Pepper Spraying Students at UC-Davis

[eliza61]

Thats a stretch there. On one hand, you have two races of human beings being treated differently due to the color of their skin. No matter how you loot at it, that is very wrong.

On the other hand, you have college kids who have every right to go to a different college, or pay the tuition fees. They have a choice - A choice that blacks weren't even given. Does it stink that they are raising their prices? Yes. Is it their right to do it. Yes. Is it the students right to find a new school - Even go across the country if they so want? Yes. Is it illegal for them to protest on the school property? Yes. Did the police use tacticts that were a bit "harsh"? Yes. Did they need to do something? Yes.


Lets get a grip here - This isn't the 60s and no one is protesting young men dying in a war that they haven't asked to be apart of. This is people not wanting to pay the required price for their schooling.

No it's not a stretch. any time you use violence to put down a peaceful protest which I thought was supposed to be guaranteed by the constitution there is a problem. It's the same mentality. I don't like the cause you are protesting against so I'm going to use violence to quell it and label you as "hippies".

Don't spout supporting the constitution if every time some one excercises their right, you resort to violence.

So what they have the option to go to another school? What because you have an option to move some where else you give up your right to speak out against any injustice. Really? they also have the option of staying put and speaking out against what they feel are wrong doings.

Im sorry I did not know there were specific "items" you could protest. where is the list that says what is permissible.
So according to you if I'm having issues with my job, I have no reason to complain or protest because I have the choice of quitting and getting a new job?
Or if I'm a victim of housing discrimination, well no worries because I do have the option of just moving?

 

[PeterPan09]

It's not just the massive increase in tuition. That's only one piece of a much larger problem--people feel they no longer have a voice.

For years we've all just taken it- the rising costs, the shrinking salaries and lost opportunities to have a better life. They see less hope for their future than their parents had and they're frustrated. They want things to change and they're calling for it the only way they feel they can.

 

[EmmaBrault]

It's unconstitutional to regulate the content of the speech, not the time, place, and manner.

 

[DisneySarah80]

No it's not a stretch. any time you use violence to put down a peaceful protest which I thought was supposed to be guaranteed by the constitution there is a problem. It's the same mentality. I don't like the cause you are protesting against so I'm going to use violence to quell it and label you as "hippies".

Don't spout supporting the constitution if every time some one excercises their right, you resort to violence.

So what they have the option to go to another school? What because you have an option to move some where else you give up your right to speak out against any injustice. Really? they also have the option of staying put and speaking out against what they feel are wrong doings.

Im sorry I did not know there were specific "items" you could protest. where is the list that says what is permissible.

So the other day, I went to the local food store, and got some coffee. It was aweful. There were a bunch of us that didn't like it, and they refused to give us our money back, or give us a fresh cup. Should we protest?

I'm not really equating the two (it actually happened, they the food store happily gave us a new hot cup of joe), just showing that there are differences in the two things. Not allowing a black person to a seat on the bus is injustice - It was finally realized, and now anyone can sit anywhere they want on the bus. Upping prices on tuition is a school right to do. If the kids that go there don't like it, then there are other ways to go about getting their message through. It would be interesting to find out if they tried going through any other chanels, rather than protesting.

 

[tar heel]

So the other day, I went to the local food store, and got some coffee. It was aweful. There were a bunch of us that didn't like it, and they refused to give us our money back, or give us a fresh cup. Should we protest?

I'm not really equating the two (it actually happened, they the food store happily gave us a new hot cup of joe), just showing that there are differences in the two things. Not allowing a black person to a seat on the bus is injustice - It was finally realized, and now anyone can sit anywhere they want on the bus. Upping prices on tuition is a school right to do. If the kids that go there don't like it, then there are other ways to go about getting their message through. It would be interesting to find out if they tried going through any other chanels, rather than protesting.

Do you pay taxes that support the coffee shop? Yeah, I didn't think so. You're comparing apples and pineapples.

 

[DisneySarah80]

Do you pay taxes that support the coffee shop? Yeah, I didn't think so. You're comparing apples and pineapples.

Ok, so change it to the coffee shop on the campus - Where taxes are paid.... Its just a comparison to show that not all things are created equal. That no matter how much people want to deny it, there is no black and white - there are gray areas everywhere. People have to chose their battles, and when they do, they have to fight them within the rules. It was not, I repeat, NOT within the rules to protest on the campus property. Great law for the school, not so great for pissed off college students, but, it is what it is. Plain and simple. Was it the best decision on the part of the police to pepper spray them. Not at all.

 

[EmmaBrault]

Do you pay taxes that support the coffee shop? Yeah, I didn't think so. You're comparing apples and pineapples.

So if this were at a private college it would be ok to ban protests?

 

[crashbb]

My math professor teaches higher engineering math at the community college, he teaches a lot of UC Davis students, as it's cheaper to take the course at the CC than it is to take it at their regular campus.

Good luck trying to graduate with an AA from the CC. They're so over-run with students, it's nearly impossible to get registered for the classes you need. There's plenty of students that have been there longer than 4 years. Most the problem stems from them needing remedial classes, that are completely full. The new students get a later date to sign up.
The next math class up that my bf is taking (Math 90) was completely full the first day. And the first day was only "priority" students. Mostly those with an LD and a few other cases (like first one in family to college). He registered in 2005, and signed up for classes 3 days later. He was number 34 on the waitlist (34 + the 38 seats available).

It's the same thing every semester with so many students. There's a guy sitting across from me in class, also registered in 2005 just now high enough on the registration list to get into the classes he needs. It's not just my bf, but students every where waiting 3-4 years to graduate.

Clearly it isn't as hard as you are making it sound to get into classes. You just moved there (and only started at the CC very recently), yet you are in these classes.

 

[themilesfamily]

If the kids that go there don't like it, then there are other ways to go about getting their message through.

There have always been people who have chosen to get their message across through protest. The United States has a long history of protest -- from the Boston Tea Party to the civil rights marches to the Occupy (insert city here) protests to the situation at UC Davis.

I think as citizens, we should embrace this right, not be afraid of it or afraid to use it.

 

[Jennasis]

The country was founded on people protesting what they didn't feel was right. There is no matter "too small" to protest. If enough people are unhappy about something, then they have the right protest it. Be it taxes or the price of a movie ticket or skyrocketing education costs.

What I have a problem with is the reasoning behind the spray. I heard the chief of police say the problem was that officers couldn't "get around" this obvious wall of humanity. However in the video the officers are clearly stepping back and forth OVER the line of SITTING students.

The response was inappropriate and will likely cause many people to lose their jobs.

 

[undertheradar]

Don't forget that CA has the Dream Act. We are going to give illegals priority status when it comes to college. It doesn't matter if you can afford it or not, our state will reward you with free tuition. As for moving here from out of state and getting priority status over residents, only Sandra can answer how she has gotten there.

 

[tar heel]

So if this were at a private college it would be ok to ban protests?

Absolutely not.

 

[a1tinkfans]

The video on tv was very disturbing, it looked Vicious, and targeted and IMHO un-necessary.

If it was against rules, and the rules are broken, handcuff them peacefully and hall them to jail.
WHY the pepper spray to "peacefully" remove students, why incapacitate them and ask them to move...Oxymoron ...just makes NO sense to me at all.
Heads will roll......and lawsuits follow.........

 

[olwyngdh]

It's unconstitutional to regulate the content of the speech, not the time, place, and manner.

Actually, precedent says otherwise:

Hague v. C.I.O., 307 U.S. 496 (1939), the high court ruled that peaceful demonstrators may not be prosecuted for "disorderly conduct." This case also secured streets and sidewalks as public forums.

Thornhill v. Alabama, 310 U.S. 88 (1940), the Supreme Court held that orderly union picketing that informs the public of issues is protected by the constitutional freedom of speech of the press and the right of peaceable assembly and cannot be prosecuted under state loitering and picketing laws.

Edwards v. South Carolina, 372 U.S. 229 (1963), in an 8-to-1 decision, the high court overturned the breach of peace convictions of 180 black students who had peacefully marched to the state capitol to protest discrimination. The police stopped the demonstration and arrested the students because they were afraid that the 200-300 who gathered to watch the demonstration might cause a riot. The court held the state law unconstitutionally over-broad because it penalized the exercise of free speech, peaceable assembly, and the right of petition for a redress of grievances. A disorderly crowd, or the fear of one, cannot be used to stop a peaceful demonstration or cancel the right of peaceable assembly.

http://learningtogive.org/papers/paper57.html

 

[dfchelbay]

reminds me of......

It's not even in the same solar system as that.

 

[minkydog]

The video on tv was very disturbing, it looked Vicious, and targeted and IMHO un-necessary.

If it was against rules, and the rules are broken, handcuff them peacefully and hall them to jail.
WHY the pepper spray to "peacefully" remove students, why incapacitate them and ask them to move...Oxymoron ...just makes NO sense to me at all.
Heads will roll......and lawsuits follow.........

I completely agree. The video is shocking to me. All i could think of was Kent State. Are we going to have the national guard called out next?

 

[themilesfamily]

It's not even in the same solar system as that.

Looks pretty similar to me.

 

[Robindianne]

It's not even in the same solar system as that.

says you

 

[olwyngdh]

It's not even in the same solar system as that.

From the facebook postings of a friend who was on the wrong end of a firehose, she doesn't see much difference at all between the civil rights marches, the anti-war marches, and what is happening now.

 

[dfchelbay]

Looks pretty similar to me.

says you

Nope, sorry, it has nothing to do with the color of their skin...worlds apart.