Editorial: Fighting Back Against Political Silence

In just two weeks, President Donald Trump and his administration have moved quickly to dismantle decades of social progress and democratic norms, giving unelected billionaires like Elon Musk immense governmental power and access to information. Trump has signed over 45 executive orders, many of which target immigrants, transgender individuals, and other marginalized communities. Within his first week alone, 40 orders were signed — 26 of them on his first day in office, with some enacted just hours after his inauguration.

The news is chaotic, designed to confuse and overwhelm us. And while many of us are used to using social media apps as a primary mode of political participation, those platforms are growing ever-more associated with Trump and his allies. It may be tempting to put our heads down and assume there is nothing left to discuss. But the less attention we pay to the administration — and the more isolated we are from one another — the more power we give it to move forward with impunity, decreasing access to information and participation in democracy. Talking to each other about the news and participating in real-life community protection may not be the silver bullet answers to these problems. But they are a vital start.

As a Board, we recognize that these orders both more than just encroach upon fundamental rights — they represent an attempt to erase an entire generation’s worth of social progress. The Amherst “bubble” is no longer so insulating: These policies have already affected students on campus, and will continue to hurt many more. One executive order, for instance, allows the government to revoke visas and temporary residency from “aliens who espouse hateful ideology.” While the Trump administration has not explicitly stated that this order targets pro-Palestine students, its broad language raises concerns that international student protesters could be at risk — especially given the student body’s history of activism.

Meanwhile, two other orders crack down on DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) initiatives and hiring practices, forcing hospitals nationwide and government websites to purge resources on reproductive health care and LGBTQ+ support, with the CDC erasing data that includes social vulnerability indices. A memo attempted to temporarily pause federal grants and loans like the NIH (National Institutes of Health) and NSF (National Science Foundation) from funding “DEI, woke gender ideology, and the Green New Deal,” although a judge later rejected this. The list of infringements goes on, from discrimination against trans people to the revocation of key protections for reproductive rights created by the previous administration after the infamous Dobbs decision.

At Amherst, students report feeling concerned about their legal safety — a particularly alarming reality given that international students make up 11% of the student body. Community Advisors have even been trained to handle potential harassment from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and just last week, several local businesses shut down amid rumors that the law enforcement agency was in town.

These policies threaten to undo the decades of work that have transformed Amherst from a preppy, elitist and homophobic institution into an exemplar of diversity. The values embodied in the safe spaces that accommodate Amherst’s multicultural student body, such as the Queer Resource Center (QRC), are now in jeopardy. Even entire academic programs, like the sexuality, women’s & gender studies (SWAGS) major, could become targets of Trump’s DEI purge, following his pledge to “fine [colleges] up to the entire amount of their endowment” for refusing to shut down DEI programs.

We may ask: Haven’t we already talked about it all? Is all of this unstoppable now? And don’t we all already agree with each other? For many, community discourse — both online and in real life — feels pointless.

We understand the pain that Trump and his inner circle have already inflicted on our community through both his current and future policies. But we urge the student body to recommit itself to dialogue: It is through communication that we can continue resisting the erasure of our rights. We must remember that we are a generation shaped by widespread school shootings, the George Floyd protests, and a blizzard of consequential Supreme Court decisions. We cannot let four short years undo decades and even centuries of progress. By staying updated on new policies, we can continue resisting this cultural erasure — even if it’s painful.

Although they are not the only key to toppling Trump’s power, conversations are fundamental to continued resistance. While platforms such as Meta (Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook) and X (formerly Twitter) have become many of our primary homes for political participation, their leaders’ increasingly powerful connections to Trump’s inner circle illuminate the importance of in-person dialogue. We can share news about this administration with our friends, family, and peers. We can attend events the college is hosting that are related to these threats. We can still practice empathy, whether it’s reaching out to those most affected or just asking how people are feeling. We can participate through more direct forms of resistance by joining initiatives that aim to provide know-your-rights information, as well as being involved in our local community.

In the face of the new administration’s encroachment on our rights, the Editorial Board is providing a list of resources for students to understand their basic rights and learn how to protect themselves. The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) has information on a variety of issues, such as LGBTQ+, protestors', and students’ rights. The National Immigration Law Center provides resources on handling ICE as well as a printable know-your-rights-card. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts provides information on reproductive rights such as contraception, abortion, and what protections the state of Massachusetts is offering in a post-Dobbs era. The college provides resources on reproductive and sexual healthcare, as well as advising hours and additional information for international students.

Our community has already been deeply hurt by this new administration, and the road ahead will not be easy. Colleges all over the country — Amherst included — are faced with difficult choices when it comes to moving forward. We urge the Amherst administration to continue its resistance against President Trump’s attacks on our democracy. We will, too.