This week, I went on behalf of The Varsity to a club fair happening on campus. While I was encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive response from incoming U of T students, there was one interaction that left me uneasy. A student picked up one of last year’s issues we had displayed on our table and made misogynistic and racist comments about an article only seconds after opening the paper. Although I attempted to turn the moment into a constructive conversation — to try and convince them to read what their peers had been so vulnerable in sharing — they were simply uninterested in listening to what I had to say, let alone what was written on the page. 

I left this particular club fair feeling unsettled. As the Opinion Editor, how could I expect writers to pour their hearts into words, knowing that some of their peers would rather remain ignorant than take the time to truly read what they’ve written?

Although I wish this letter could be a step-by-step guide for addressing apathy, I do not have the answer quite yet. Instead, I hope that somewhere in this letter — as I turn to the wisdom of authors that have inspired me — contributors and readers of the Opinion section can find some solace, guidance, and hope. 

Amidst the everyday weight of ignorant comments, it may feel as though it is best to ‘sit out’ on issues and conversations of rigorous debate. This is a natural feeling, but as Audre Lorde advises, “your silence will not protect you” — silence may feel like the ‘right’ decision for the time being, but one day, when it is too late, we may regret it. Therefore, I urge both contributors and readers, whether in the columns of the newspaper or the comment section on our website, to share your perspective, even if you think it’ll be unpopular. As Suheir Hammad reminds us in her anti-war poem “What I Will,” your breath, song, dance, and words can be louder than war drums, and louder than those that attempt to silence you. 

When we decide to write, and when we as readers choose to listen, let us remember what we owe to each other: to write and read with respect, care, and love. 

Poet Mahmoud Darwish reaffirms in his poem “Think of Others” that as we engage in the mundanity of our daily lives, we must remember the plight of others — actions such as paying the water bill or preparing breakfast carry immense privilege. He also reminds us that “As you think of others far away, think of yourself (say: If only I were a candle in the dark).” Darwish reminds audiences that with privilege comes a responsibility we have to one another. Therefore, as you begin to write for or read the Opinion section, I hope we can carry this responsibility with us; to be willing to read and write with an open mind and an open heart, with empathy, and with love. 

It may be evident from my encounters at this week’s club fair and what seems to be a fractured world at large that room for hope is scarce. But it is important to realize that this feeling is nothing new. In the 1970 documentary Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris, author and civil rights activist James Baldwin proclaimed that “love has never been a popular movement” and that “the world is held together… by the love and passion of very few people.” 

Therefore, as we continue to confront the polarizing and controversial issues of today, my request to the readers and contributors of the Opinion section is to be among the few that keep the world held together. Let your love be front and centre in how you tell stories, argue, debate, read, and engage with the Opinion section. It may feel minor, but in a world desperate for care, to truly read with openness and love for your peers — rather than dismissing each other’s words with ignorance — is one way we can help stitch our fragmented world together.