By: JIM IRIZARRY
Managing Editor
jcirizar@iusb.edu
I never really gave it a thought that it was possible. Call it a lack of knowledge for someone else or other people having their collective finger on a pulse.
I never thought that, over the course of two months, I would see two messages from each the president of Indiana University and the chancellor of IU South Bend over something having to do with Donald Trump.
Yet, here we are.
The first pair of letters, if you remember back to November, came in the days following Trump’s election. IU President Michael McRobbie and IUSB Chancellor Terry Allison each implored this campus and the entire IU system to continue to adhere to the university’s core values; to continue to engage in work that benefits the common good.
The second pair of letters came in response to Trump’s executive order on immigration signed on January 27. Both letters reiterated the following:
“The action is contrary to the core of our values as an institution. It makes us weaker, not safer.”
Both letters from both men were necessary, as emotions have been running high in regards to both issues.
(As a side note, many departments in the university and this campus also sent out their own letters with similar messages, as well as used valuable class time to discuss the matter with students. These actions are to be recognized and commended as well.)
However, it makes me wonder just how many of these letters are students going to get over the next four years. Also, will they continue to have the same effect?
Let’s not forget that, by the time this issue is published, Trump and his administration will only have been in office for 20 days. What else will be rolled back in the interests of “making America great again?”
We have already seen this administration initiate a war with any and every media outlet that dares fact-check them. We have seen the counselor to the President, Kellyanne Conway, coin the term “alternative facts.” (You know, because calling them lies is too accurate.) We have already seen risky appointments made to the president’s cabinet. We have already seen a failed raid in Yemen that left one Navy SEAL and dozens of civilians dead because the administration was following information from 10 years ago.
This administration has demonstrated, in less than 20 days, that it will continue to hammer away on every perceived slight directed toward it while attempting to rule with a tyrannical fist over matters of national security.
I wake up every day in a way that I’m sure many of you do. I wake up wondering what’s next. I wake up wondering what could this administration do to top itself on the unintentional comedy scale. I wake up wondering if I have to read more letters from McRobbie and Allison.
