Letters to the Editor | Killer Coke campaign leaves many students flat

I’ll admit it: I love Coca-Cola. In fact, I would say that I drink it almost every day. I would even be willing to say that a substantial percentage of this campus drinks either Coca-Cola or a Coca-Cola product almost every day, and with good reason. It’s tasty, it complements almost any meal, and, as far as I’m concerned, it tastes much better than Pepsi.

So, if you are a concerned Coca-Cola drinker like I am, you have undoubtedly noticed the rather aggressive campaigning against Coke brought to you by the outspoken students of Killer Coke. Killer Coke’s message, from what I have gathered, is that the Coca-Cola corporation, due to its alleged involvement in various atrocities, from water pollution in India to hiring paramilitary strikebreakers in Colombia to downright dishonest tax evasion, must no longer be supported by the Vassar community, and therefore should be banned from campus as part of a global effort to “kick Coke.” Killer Coke has certainly done a great job of getting this message across to the Vassar community: They have a table in the College Center. They post anti-Coke stickers everywhere, including school property. They bring in guest speakers from the national Killer Coke campaign. All in all, Killer Coke has done everything in its power to change our minds about drinking Coke.

Do I have a problem with Killer Coke’s opposition to Coca-Cola? Of course not; being able to voice your opinion in an understanding community like Vassar is a rarity that should be exercised whenever possible. I do have a problem, however, with the assumption that, because Killer Coke has chosen this particular issue out of many worthy causes to get behind, we all must stop drinking Coke on campus. Furthermore, I have a major problem with the idea that a petition from a few hundred students can somehow speak for the entire campus on this issue; does this not affect all of us? I am sure that almost everyone at Vassar has consumed one or more Coke products since coming here, and
if not, we can all admit to having a favorite brand name we may be hesitant to give up.

It does not seem right that everyone’s ability to drink Coke or any other product can be restricted because a few students have decided to boycott it. In this respect, I think that the Killer Coke campaign is taking a misguided step in an otherwise legitimate crusade. The scope of this campaign, however, need not extend beyond what they have already been doing; I’m referring to the “educational” aspect of this campaign as opposed to their ultimate goal of a forced boycott. If Killer Coke is able to take Coke away from all of us, will we each have conscientiously made the decision that we no longer support Coke? Furthermore, will most of us stop buying Coke because we support this cause, or because we have been inconvenienced by restricted access to drinking Coke? Can we really call this effective political activism if the task of convincing the campus that this is a just cause is stopped at a few hundred people?

I am not here to defend Coca-Cola as a corporation. I do believe, however, that we must all choose our battles, and that no one should be able to say that we must support one cause against our wishes and own lifestyle choices. If those who oppose Coca-Cola as a business wish to stop drinking it, then that is certainly their choice. I, on the other hand, would like to be able to drink a Coke, knowing that this student body has let all voices be heard and that those who do not support this cause are not crowded out.

—Frank Guenthner ’10