Dissenting at Hampshire: do you agree? rev. 2.0

This is the rewritten, published version of the earlier post.

Have you ever held an opinion at Hampshire and felt that you could not express it? You would be ridiculed for having such a different opinion. You are sure however, that if you went into the real world, it would not be any more outlandish than others. You are not alone.
It turns out that a number of students here have felt at one time or another that their opinions, no matter how banal, could not be given because they did not agree with the majority voice. This is particularly true with issues on which it seems the whole campus agrees with one view. People feel this way because they think that they will be verbally assaulted for disagreeing. In Hampshire tradition, though, it is important to have dialog and to learn for yourself. Do not blindly accept what people tell you, but do your own research and make your own view. Moreover, express that view. Mind you, there are some students here who do not think that it is difficult to express themselves in any way. If you are of these people, give the other side a chance every once in a while. Your opposer does not have quite the temerity as you. He or she is scared of negative response.
If there are enough people who feel that they can not express their opinions, there may also be many people who agree with them. A minority of one sucks, but when you start to have people agreeing with you, even if it is just one more, you can feel much more comfortable expressing yourself. The problem is that you can not know whether others agree unless you go out on a limb and express your opinions. It can be terrifying.
You may have guessed that this piece is actually a front for writing about Gaza. This is true, but it applies in all cases. I am going to go out on a limb and let you know what I think. I think this recent conflict in Gaza was just what Hamas wanted. Hamas is a terrorist organization that controls the “government” of Gaza. It seems that they are more bent on the destruction Israel than supplying the people that they represent (the Palestinians) with much needed social services or infrastructure. They poked Israel in the ribs for a very long time by shooting rockets at her. Each individual rocket did not do much damage, but they added up. Over the last eight years, the Israeli city of Sderot has borne the brunt of these attacks. While less than 20 people have been murdered in this way, hundreds have been injured, requiring hospitalization. Infrastructure has been destroyed. Children have not been able to play outdoors because of their parents' well-justified fear. This conflict was antagonized by Hamas. It then comes as no surprise to me when Israel finally retaliated and did so with “disproportionate response.” Hamas wanted the world community to catch Israel in the act. The problem here is that Israel does not care about world opinion very much. Not only did Israel retaliate, but polls indicate that around 80% of Israelis approved of the conflict. To me their frustration is understandable.
Before you call me cold and heartless, please know that I do feel for the Palestinians. The situation is difficult. There is a historical context that must be considered, and there are not only two sides to the issue; it is multi-faceted. I do not think that one side is right and the other wrong. I know that there have been faults on both sides. There you go, I did it. I gave a minority opinion. It is your turn. If you disagree with anything on campus, do your research, and tell others. Speak up, speak out.

Resources for further information:
www.warincontext.org
www.fair.org