Activism is, by definition, risking something. In the case of the protestors at Tuesday’s Board of Governors meeting, the activists present risked their physical well-being, their arrest records and, in the case of the UNC student charged with a felony, their very democratic franchise.
We respect and applaud, without regard to points of political agreement, the courage of those protestors who were tenacious enough to attend an emergency meeting, make their concerns known and put their own bodies on the line in support of their strong convictions.
In any conflict, tactics are a matter of battleground and resources at hand. Strategy contains a longer view portfolio of various tactics to achieve strategic goals. They are chosen based on historical efficacy and momentary instinct.
The Daily Tar Heel’s editorial board has largely positioned itself strategically, if not tactically, in view of the same goal as the activists forcibly removed last week. We believe that this current iteration of the Board of Governors, while not necessarily committed to malice, are immovably committed to a vision of the UNC system that cannot serve its stated mission toward the citizens of North Carolina.
Tuesday’s event, abstracted, is arguably visible evidence of the brute force of the state steamrolling those who, feeling unheard and disenfranchised, responded through bypass of stated rules of institutional engagement. But we as a board would be remiss to not consider the counterargument.
The event also arguably showed the Board of Governors, with the physical help of the Department of Public Safety staff that protects them, doing what they are appointed to do: continue the functional business of the UNC system, balanced between their best judgment and the agendas of those elected officials who appointed them. If one believes that this Board of Governors, while legally appointed, are unfit to serve, under the constraints of North Carolina’s democratic process one has a clear avenue of action: win state elections.
Tactics of the kind demonstrated last week serve a crucial strategic purpose: raising visibility of the conflict and one’s opponent. But the ultimate goal is to win an iteration of the BOG that fights for a version of the UNC system that we as a community feel serves both ourselves and the University’s mission to the state. With that as the case, control of those that control the BOG must be exercised. Logically then one must ask how to change the employers of the employees.
This, of course, leads those in the UNC community who wish for change to the grinding and slow labor of conversation, advocacy, successful argument, political mobilization and coalition building that leads to different electoral outcomes. If you feel strongly as to the actions of the Board of Governors, let your feelings be known to your home community in North Carolina.
In short: Start winning elections in your favor.
