November 22, 2013

One hundred-fifty years ago in Gettysburg, PA, President Abraham Lincoln sought to address and remind a divided nation of America’s promise. His Gettysburg Address emphasized that this country was founded on liberty and equality – two ideals that seemed to have been lost on some people during the time of his address and on some people today. Unfortunately, rather than reflecting on the important lessons of this historic speech by celebrating the strength of a united and pluralistic nation, the Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) decided to host an event that reflects a betrayal of those values.

This week, the YCT chapter at the University of Texas, Austin had planned a “Catch an Illegal Immigrant” event dedicated to drumming up a “campus-wide discussion about the topic of illegal immigration.” Their plan was to spread YCT volunteers around campus wearing name tags that read “illegal immigrant,” and any UT student who approached them by proclaiming “border patrol” would receive a cash gift card. YCT Chairman Lorenzo Garcia explained the reason for their chosen tactic by stating, “if [we] held a forum or a public debate, no one would show up.”

UT Vice President of Diversity and Community Engagement Dr. Gregory Vincent quickly released a statement of condemnation regarding the event, which said in part: “They are willfully ignoring the honor code and contributing to the degradation of our campus culture. And once again, they will have resorted to exercising one of the university’s core values to the detriment of others. Such actions are counterproductive to true dialogue on our campus, and it is unrepresentative of the ideals toward which our community strives.”

Vincent and the university administration are to be commended for responding quickly and decisively to condemn the YCT’s atrocious actions as a violation of the culture of inclusivity on campus. Much like Lincoln was tasked with re-unifying a divided nation under the principles of liberty and equality, the University of Texas, Austin ought to engage the campus community in conversation on the issue of immigration with a wide diversity of voices.

In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln defined the challenge facing the nation in no uncertain terms: Was the fight simply for the glory of winning on the battlefield or was it really about the soul and values of America?

Seven score and ten years ago one of America’s most influential presidents urged a nation at odds to reconcile under the values espoused in the Declaration of Independence; now more than ever we need to continue persevering toward those ideals.

If the values upon which America was founded are to survive and thrive, then each one of us must speak out and work hard to realize them in our homes, our neighborhoods and our society.