Thursday, September 08, 2005
Requisite protest
Why not protest?
Some 100 students gathered on Sproul Plaza yesterday to protest what they said was the university's lack of concrete aid toward victims of Hurricane Katrina.
You know, though helping folks feels good, the university has a rather specific obligation, and it can't just drop it because something bad occurred somewhere. So the university can't all of a sudden start hurling huge sums of money to aid, or providing expensive services for free, or the like.
"(The administration) needs to recognize that this is a long-term project. They're only allowing for a semester when we all know that it'll take at least 60 to 80 days to drain. It's not enough," said graduate student LaToya Beck. "The administration should offer long-term accommodation, because if they don't, it'll be like the students are displaced all over again."
Hell, it'll be exactly the same. Well, minus the whole "run for your life" part. And minus the whole "only a few days notice" part. And plus the whole "functioning governmental infrastructure" part. But otherwise, it's just as bad.
Protesters also demanded administrators waive all tuition fees for displaced students. Officials said since the the students are studying on "visiting" status, they are charged for fees through their home institutions and UC Berkeley is not collecting any fees from them.
Nice job, guys. Nice job. While you're at it, why don't you demand that the university not send broomstick rapists after these refugees?
Protesters also drafted a list of demands, including giving academic credit to UC Berkeley students who plan on traveling to New Orleans to aid the relief effort.
The good news is that for real majors, 'academic credit' is meaningless. Still, shouldn't academic credit have to do with... you know... academics?
"UC needs to do more than take in a token handful of students," said Derek Wright, a member of the International Socialist Organization and an employee of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. "It's just an empty gesture."
Well, I guess they could've done absolutely nothing. Would that have been better? What would you suggest, besides changing the country into a socialist paradise?
Protesters also criticized what they said was the media's racist portrayal of the hurricane's aftermath.
"The depiction of black residents as looters, especially as whites are depicted as doing what they need to do to survive, is really ridiculous," Beck said.
Whoa, I thought this was a UC protest. Way to spread the love. By the way, it turns out that the folks labelled as 'looters' were actually looting, while the folks labelled as 'finders' were actually finding. (Snopes)
. . .
|
. . .
|
