Political Intolerance

Phase 1: All Fun And Games
   Last week there was a rally at Davis. In fact I think there were several. People may have even gotten arrested. However, they were all overshadowed by something a small group of the Davis College Republicans ("DCR") did.
   DCR held an "illegal-immigration" themed game of tag. One side played the INS, and the other played the unlawful immigrants. Team INS had to play with their hands behind their back, and every ten minutes all captured illegal immigrants were granted amnesty and set free.
   As far as I'm concerned, this seems to be a completely ligitimate and create way to express the policy viewpoint that the organizers have, ie that the INS is unable to do their job because they have their "hands tied" in various ways and the periodic amnesties make stemming the tide especially hopeless (in their opinion). Its a policy viewpoint and whether or not one agrees with it, its not crazy.
   However, liberals on campus just about had a kineption, declaring the event "unaccptable." This, ironically, gave the event more publicity previous to the rallies, more press coverage during the rallies, and a lot more press coverage following the rallies, than the rallies themselves.


Phase 2: An ASUCD Inquisition
   Now it just so happened that one Pete Markovich participated with the Republicans in the rally. Markovich, however, is the Chair of the ASUCD Academic Affairs Commission, and in ASUCD, you practice political expression at your own risk. For his participation in the DCR event, Markovich has been called before a Senate closed hearing at today's meeting.
   Organizers of the witch-hunt (which appears to be Andrew Peake and Molly Fluet) initially publicly said at last weeks Senate meeting that they were going to attempt to fire Markovich, but are now apparently considering pushing for a censure instead, which would be easier to get (as it wouldn't entail losing a good commission chair). Additionally, the procedures in the bylaws for censure call for a closed session significantly WITHOUT the defendant having the right to an open session that removal allows. Considering that so many people have expressed an interest in coming to this meeting (There is of course an "I Support Pete" facebook group) that the meeting has been moved to Freeborn auditorium the Coffee House (6pm). (as of 12:26pm the day of)
   Also in the bylaws for censure are several problems -- such as that the procedure currently only applies to elected officials (ie the P/VP & Senators), not appointed Commission Chairs; AND notification of a defendant that he's being considered for censure must be done two days prior to the meeting -- something that was not done. The Senate will have to suspend the bylaws in order to burn Markovich at the stake in this manner. They have, however, covered their bases by initiating the normal removal procedures against him.
   Incidentally, because it occured to them that a public censure was a bit like publicizing a personnel issue, they decided to opt for "rei censure" (as opposed to the other centure in the bylaws, "personae censure"), which focuses on the action rather than the personality of the person. Aside from the fact that I don't think this clears the taboo of publicizing evaluations of personnel's actions, I think they made it up!! -- despite searching the depths of the internets I could not find a single reference to censures being divided into "rei" and "personae."

   Furthermore, as the legendary Igor Birman, Esq, notes:

   ...California Labor Code Section 1101 prohibits employers from controlling, directing, or tending to direct, the political activities of its employees. Labor Code Section 1102 prohibits employers from firing, or threatening to fire, their employees in order to coerce them into following, or refraining from following, any particular course or line of political actions or political activity.
   Furthermore, in a 1979 landmark decision, the California Supreme Court held that these code
sections "serve to protect the 'fundamental right of employees in general to engage in political activity without interference from employers.'" Gay Law Students Assn. v. Pacific Tel. & Tel. Co., 24 Cal.3d 458, 487 (1979).
   [Senate] actions to interfere with the course of Mr. Markevich’s employment, whether by dismissal, other sanction or even by commencing proceedings to discuss sanctions would be in gross violation of state labor laws, as well as Federal Civil Rights statutes. As such, [these] actions would open ASUCD to state and federal litigation and corresponding penalties. ...

   And other than the legal issues, for my part I think those who are pushing to persecute Markovich for his views at best lack a functional ethical-compass.

In More Warm & Fuzzy News

In more warm and fuzzy news...
   We currently have five young chickens (well plus a cat named Pelekea Cachaça, & a goldfish named Leviathan that lives in a flowerpot). Mother, who is a science teacher at a local jewish school, raised them from eggs in class. Now that they are older, however, they spend most of their time here and only make periodic fieldtrips to class.
   The chickies (four light yellow, one brown, no names yet) have more personality than I expected. The other day the escaped from corner of the yard mother had attempted to restrict them to. I didn't know whether or not mother had intended for them to be out and about but they seemed fine so I let them wander the yard. They spent the whole day roaming my yard in a little herd.
   At one point the cat was sitting in the very middle of them, I think because it made her feel sociable the same way being in the room the people are is appealing. Then the brown one charged at her and she ran away! Later the cat saw some grass rustling and started stalking.. then she ran and pounced and -- mid pounce realized it was not some lizard but an adolescent chicken, and aborted mid-air!
   Also often when I'd come out to check on them I'd stop about ten feet away, and one (I don't know if its the same one) will walk up to me, stop at my feet and look up at me, and then rejoin the others.


   Its not all fun and games though. Originally there were four. Unfortunately, when they were wee, a hawk landed on their cage and mauled one through the cage, killing it. Later, despite upgraded cage protection, the possum managed cart off one entirely and injure the remaining two. If there are two possums, which has been debated from the start, I think the other one should be consequently named Grendel. Also, Kristy is quite cross with the possum because of this. So as not to traumatize the children, mother got four new chicks of about the same age. One later died of a unknown causes (possibly dehydration/heat exhaustion, though water and shade were both available and the others were fine?) leaving the current five.


   As you may recall I'd previously announced we'd come into possession of some wee baby bunnies. Quick research revealed that at such a young age these bunnies would need very extensive care and were "unlikely to survive without professional assistance," and so after looking after them for maybe an hour and a half I found an animal shelter to take care of them.


Best Weekend Ever!
   This weekend is going to be the excellent.
   Firstly, tomorrow, Friday, is the official Krispalooza 2007. My birthday is actually on Monday, whereupon I turn 25. )= But as long as I'm still officially an early-twenty-something, we're all going out on Friday! Plan is BJ's (microbrewery) in Laguna Beach Hills at 8:30, then Hennessey's (pub), also in LB. Already it looks like a bunch of people can make it so its going to be a rollicking good time! You should come.
   Saturday Kristy & I are going to the Phi Alpha Delta of UC San Diego formal. For $30/person we get a five course meal, open bar for an hour, of course a dj, AND, its at Sea World! We're excited.
   Sunday as part of my birthday present, Kristy bought us tickets on a nature cruise to the Coronado Islands. We're excited!!
   And then on Monday I turn 25, aka life is over. )=