Reply #58: Professor Miller-- from an NYU TA writing down the street from you...

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Professor Miller,


There are SO MANY wildly outrageous events occuring simultaneously-- the death of our democracy through stolen elections, the prospect of never-ending war, an unprotected and abused labor force (yes, I will be striking next week), the normalization of torture and rape, the loss of civil liberties, the suspicion surrounding the Bush Adminstration's culpability in 9-11-- why is the public so RESOUNDINGLY SILENT? I believe this resounding silence would have been unthinkable 20 years ago.

I went to the World Can't Wait rally at Union Square yesterday and I was perplexed at that so few New Yorkers were willing to take to the streets to protest this regime. As undergrads in the late 80s/early 90s, we occupied the administration building because of a slight increase in tuition for low-income students. At this point, I swear I can't imagine undergraduates taking action to stop a college administration from forcing low income students to sell their organs to pay for tuition.

It seems to be more than just a chilling effect. We are living in a media bubble-- a bubble of disinformation. As a people under undemocratic rule, who currently have no ability to manage or confront our mediated environment... how can we cut through the apathy? how do we debrief our fellow Americans? how do we address the fact that even those who are critical of the Bush administration will not confront the gravity of the situation?

Do you have any ideas on how to burst the media bubble?

Can you share with us any particular strategies you have used to cut through normally thoughtful people's overwhelming desire to pull the covers over heads and go back to bed?

And thank you for signing the faculty democracy statement in support of TA's freedom to strike!