Emily Mutagh | Contributing Writer
Firstly, we believe that any question arising from the abortion debate must always be dealt with the love and respect that is warranted when dealing with such a difficult and sensitive issue as this. Therefore it is imperative that we recognise that this referendum is not solely, or even primarily, a pro-choice/pro-life debate but rather raises crucial questions about the role of the Students’ Union, and the implications of it taking such a stance if the referendum were to be passed. We believe that for the Students’ Union to adopt a policy on this issue is out of sync with the university’s promotion of independent thought and inquiry. Secondly, we believe that for the SU to take a stance on an issue that relates so powerfully to the individual’s right to hold a moral, religious or political stance will leave many members of our college community feeling alienated from the Students’ Union that claims to represent all students on campus. We also feel that the Students’ Union’s priorities should lie elsewhere, in advocating issues that will unite our student population rather than divide us.
“It is committed to ”providing a liberal environment where independence of thought is highly valued and where staff and students are nurtured as individuals and are encouraged to achieve their full potential.”
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If we take a look at the mission statement of Trinity College we see that it includes the following statement – it is committed to ”providing a liberal environment where independence of thought is highly valued and where staff and students are nurtured as individuals and are encouraged to achieve their full potential.” From the moment each of us stepped into this university we were bombarded with a wide and exciting spectrum of ideas and we are constantly learning and growing in the dialectic created between our own personal convictions and the ideas of our fellow students and those presented in our academic study. This is one of the foundational principles of any university and we feel for the Student Union to take such a definitive stance on this issue is not in line with this.
Each of us has the responsibility to educate ourselves on both sides of the debate and the right to advocate on behalf of any whatever position our powers of independent thought and enquiry, as well as our moral and religious convictions, lead us to pursue. We feel that we do not require our Students’ Union to act on our behalf on issues which do not represent all students, and in fact stand in direct opposition to the strong moral conviction held by many, which should be respected and celebrated. The SU should be an umbrella organisation that is inclusive and representative of all students on campus – as far as can possibly be obtained and therefore we do not feel it is necessary or appropriate for the SU to take a stance on this issue.
Trinity College prides itself on diversity, and its policies show a clear desire to make students from all moral, cultural or religious backgrounds feel at home within our college community. Trinity’s five year strategic plan stresses its commitment to promoting Trinity as a place of study that seeks to encourage students from what they refer to as “non-traditional backgrounds”. This includes among others, members of the Travelling community, and those belonging to Ethnic minorities, from as diverse a range of backgrounds as Pentecostal Christians from Nigeria to Iranian Muslims. To put an issue of such great moral weight for so many people to a referendum, defies all notions of protecting and celebrating the various minorities that study here. Is it not alienating to know that the Students’ Union that purports to speak on behalf of all students is actively advocating for something that does not align with some people’s moral convictions? We must examine how such a stance will look on an international level as we look also to attract students from wide-ranging cultures. We hope that all Trinity students, regardless of their own personal views on abortion, will vote to protect individuals and allow each student to pursue what they believe to be right, without anyone feeling alienated by their Students’ Union, or feeling that their Students’ Union far from represents them.
“The Students’ Union priority should lie with issues that unite us as a student community and not with one that is so divisive and a matter of personal conscience and conviction”
We firmly believe that the Students’ Union priority should lie with issues that unite us as a student community and not with one that is so divisive and a matter of personal conscience and conviction. The Students’ Union has hugely important work to be doing; from lobbying against third level funding cuts to constantly improving the day-to-day running of our university – campaigns we can all get behind.
The ‘yes’ campaign talks about trust. We trust all students. We trust all students to respond to matters that bear huge weight in a way that resonates with their convictions of their heart and the judgment of their intellect. We trust students to vote that the Students’ Union focus on issues that strengthen the cords of our community, not divides us. We trust students to vote to protect minorities and not leave anyone feeling alienated by the Union that claims to represent them. We trust if you have taken the time to read this article, you will take the time to vote. Respect all views. Vote no.
