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Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Sep 15 2006. Filed under Opinion.
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