Note: Tuenti is the Spanish Facebook.
My professor cleared her throat. "I'd like," she began, "to discuss Tuenti.
"As I mentioned last class, a student recently posted death threats against me online. I've spoken with the student, and I know that this person is not really going to kill me. Nevertheless, with so many crazy people out there, that kind of behavior is dangerous.
"But what I really don't understand," she said, face tight, "is why this person threatened to kill me with the Spanish flag." Several students gasped.
"The Spanish flag is my flag. I am Spanish. It's the flag of my country, too. Right, left, or center, the flag belongs to all of us, not just one party."
A few students cheered. Some clapped. Others remained silent, faces stony.
***
The professor has always made her views fairly clear, to which I have no objection (I'd rather be aware of my professors' biases). But she does sometimes shut down opinions contrary to her own, which I find unfortunate in a class that has so much discussion potential. That said, slamming an opinion and threatening to impale someone on a flag are on two pretty different levels. It's upsetting to learn that one of my classmates is so violent.
When I think about today's events, I wonder how a country so divided can reach any sort of common understanding, and I'm not just considering Spain. Whatever candidate is elected in the US this November may not even win the popular vote, or, if he does, it will be by a slim majority. Among his supporters, how many will have supported him only because they think he is the lesser of two evils? Democrats are rooting for Obama because he's the strongest candidate despite his negative approval rating, and Republicans can't figure out which tea cup to drink from. Even within each party, no one can agree on anything.
[insert optimistic conclusion here]
