To Our Readers
To our loyal, diverse and passionate readers,
If you do not know what to say today, rest assured that we do not, either. We are devastated, angered and deeply saddened by our country’s inability to see what so many of us have seen for as long as we have been alive: America’s deep-rooted hatred for the other.
Our country likes to pretend that it is a place for dreams. A place for opportunity. A place others should look to as an example of what a free and full life is like. Many of our relatives came here from different countries and saw in our stars and stripes a promise of better, brighter and more hopeful. Many of them found this promise, at least compared to what they left behind.
But if this election has taught us anything, it is that despite the right to vote, freedom of the press and freedom of speech, we still have a long way to go. And today, even those things remain in danger.
If you are scared today, that is okay. We are, too. We will not put words in the mouths of the various marginalized groups that this election has failed; we will only express solidarity and the promise that we will continue to fight for what is right and what we know to be true: that you are important. Some of our writers belong to these marginalized groups and have their own things to say. We will let them speak for themselves.
If you are angry or sad today, that is also okay. There is a level of hypocrisy and deception that runs within this country. One that brands itself as a great melting pot dedicated to the prosperity and celebration of all, yet seeks leadership from someone who sees threat in every identity that does not fit his own.
As a publication that regularly speaks out against injustice on our campus, in our state and nationwide, we fear for the potential threats to a free press that the Donald Trump presidency will pose. A society is only as good as its communicators, and when they are at risk, everyone is.
We cannot tell you that it is going to be okay, or not to be afraid, or that we have to come together. It would be condescending to do so. Our only hope is that you will take care of yourselves and your loved ones, and that you will remember that you are crucial to this Earth and to our hope for change. Maybe you are not ready today, and you won’t be tomorrow or next week or even next month - that’s okay. Take your time. Heal. Remind yourself that you are worth so much more than what this country has given you, and then, when you’re ready, go out there and get it.
We are so grateful to all of you for reading our articles, engaging with us and reminding us during times like this why we do what we do.
If you need a space to be heard, do not hesitate to send us an email at eggplantfsu@gmail.com. We are here for you.
Sincerely,
Rona Akbari & Carolyn Bernucca
Editors-in-Chief, The Eggplant
& The Eggplant Family