To the Editor,
This Election Day, Nov. 7, 2017, there is a ballot question in New York state asking whether we should hold a convention to amend the state constitution. I believe we should and thus advocate a ‘Yes’ vote, but I’m not going to expound upon why I think a convention would be a good idea. Instead, I’m going to ask if you, the staff of your student paper, even knew about this possibility.
For all the talk of Resistance, Make America Great Again, Hope and Change, Drain the Swamp, Black Lives Matter and Our Revolution, this constitutional convention provides an opportunity like no other to implement policies that could bring about reforms that we all know are needed, yet it does not seem like our state’s younger population has any knowledge of this event.
Upon ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1789, Benjamin Franklin was asked about the new government that was about to take power, and he stated that we had “a republic, if you can keep it.” Well, in order to keep our republic from continuing its devolution into an authoritarian oligarchy, we need an educated populace who are aware, engaged and willing to express and debate their political beliefs.
So do some research on both sides of the issue and decide for yourself whether you think a New York state constitutional convention is worthwhile, but at least try to get the discussion going amongst the student body of your institution so our generation can have a say in the future we’re inheriting.
Sean Hillson
Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
Ph.D. Candidate, Chemical Engineering
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