Natalie Katz is a Jewish recent graduate from UC San Diego. She has a blog entitled, "But that's just my personal opinion", which I am linking to this site. She has sent me a posting from earlier this year, which recounts the UCSD "reaction" to the David Horowitz incident (which has been reported on this site).
http://nataliekatz.blogspot.com/2010/05/hypocrisy.html
This account supports my perception that there was a huge difference between the school's reactions to the Compton Cookout and library noose incident with that of the Horowitz incident.
In addition, Ms Katz sent this comment to Fousesquawk under the post thread; "UCI/UCSD-Is it true department":
"My name is Natalie Katz and I am the person who made the comment, to Gary Fouse, on Sunday, October 31st.
I am a former UCSD student.
I was part of a group of 9 Jewish students who met with Chancellor Marye Ann Fox, and Vice Chancellor Penny Rue to discuss the Jewish communities concerns with the campus climate. We told them how we are often made uncomfortable in class when professors make anti-Israel statements and we feel we can not speak up without jeopardizing our grade.
Penny Rue's response was that if they don't make us feel uncomfortable, they are not doing their jobs.
Given that it was a private meeting, we did not video tape. If you would like to confirm this further, I am happy to put you in touch with the other 8 students who were in attendance, as well as with our Hillel staff member.
Gary, I'm writing up my story and I will send it to you soon."
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Disparate treatment at UCSD? You be the judge.
It would take a lot more data to form a reliable of this. Let's face it, there are all kinds of legitimate challenges and illegitimate favoritism that masquerade under similar rhetoric. There are also all kinds of legitimate grievances and petty self-serving nonsense, which also masquerade under the same rhetoric, just as there are legitimate charges of racism, and thugs using race as a cover for being thugs.
ReplyDeleteIf I believed I had legitimate grievances such as are laid out by this former student, I would begin by organizing a small research group to line up facts and references on Israel, directly relevant to the classes where the teacher had made me "uncomfortable." Then, each of us would present this data or use it to frame questions at appropriate times in the class over a week or so, carefully documenting the teachers' responses.
As a result, we would either have prevailed, or reassured ourselves we were free to speak out, or we would have established a pattern of blatantly retaliatory bad grades, or somewhat lower levels of documented prejudice. Either of the latter could be the basis for formal grievances, all the way up the chain.
All of which would have come to nothing-within the hallowed halls of ivy.
ReplyDeleteGary, to give up in despair before even trying is pathetic. It is entirely possible that the hegemons of the ivied halls would turn a deaf ear, find transparent excuses for inaction, or square and cube the retaliation. That would be the basis for the next round of tactics. Its people unwilling to methodically pursue a strategy for testing their claims that I lose respect for. All they want to do is gripe, in general terms. Think of the effort required to engage in the Montgomery bus boycott for nearly two years. These people need to put some effort into making their point before I will have much respect for them. The resistance at Theresianstadt did a lot more in the face of much greater odds.
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