Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Big student-relevant news!!!
If you care about such things, you might be interested in a Daily Planet article about those protesters who just got convicted. They're circulating a letter for a full-page ad, and have already gotten support from such greats as Peter Camejo, Howard Zinn, and Noam Chomsky. (also known as blowhards A, B, and C respectively)
Snehal: "The fact of the matter is that the students were right, and this speaks a lot to how this trial is being used as a cover."
Fact, is it? Bad times for those moral relativsts out there. The students were right. It's a fact. Really.
Here's their statement.
"On Tuesday, October 14, three University of California, Berkeley students, Rachel Odes, Michael Smith and Snehal Shingavi, were convicted in absentia of "disturbing the peace" by a university disciplinary panel for their role in a March 20, 2003 anti-war sit-in."
Note that they were convicted "in absentia" with no mention of the fact that they actually "in absentia"-ed themselves by storming out.
"On that day, 4,000 Berkeley students..."
Bwahahaha! Yeah, right. Here's the story, which doesn't include a crowd estimate. I do remember that protest, though, and Sproul plaza wasn't even close to packed. 400 is closer to the truth.
"Compounding matters, the UC Berkeley administration has made a mockery of due process rights. It has stacked the deck by assigning full-time administrators to prosecute the students, while assigning only two unpaid and inexperienced student advocates to the defense."
Don't screw with people with better lawyers than you. And they didn't even think about how they'll hurt the SA office's feelings.
"If the conviction against these three prominent activists in the Berkeley Stop the War coalition stands, it will chill free speech at UC Berkeley."
Free speech has been pretty stupid lately. Free speech is supposed to be cool. I think this is a good direction.
"The third student, Rachel Odes, never even received a letter. University policy clearly states that defendants must be notified at least 10 days in advance of the hearing. When this fact was brought to his attention, disciplinary hearing committee chair physics professor Robert Jacobsen told Odes that "since her friends told her about it, she only lost a day or two.""
Another obviously inaccurate statement. If Robert Jacobsen was telling Odes that, it would've read something like "since your friends told you about it, you only lost a day or two."
"As the defendants attempted to plead their case, the Jacobsen interrupted them, held up his finger like an umpire and said, "that's one!" When the defendants continued, he continued, "that two!""
Were you speaking out of turn? There is a procedure for such things, which they seem quite willing to quote when it might mean the university was out of order, but then they just toss it out the window when it becomes inconvenient for them. You know, becaue they're fighting for something which supercedes the rules.
Here are their summary points:
"We believe that Berkeley is violating these students' right to due process."
You believe that your protests have an impact, too. Shows what you know.
"We do not understand why a reasonable delay in the hearing could not be granted."
We do not understand why occupying a building is supposed to protest a war.
"We protest the decision to convict them in absentia."
If you don't want to be convicted in absentia, don't leave, dumbasses.
"We call on UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Berdahl and Dean of Students Karen Kenney to step into this process and cancel the October 28 sentencing hearing."
Yeah, that'll work. Berdahl is always willing to step in on these matters. Isn't Kenney the one who does the sentencing anyway? Why not just call on her not to sentence them?
"We demand that a new hearing date be set, on a date mutually agreeable to both parties that respects the students' right to organize an adequate defense."
Do-overs!
"The Bush Administration has carried out an unprecedented attack on civil liberties in this country over the last two years. The UC Berkeley administration has a special duty to ensure that its academic community stands as a beacon of light for hard-won legal protections for which so many generations have fought."
Woo! Way to tie in related topics! Actually, the UC Berkeley administration has a special duty to ensure that the academic community can do that academic thing free from distractions such as building occupations.
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