Friday, February 20, 2009
A few other notes
I want to address two things raised in the comments sections below. The first is that I'm not sick of the recall election. I think it's an important discussion that should be had. What I'm sick of is the fact that this discussion doesn't actually take place.
This leads me into the second thing. In two recent comments, accusations were made by anonymous commenters which would be important and worth investigating and reporting on. I am completely willing to do this. But I can't investigate on the say-so of an anonymous commenter who provides no evidence, and this is the level of accusation I'm sick of.
The people making these accusations are either shameless liars or utter cowards. I say this every year about the membership of both CalSERVE and Student Action. If you're in one of these parties, I'm talking about you, specifically. Not that "other guy" in the party you don't really interact with who seems to be some kind of keyboard warrior. I mean you. Either you're making these accusations up, or you don't want them to actually be investigated. Why not? Do you not want your name associated with it? Why would that be? I don't see anyone as being in any danger for making an accusation that's true. California is one of the safest places in the world to do so. In short, what the fuck is wrong with you people? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing when it would be so simple to take a stand against it? I'm not talking about some vague stand that won't affect some conflict a few oceans away. I mean the opportunity to make real change locally. It may not be as sexy as halting genocide, but it has the distinct advantage of being something you can actually do to promote justice.
I would love to investigate those accusations, but to do so, the people making them need to grow some balls and put some evidence forward. This can be an e-mail, a recording, a letter, pretty much anything. It can even be the credibility of the person making the accusation, in which case that person has to have the courage to identify herself. If folks don't have the ability or willingness to put together some means of announcing things, I'll do it for them. My e-mail is over there on the sidebar, and I'm always willing to expose these things publicly without cowering in fear in a corner. But publishing an unsupported anonymous accusation is not only unethical, but it's potentially illegal. So please, people. Stop being pathetic cowardly shit-feeders and start coming forward with information that can make a difference in a meaningful, responsible way.
And the reason you, person in CalSERVE/Student Action, are responsible, even if you're not making the accusations yourself, is that you have the power to stand up and denounce it when it goes on in your party. You have connections to these people, and probably know them. They're likely your friend. It's your obligation as a friend to try to convince them to speak up for justice in a manner that is itself just. Until you do, people will think less of you, and rightly so.
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