Letter to the Editor: In General Disarray

General Assembly is always a tense affair. The issues brought to the floor bring out opinions of varying intensity in students from all backgrounds. The direct democratic forum allows for students to express themselves and, within the rules outlined, have any conversation about the direction of their student union.

The rules that govern General Assembly allow for new business to be brought to the floor. This is entirely appropriate within the confines of parliamentary procedure. Admonishing a representative with a strong enough command of those procedures to effectively launch a conversation about democratic reform in the MSU is the height of cynical conservatism.

Though I am of a different political mind, I can understand a desire to keep things the same. Principled conservatives have long advocated for this and can do so without resorting to baseless attacks on those advocating for change.

The representative in question is hardly a rogue maverick. A dedicated progressive with an impressive resume of involvement in the MSU, this representative was well within their rights to bring up the unfair appointment of the organization's Vice Presidents. I only wish someone had the audacity to pursue this issue when I was a member of the MSU.

-Chris Erl, former SRA Humanities