It was a bad week for the college protest movement, two college administrations demonstrated that they had an obligation to the college community at large, and not just protestors. Ohio led off with their Food Fight activists.
The student newspaper explains that various and sundry wacko groups get together and decide to mount a protest. Once the type of protest is decided upon, then each group provides input as to what issues are to be emphasized. A manifesto is drawn up, talking points arranged and demands are set.
In this instance, the Campus Chapter of the Real Food Challenge became the protest organizer and front group. They don’t like genetically engineered foods and want the University to buy locally sourced foods. But that is just the tip of the protest program, also included were United Students Against Sweatshops, and the Committee for Justice in Palestine. The United students want student jobs protected rather than going to the public sector. Anything with Palestine in its name wants death to Jews, divestment, boycott, yada, yada yada. Once you trigger the Divestment barrier that automatically brings BLM, LBGT and other bottom feeders.
This is one of the occasions where a Big Chief tablet and a #2 pencil would beat a computer with a cut and paste word processing function hands down.
Imagine, if you will, it’s two in the morning the meeting has been going on since six in the evening. There seems to be no end in sight. The night has not gone as planned, this group of people wedded to the family of ideas came together first as a concept, then a reality. And it’s true they are like a family, one that gets together once a year. This is because they discovered years ago they didn’t like each other and one day was all they could stand.
First the radical vegans threatened to walk out unless everybody in attendance followed a strict vegan menu during the meeting. The BLM crowd protested that that was just another example of whitey trying to keep the black man down and was therefore racist. The group compromised by agreeing to fast during the course of the meeting.
Next the “Stonewall Marching Society” objected to the “trans” community attempts to belittle the gay role in the Stonewall riots by claiming that drag queens were “trans” first and gay second. Teamsters local 645, comprised of Lesbian truckers, out muscled and outweighed the Stonewall Marching Society and restored order. By this time it was ten at night and work hadn’t begun on the manifesto. Every body agreed to take a break and clear the air. Unfortunately, the contingent from NORMAL, attending merely as observers broke out some kick ass skunk, the kind with the red and purple threads in the bud. The break lasted until after eleven.
Then the Fasting Agreement was broken when somebody showed up with a package of “Screaming Yellow Zonkers” to combat the munchies.
The day was saved when a volunteer displayed the following manifesto with one sentence taken from each of the concerned organizations website. The manifesto reads as follows:
The Real Food Challenge is a nationwide campaign for college campuses to commit 20% of their food budget to Real Food by 2020. The Real Food Challenge defines Real Food as local and community based, fair, humane, and ecologically sound. Black Lives Matter is an ideological and political intervention in a world where Black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise. It is an affirmation of Black folks’ contributions to this society, our humanity, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression. United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) is a grassroots organization run entirely by youth and students. are committed to collective liberation of all people. In the words of Lilla Watson: “If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” We believe that oppression does not allow anyone to be a full human being whether they materially benefit or suffer under oppressive systems. We struggle against racism, sexism, heterosexism, classism, ableism, and other forms of oppression within our society, within our organizations, and within ourselves. We strive to build relationships with other grassroots movements because we believe the student-labor solidarity movement is part of a larger struggle for global justice. CJP opposes the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine and the human rights abuses committed against the Palestinian people. Although group members may differ in ideology, we agree that the Palestinian people must ultimately be able to decide their future in Palestine; the following principles grounded in international law, human rights, and basic standards of justice are fundamental to a just resolution to the plight of the Palestinians. HRC@OSU helps educate our local community about the HRC® message by engaging in extensive events and programming with help from the GLBTQ and Ally community. We envision a national and local community where gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the OSU community.
On Wednesday, with Manifesto in hand a group of thirteen intrepid volunteers set off to present their demands to the President of the University and occupy the administration building until their demands are met.
The University pointed out that the occupation violated campus rules, state law, and protestors own stated demands for the creation of “safe zones”. University employees were feeling threatened by the students activities. By occupying the employees workspace the students had removed their “safe zone”. Therefore the thirteen would be expelled and arrested if they did not vacate the building by a set time. Bt 12:30 am the protestors left the building, on their own, hoisted on their own petard of safe zones and disjoined rhetoric. Silenced by an administration that simply said no.
Clemson Five, Arrests for Criminal Trespass
A number of Clemson students dropped a list of grievances on the University administration. When they received no reply they marched on the administration building and demanded a response. This is all well and good until you see the grievances.
I looked on the Internet for advice on how to write a grievance and this is what I found.
- keep your letter to the point. You need to give enough detail for your employer to be able to investigate your complaint properly. Going off the point can be confusing and won’t help your case
- keep to the facts. Don’t make allegations or accusations you cannot prove
- never use abusive or offensive language. You are much less likely to achieve your aim if you annoy or anger the person reading your letter
- explain how you felt about the behavior you are complaining about but don’t use emotive language.
I have written or approved over a thousand search warrant affidavits over the years. Since the goal is similar, in that the affiant is attempting to document probable cause that an event has taken place or evidence may be found at a particular place is based on facts and circumstances laid out on paper. The magistrate is “limited” to what is contained in the document before him, along with any attachments referenced. A verbal aside doesn’t make it. A statement that requires a conclusion to be drawn is not sufficient. This is no different to third grade math when the teacher said “show your work” the answer isn’t right unless you show your work.
Knowing nothing about the students, the school, the administration and any events that have occurred to this point, I read the grievances with the rules for writing grievances, stated above, in mind. I also read the grievances to see if there was sufficient information to support the grievance. It had to be contained within the “four corners of the grievances.” My comments, specific to a particular grievance will be follow the written list.
Current list of student grievances:
- We feel as though President Clements’ public statement re: The Crip’mas Party is woefully inadequate and insincere. Additionally, we feel Clemson students, particularly those members of underrepresented communities were and are targets of insensitive, ignorant, alienating and (sometimes) criminal/predatory comments on social media (i.e., Yik Yak).
- We feel that students from underrepresented groups have no place to meet and feel safe among other students who represent those groups (and allies).
- We feel student government does not represent the student body as a whole financially. Due to a lack of representation from students of a variety of backgrounds within predominant student leadership organizations, we feel that their requests for funding are overlooked when evaluated by those that allocate monies.
- We feel that the percentage of faculty of color should, at least, be comparable to the percentage of students of color.
- We feel there are several buildings that are named after individuals who were known for their prejudice against underrepresented groups and makes us feel disrespected, uncomfortable and not welcomed.
- We feel many administrators and faculty could benefit from training to be better prepared to teach and engage with students from underrepresented groups.
- We feel that Clemson does not embrace its students from underrepresented groups, which makes those students feel as though they are not part of the Clemson Family.
Response:
- The prior statement by the administration is not included or referenced. The reader has no way to gauge the sincerity or lack based on the information supplied. The underrepresented communities are unidentified, the statements are not reproduced to be judged for content and no person within the college community is identified as a culprit. There is no information to indicate that the University condones or supports the behavior complained about in the grievance. No specific instances of offensive behavior are described or included. Unsubstantiated.
- What constitutes a safe place? What locations have been tried and found lacking? Why were they lacking? How is the University responsible, by policy or custom in denying these students a “safe place”. Who are and how many students fit into this category. No nexus between the offensive behavior and University policy or practice is established. No specific examples are provided. Unsubstantiated.
- If this grievance is an indication of the aggrieved groups communication skills, there is a reason they are under represented. Again no particular demographic is identified. No evidence is provided to show that a group was excluded because of membership. Unsubstantiated.
- The University is committed to attracting the best faulty and staff with out regard to race, creed, color, national origin or orientation. No statistics are provided to show a disparity.Unsubstantiated.
- No building are identified. The University as an institution has been around for a long time. Building names reflect that history. It is true that some people from the University’s past have not stood the test of time well, but that does not negate the fact during their time they had a major impact on the institution. Removing a name from a building doe not change that impact.Unsubstantiated.
- Are there specific incidents where faculty or staff have interacted with the unidentified groups in a derogatory fashion? How can a diversity program be fashioned without identifying those areas where it is needed most? No specific examples of offensive behavior are identified.Unsubstantiated.
- Once again no specific examples cited.Unsubstantiated.
What a mess. One of the rules for writing a grievance; don’t use emotive language. How does each sentence begin? “We Feel“, boldface added by me. In each instance, the reader gets a sense of isolation or alienation as an underlying cause. While the expectation that the University should provide an atmosphere conducive to good fellowship and learning may be reasonable. It is not reasonable to believe that the University will be totally effective in reaching all segments of the population. That portion of the student body suffering from mental disease or defect are liable to be unhappy, no matter what the circumstances.
Modern readers oftentimes treat isolation and alienation as synonyms. That is not so. If the condition of isolation is self imposed then how does an outsider overcome that? If a group sees no value in something offered and chooses to reject it, again how does an outsider overcome that choice?
Just before he died Justice Scalia was taken to task for suggesting that many black students were suffering from “mismatch.” They were recruited to schools that were beyond their present ability. It appears that rather than to rise up to fill the gap, the effort is to drag down everybody else.
Back to Clemson, the administration responded with a three page letter, two pages two many. The grievances as submitted can not be substantiated. Most do not rise to the level of a grievance, hell they don’t rise to the level of a good whine. With unsubstantiated grievances there is absolutely no reason to address the demands. The pick up squad of bozos and their advisors could justifiably be kicked out of school for incompetence. My suggestion to the protestors if things are that bad, leave.
The end result is that the five overstayed their welcome and were issued citations for Criminal Trespass. They were so incompetent they couldn’t even get arrested. The only way this group could be more ineffectual would be if they attempted suicide and messed that up.
I was around when the Abbie Hoffman circus was on the road. I miss him. Don’t get me wrong Abbie Hoffman was a first class turd, but he had fun doing it and was entertaining to watch. This crop of revolutionaries aren’t having any fun at all.