A Letter to Debaters

Guest Writer Aditi Singh | 4 min read

Dear debate community,

Participating in Speech and Debate once brought me great pride and joy, and today, watching the next generation of competitors continue to succeed affords me great hope for our future. As I judge debate rounds and speak with aspiring state and national-level competitors, I see a cohort of students truly engaged in unraveling the great political and moral questions of the 21st century.

A natural yet undoubtedly horrific consequence of such engagement, however, is what American political philosopher Cornel West refers to as paternalistic nihilism, the notion that despite recognizing the tragedy of the world around us, we do nothing because we believe this is simply the best we can expect. As we are constantly bombarded by sensationalist headlines and seemingly endless executive orders, each day where tragedy is even marginally less terrible than we expect, we breathe a sigh of relief. However, the foundation of our democracy rests upon a willingness to aspire towards a better future. In eradicating hope, nihilism quashes this possibility. Radical hope is terrifying, partially because you are bound to fail– after all, an idealized world feels nearly impossible to achieve. In response to this, I argue that freedom from every oppression seems impossible until it actually occurs; our theorization of freedom is what causes the impossible to become a reality. 

My primary request to the debate community is this: You are some of the most well-informed, well-spoken high school students across the country. You participate in an activity that regularly forces you to critically think, theorize about morality, and develop invaluable research skills. In this moment, our society cannot afford for you to stay silent. Your devastation and learned apathy is understandable, but it does not excuse a lack of action. Use the knowledge, leadership, and critical thinking debate has equipped you with to mobilize the communities you are part of. 

I understand that, as high school students, your capacity for advocacy may feel limited, but remember that activism can take a multitude of forms– just because you cannot march with protestors on the street does not mean you are incapable of producing change. From scholarship surrounding poetry as a form of revolution to passionate local advocacy urging us to read banned books, engaging in literature is inherently political. Leading fundraisers to donate to the fight against human rights atrocities, running email campaigns to urge local politicians to create change, and speaking out against powerful institutions are fundamentally activist causes.

Immerse yourself in a culture of radical hope, and establish communities of scholarship that enable you to theorize legitimate freedom and democracy. Begin an organization at your school that examines speculative literature or learns about feminism or tackles myths about environmentalism. Intentionally diversify your news outlets to prevent adopting western-centric narratives. Invest time in the education of both yourself and your peers. You are more than the leaders of tomorrow– you are the changemakers of today.