In what was otherwise a very good election night for activists of the left, gay rights took a pretty heavy drubbing. Arkansas voters barred gay couples from adopting children. Both Florida and Arizona amended their constitutions to state that marriage is between a man and a woman. In California, voters bestowed chickens with more rights while they eliminated same-sex marriages via constitutional amendment.
The South may not be known for its progressive politics, but Nashville now finds itself home to a growing number of coalitions and activist groups devoted to breaking down barriers of race and class in order to make Tennessee a better place for everybody.
"Everyone who participated and watched yesterday and throughout this long election journey has to be proud of America and its constitutional system." - Nick Zeppos, Chancellor
Outside the Vanderbubble, Nashville is a diverse and cosmopolitan place. The city surrounding us boasts a huge immigrant population, and many of these are political refugees. One particularly significant group, especially considering the current Iraq War, is the local Kurdish population.
Students interested in international justice should take a close look at the work of the Vanderbilt chapter of Amnesty International. As a local chapter of the global human rights movement, Amnesty has made a name for itself on campus by coordinating international and local advocacy projects.
