Statement in Support of Palestine

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

• Martin Luther King Jr., 1963

The Concerned Students of Middlebury believe that the demonstrated acts of violence occurring against Palestinians are inexcusable and represent some of the same forms of oppression that have contributed to great suffering of marginalized communities historically. State-sanctioned murder is unacceptable and the subjugation of Palestinian people not only is despicable but brings to the forefront imperative moral questions we all must grapple with: Where do we draw the line on these issues; how far will we go with our activism efforts to ensure marginalized voices are heard; what voices do we center and how do we ensure we are supporting those who need our support the most at that moment? These are all questions for us to answer for ourselves as we all try to be the best activists and allies we can be.
 While the Concerned Students of Middlebury was created to provide an avenue for making a change in the Middlebury community, we also are obligated to speak out against injustices that impact us as a global community. Injustices anywhere undoubtedly represent a threat to justice everywhere and, with that in mind, as well as our organizational values, we want to unequivocally state that we believe the liberation of Palestinians from the oppressive forces enacting violence upon innocent lives is not only something we should all desire but a necessity for the continued amelioration of our society. 
In solidarity,
CSM Executive Board