The Daily Emerald completely “forgot” to mention something that transpired during the Senate meeting on April 28. The comment made blatantly speaks to how lightly and comically the University and its students view issues of race, class, gender, sexuality and diversity.  
The Emerald didn’t report why I was not there to vote on the Taser resolution, and the manner in which this was framed has serious implications toward biased reporting on the part of the Emerald: “meaning (the resolution) likely would still have stayed on the Senate’s docket for the coming week if its sponsor, Sen. Jairo Castaneda, had not left the meeting once it stretched beyond midnight” (“Wording counts in ASUO Senate resolutions,” ODE, April 30), suggesting that I could not be troubled to stay for the duration of the meeting due to the late hour.   
The real reason I left the meeting much earlier than mentioned was not because it extended past midnight, but because of the statement that was made earlier that night.  
During a roll call vote to see whether Senate would pass a motion to fund the Women’s Club Lacrosse team for a trip to Arizona for nationals, Sen. Ben Fisher, after casting his vote, suggested to the presenters that they “don’t forget to take (their) birth certificates,” referencing the anti-immigrant, racist and oppressive Arizona Senate Bill 1070, that was currently signed by Gov. Jan Brewer and passed by the state legislature.  
For those unaware, the bill essentially gives Arizona authorities the ability to detain any individuals who are suspected of being in this country “illegally,” but it is all based upon perception, or the idea that an individual can simply “look illegal.”
After Fisher made this comment that followed with giggling, I shouted that the comment was out of order and highly disrespectful and then proceeded to walk out of the meeting with Sen. Liliana Villanueva. Sen. President Nick Gower then jokingly suggested the body try to refrain from using the floor to make side commentary, but was ultimately reluctant and unwilling to use his power and authority, despite past instances of doing so to silence
inappropriate comments.
Although Fisher later apologized and said he and Sen. Zachary Stark-MacMillan, who was also joking with Fisher and suggesting he make the comment, both opposed the bill and only meant for it to be a joke. This “joke” and many others similar to it overshadow the fact that students and the public are unaware of how detrimental comments similar to this one are to those that are affected daily. The community at the University takes too lightly comments that are sexist, racist, homophobic and patriarchal.
The point here is not to call out anyone directly but to point to the fact that students,  student representatives and the University are not being as proactive as they should when it comes to being more critically minded and inclusive. Comments like this show the lack of awareness many students possess, and further show how ill-equipped students at the University are and the institution itself is. 
While it is OK to learn from our mistakes and we are encouraged to make times like these educational moments, it is difficult for students who identify with a marginalized community to constantly hear “jokes” being made at their expense. We possibly should try to have “thick skin” in many cases, but we should also be consciously aware of what consequences our words will have and how marginalized communities have been cut, wounded and scarred by these words.
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