Human rights student researcher reflects on meeting with Senator Patty Murray

When I first heard that UW Bothell’s D.C. Human Rights Seminar would be held virtually this year, I couldn’t help but be disappointed and worried. The seminar would have been a week-long trip to Washington D.C., where we get to meet with several federal bodies and think tanks to research human rights cases. But can these types of conversations still be possible if these meetings are all virtual instead? I was worried that without this in-person connection, conversations about human rights would be detached and disjointed, something that shouldn’t happen when it comes to this topic.

But this ended up being far from true. Everyone involved in the program worked hard to adapt to these changes and turned this virtual experience into an inspiring and memorable one.

One of the people who rose up to the challenge was U.S. Senator Patty Murray. Although she was unable to meet with us during the seminar week of September 14th, we still had the opportunity to chat with her and a few of her policy staffers on December 7th.

Our conversation began with my cohort members asking her stances on a wide range of topics, such as deforestation occurring in the Amazon, U.S. arms sales in Saudi Arabia, and the Migrant Protection Protocol. I was amazed by Senator Murray’s thoughtful responses. Her first, utmost goal is to have BIPOC voices be in the center of these conversations, making sure the people affected are given the dignity and respect they deserve. Senator Murray didn’t just talk about her stances on the issues but also the actions she took in the past that backed them up, such as voting for the Joint Resolution to direct President Trump to remove United States Armed Forces from Yemen.

Our meeting unfortunately ended shortly when the senator had to leave to attend another meeting. She told us she was disappointed that she wasn’t able to meet with us longer to learn more about what we were all researching. I was honestly surprised we had this opportunity to talk with our senator in the first place. She was stationed in D.C. at the time of our meeting and was also juggling the transitions between administrations while being in the middle of a Congressional Session. And yet, Senator Murray took the time out of an already busy week to meet with all of us to discuss the different human rights violations occurring around the world.

Not only was our meeting with the senator memorable, but the staffers who also joined our conversation had incredible perspectives to consider. I could tell that Senator Murray truly valued having a diverse and thoughtful workplace as seen through her staff. Seeing them all working together to spread the message on the importance of human rights to the American people is riveting.

Human rights research can be, at times, discouraging and saddening. When you meet political figures who don’t see these issues as important as they are, it can make activism seem to be even more of a daunting fight. But there are still people out there who truly care. Seeing Senator Murray’s authenticity in her beliefs to help everyone beyond the state she represents inspires me to continue the fight to make sure all marginalized voices will be heard.

Alyssa Nguyen is a senior in Law, Economics & Public Policy