Student Spotlight: Jessica Costescu
Democracy Dies in Groupthink; Speak up and Join the Debate
“Instead of viewing the United States as the land of opportunity, many would rather see it as a flawed country that rewards inequality.”
“Too many people have sacrificed their lives for the freedom that American citizens enjoy. It would be a shame for conservative college students to take that for granted by refusing to engage in debate.”
Jessica Costescu
Major: International Politics, Concentration: Foreign Policy
School: Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service
In a College Fix op ed, you write about how communism is alive and well among your college peers. Why do you think this ideology has taken root on American campuses?
I think communism has taken root on American campuses because of the true privilege American citizens take every day for granted: living in the freest nation in the world. Instead of viewing the United States as the land of opportunity, many would rather see it as a flawed country that rewards inequality. Without a free market, American society would have gone no farther than any other communist country in terms of innovation, values, and liberty.
Are college students being taught to hate American values like free market capitalism and freedom of speech? How can we reverse this indoctrination?
Progressives have dedicated decades to perfecting a well-oiled propaganda machine. It has gone by unnoticed for too long, but the agenda is crystal clear: Make young adults hate America so legislators can pass more and more radical bills. To reverse this indoctrination, freedom-loving conservatives must become more involved in the education system and hopefully reverse the significant damage already done.
You previously wrote, “The ability to speak freely and without fear is worth dying for…” What advice do you have for students who are afraid to voice conservative opinions in the classroom?
Every conservative student has a renowned duty to speak his or her mind in the classroom. Unfortunately, when even one conservative student conforms publicly to misguided expectations of what a college student should be, others shy away and are less likely to speak up. Someone else in the classroom might have the same opinion, but without ever voicing it, they will continue to feel isolated. Mainstream ideas will appear to be ultimate when there is no opportunity for discourse. Too many people have sacrificed their lives for the freedom that American citizens enjoy. It would be a shame for conservative college students to take that for granted by refusing to engage in debate. Democracy dies in groupthink, so even standing alone means there is still hope.
You have referred to a “mob mentality” at Georgetown. Who does the mob consist of and who are their targets?
Like other higher education institutions, the mob at Georgetown University consists primarily of left-leaning students who view anyone with an opposing view as racist or homophobic. While the personal attacks are almost always unfounded, that makes no difference to the students who felt “unsafe” or felt personally “attacked.” Victimhood provides a cover for canceling students that dare speak out. Sometimes faculty members engage in similar behavior, but socially progressive students are usually the ringleaders. There are no consequences for engaging in mob mentality, nor does the university genuinely care about making campus a safe learning environment for all.
What or who do you think has allowed this mob mentality to flourish and go unchecked on campus?
Mob mentality has flourished and gone unchecked for so long because of the erosion of the First Amendment. Instead of recognizing that others might have different but still valuable opinions, viewpoints that don’t conform with woke doctrine are categorized as “hate speech.” Concurrently, the stronger the mob gets, the more difficult it becomes for any opposition to be heard because of possible repercussions. Threats to safety, mental well-being, and isolation are just some punishments leftist students often resort to.
As chapter president of Network of Enlightened Women (NeW) at Georgetown, why should women specifically be concerned about protecting their freedom of speech?
Women, in particular, should be concerned about protecting their freedom of speech because the modern feminist movement has been corrupted by leftist academia to favor policies promulgated by liberal women while refusing to acknowledge the viewpoints, let alone existence, of conservative women. The latter are often dismissed as holding outdated beliefs and being unwilling to change. As a result, conservative women have stood by while liberal women have unfairly spoken for the entirety. We must finally speak up for ourselves, reject the modern feminist movement, and embrace our God-given rights. It is up to us to decide what we stand for, so we must be clear about it and show that we are here to stay.
