Civil Rights, Social Justice, and Facebook

In light of all the readings I’ve recently done about how we’ve come full-circle (in a negative way) with regards to the re-segregation of public education (particularly in urban areas) 50+ years after Brown vs. BOE, the recent votes in Maine and New Jersey just make me even more ill.

It’s okay that people voted the way they did – really, because people have opinions and are free to exercise their right to vote. HOWEVER, my issue is that I don’t think this is something that people should even be voting about in the first place!!! I guess our country has a history of putting civil rights issues on the ballot even though…um…hello…they’re CIVIL RIGHTS.

As I’ve been doing research on social networking in higher education, I’d like to share something I’ve seen on facebook before – using facebook for expression and social justice. Here are some of the posts I’ve seen on facebook from my friends (gay and straight alike) with regards to the Maine and New Jersey elections:


"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." come on America, wake up....

Maine, you disgust me.

Oh Maine...sigh...I still love your Acadia National Park...

"Individual rights are not subject to a public vote; a majority has no right to vote away the rights of a minority; the political function of rights is precisely to protect minorities from oppression by majorities." -Ayn Rand

"From the equality of rights springs identity of our highest interests; you cannot subvert your neighbor's rights without striking a dangerous blow at your own." - Carl Schurz --- Equality America has requested that anyone who disagrees with Maine's decision to change their profile picture to black.

"Times can blind us to certain truths and later generations can see that laws once thought necessary and proper in fact serve only to oppress."

disappointed in Maine...

i wonder how you'd feel if we voted on whether or not you could marry

Maine and Jersey, I'm sad and angry.

the Maine results have left me profoundly sad... (but I want to send love out to my mainers... I have a lot of wonderful people from Maine in my life and they are all awesome! Sending you all hugs today...)

not cool, maine