The Iowa State legal system failed the student body this past week by delivering harsh sanctions on eight, well-respected student leaders through an unjust justice system.

The next obvious resource for students to seek support is the Government of the Student Body. After all, they are students just like the rest of us, and therefore, they represent us as students. Right? Well, think again.

Wednesday night, the GSB Senate failed to fulfill its most important function — to represent the student body of this university.

Our GSB senators failed to do this by voting against debating a resolution called “Free Speech and Fair Punishment.” It was a resolution to show support for The September 29th Movement and its drive for justice.

Two members of The Movement are also GSB senators — Milton McGriff and Allan Nosworthy.

Each received a sanction of conduct probation for their involvement in a Nov. 5 non-violent protest in Beardshear Hall. This means they must give up their senatorial positions and any other leadership positions they hold in registered campus organizations.

These senators have had a positive impact on this university and have shown they are individuals concerned about the welfare of the students. This is often more than can be said about the rest of GSB in the last two years.

How can our student government represent all of the Iowa State student body when it fails to support its own?

By not considering the resolution when it was first introduced, our senators showed us they are too fearful and too weak to handle discussions about important issues that affect Iowa State students.

They showed us they are too worried about image to care about the rest of the Iowa State student body.

This includes supporting the six other members of The September 29th Movement who were given sanctions: Meron Wondwosen, president of the Black Student Alliance; Theresa Thomas, president of the Asian-American Pacific Awareness Coalition; and Taiyon Coleman, Kel Munger, Eric Imerman and A.D. Selha, who are members of The Movement.

Lastly, by not supporting the members of The September 29th Movement — regardless of their feelings about the name of Catt Hall — senators told us there were more important things on their agendas Wednesday night than representing the Iowa State student body.

But we ask this: What could have been more important than talking about — at the very least — the most prominent campus issue? What could be more appropriate for the Senate to do?

Issues of justice, issues of racism, issues of diversity — issues that already have been brought to the forefront of discussion by The Movement — have been handled poorly by the Senate.

Members of GSB are expected to serve the students of this university. Senators didn’t do that Wednesday.

If the Senate wants to represent Iowa State, it must keep in mind what is right and what is best for the students of this university.

What would have been best for Iowa State students Wednesday would have been some healthy discussion between our student leaders.