Kids, kids, Kids
1. MAYBE if you are thoughtful, protestors detained in the recent protests at the UW Interdisciplinary Engineering Building MAY be able to negotiate some way to stay off campus and still finish classes. RantWoman has no opinion beyond that, or rather RantWoman has opinions that probably everyone is going to find problematic. More on that shortly.
2. Some or all of you are likely to face criminal charges. RantWman is not a lawyer and is not going to comment about that beyond the observation that there are plenty of voices demanding criminal consequences.
3. It is never a bad day to condemn the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. There have been abundant opportunities to do that for decades, since long before October7. Again, more on RantWoman's thinking, the role of the academy, job hunting, conscience and more separately..
Now back up a few steps.
Y'all have again aroused eruptions from Protest Curmudgeon. Protest Curmudgeon, aka RantWoman is old enough to be your mother and probably in some cases your grandmother. RantWoman is not up on every detail of student movements at protests at the University of WA, but back in the mists of last century, RantWoman graduated from college on disciplinary probation because of a protest about South Africa. RantWoman is probably taking some risks by putting together all of the comments below; RantWoman hopes the risks are worthwhile.
Say it loud. Say it again.Any day would be an excellent day to keep speaking out loudly and clearly about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. A really clear ask, needed for decades. A clear ask of whoever might make a difference is It's not just that 2 million people starving to death under Israeli watch seems to RantWoman VERY unlikely to lessen the level of anti-semitism in the world. RantWoman also does not understand how chasing campus anti-semitism is supposed to help when the ones braying most loudly are also sitting down to dinner with holocaust deniers and avowed white separatists. RantWoman can though agree that lots of people on many sides of Middle East conflicts are making piles of money in the arms business.
Next, we take massive property damage at a building called the "Interdisciplinary Engineering Building." As someone who spends a lot of time reminding engineers why humanities classes are good for everyone and redefining the scope of projects, the very idea of an Interdisciplinary Engineering Building sounds awesom to RantWoman. In fact, RantWoman has contributed as a community member to a number of different computer-science and transportation related projects at the UW I school. So RantWoman, is definitely not charmbed by the scale of property damage seriously.and definitely does not think the current presidential administration is likely to offer anything good for what RantWoman considers extremely valuable and constructive projects.
RantWoman can imagine--but has NO INTENTION of penning--a manifesto about "Look at this mess! Does it remind you of any place, like say GAZA? Do you want to live in Gaza? Do you want to turn the whole campus into Gaza? How about we find a way to talk and do better?"
RantWoman is NOT volunteering to write any manifesto, butwhat to do? In the current humanitarian crisis, people are likely to starve to death in Gaza long before either Boeing or the U of WA respond to absolutist demands. But people can and should demand an end to the two-month total humanitarian blockade of Gaza. So, say it loud. Say it whenever and whereever you can, End the Total humanitarian blockade of Gaza.
Next, we have numbers. To some extent, RantWoman empathizes with people who just want to study and get a good job." But in the case of the college sit-in RantWoman knows best two things matter. The sit-in happened against a background of more than half the entire campus, undergrads and graduate students signing a petition calling on the university to divest from companies doing business in South Africa. The sit-in RantWoman's senior year was one of several from previous years.
The sit-in RantWoman's senior year was not exactly because of something new about South Africa. The sit-in happened because, after the umpteenth divestment resolution was turned down in the Board of Trustees, the President of the University said something in the campus paper about closing discussion. The campaign asked the President to find a way to restate whatever he meant to say. He said he was misquoted and would not correct that quote out of fear that in the future people go after him about anything that he said that got printed in the campus paper..
Before RantWoman's college sit-in one person involved in the campus campaign called RantWoman to say he supported the demonstration but did not feel able to participate out of concern not to endanger his commissioning due from his ROTC scholarship. That person has probably long retired. If he hadn't, he is the "wrong" color and at risk of being insultingly labelled "#DEIHire,"by a graduate of the same institution now working beyond his depth in the current administration.
The actual demonstration took place during finals week, at the best-known administration building, an edifice that briefly served as the nation's capital. The plan was just to blockade all the doors and not let anyone in until the university divested of its holdings in companies that do business in South Africa.. RantWoman imagines there may have been some chalk art but no other property damage. Also, little impediment to people needing to get around most of the campus.
The university did not of course immediately divest. Instead, 89 students, 49 seniors, out of a total campus of 4800 plus or minus were detained by campus police, delivered to the local police station, processed and sent home facing two charges. RantWoman had a final the afternoon of the sit-in and considers herself VERY fortunate to have gotten processed in time to go home, have lunch and then go to her final.
The sit-in got a lot of publicity including interest from lawyers who offered both legal help and suggestions. One lawyer suggested just having everyone plead guilty. RantWoman was part of the not guilty caucus who thought it was dishonest to plead guilty if one does not feel guilty. That stance let to a group conversation with a local firm. By that time, the protestors had already asked the university to drop charges against anyone who might have visa problems. The firm suggested that protestors could ask that for everyone. That team also noted that no one had any intention of suing the university, that the protest was about South Africa.
Happy ending sort of.
All criminal charges were dropped in fairly short order. At the next Board of Trustees meeting, there was an announcement of a divestment of a small holding which may just not have been doing well.
RantWoman's bottom lines:
The humanitarian crisis in #Gaza is NOW. Address that. End the humanitarian blockade. Peace in the Middle East is going to take longer, so buckle up.
Universities are vital spaces where people can come together and learn. That role must remain even when conversations get difficult.
Actions have consequences. Deal with them. Don't expect consequences to go away just because of more earnest pleas.
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