UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau
This week, University of California Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau issued a statement on the Tucson shooting to the UC Berkeley community. If you think the statements by Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik were outrageous, wait until you see what Chancellor Birgeneau has to say.
http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2011/01/10/arizona/
"Dear members of our campus community:
This weekend’s shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the deaths and injuries of many others in the horrific event at Tucson, Arizona have shocked our nation. We here at UC Berkeley offer our sincere condolences to everyone who has been personally affected by this tragedy.
Such a brutal and violent attack on an individual who has devoted herself to public service is deeply regrettable. It calls upon us as an academic community to stop and ponder the climate in which such an act can be contemplated, even by a mind that is profoundly disturbed. A climate in which demonization of others goes unchallenged and hateful speech is tolerated can lead to such a tragedy. I believe that it is not a coincidence that this calamity has occurred in a state which has legislated discrimination against undocumented persons. This same mean-spirited xenophobia played a major role in the defeat of the Dream Act by legislators in Washington, leaving many exceptionally talented and deserving young people, including our own undocumented students, painfully in limbo with regard to their futures in this country.
On our own campus, and throughout all the campuses of the University of California, we must continue to work toward a climate of equity and inclusion for all. We must be vigilant to condemn hate speech and acts of vandalism on our campuses by those wanting to promote enmity. We must work to support dialogue about our differences and eschew expressions of demonization of others, including virulent attacks on Israel, anti-Muslim graffiti, racism towards African-Americans, Chicano/Latinos and other underrepresented minority groups, and homophobic acts. Continuing to support our principles of community will ensure a better and safer campus. We must do this now so that our students, as future leaders of this great country, will continue to set the standard for a better and safer nation."
Robert J. Birgeneau
Chancellor, UC Berkeley
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What is this man talking about?
First of all, this shooting had absolutely nothing to do with racism-against anybody, Hispanics, undocumented persons, African-Americans, Muslims or gays. This has nothing to do with the DREAM Act. It has nothing to do with "underrepresented minorities". The victims were all white people. The principle victim, Gabrielle Giffords, is Jewish, but it is premature to assign anti-Semitism to her shooting. At this point, it appears that xenophobia has nothing to do with this incident. The only reason for this tragedy seems to be the mental illness of the shooter.
What is this man talking about?
The letter is dated January 10, two days after the shooting. It apparently filtered its way down to the UC-Irvine campus, where I teach today. One would hope that in the last four days, Chancellor Birgeneau may have re-considered this ridiculous statement. It is outrageous to assign this incident to the causes that Birgeneau implies.
This is the kind of reaction we can expect from the academic community. It is right in line with the MSNBC way of thinking. God only knows what statements are coming out of all the other university presidents and chancellors around the nation. This also represents another reason why the University of Arizona and its president should not have hosted the memorial service to the victims of the shooting. Robert Shelton, the President of the University of Arizona, gave President Obama an introduction worthy of a campaign rally. The UA students did the rest in turning it into a political pep rally.
If Chancellor Birgeneau is so concerned about intolerance, he need look no farther than his own backyard-the UC Berkeley campus. Last year, when swastikas started appearing on campus bathroom stalls, a group of Jewish students held a peaceful demonstration to protest the expressions of hate. They were heckled-by a university professor, no less.
For Chancellor Birgeneau to link this tragic incident to the DREAM Act and other incidents of prejudice is outrageous. It is also embarrassing because he has no idea what he is talking about. Like MSNBC, the Democrats and liberals like Paul Krugman, he has jumped to a knee-jerk conclusion and imposed it on the UC Berkeley community.
Shameful.
4 comments:
It is very odd for a college administrator to "put his two cents" in on a subject that really has nothing to do with educating students.
Amen. I'm really not to interested in his view of the DREAM Act and all that. Last year on his campus, when Jewish students held a silent protest to show their concern about swastikas showing up on bathroom stalls, they were heckled by a UCB professor. Maybe Birgeneau should pay attention to his own back yard.
Typical Left Wing Stage One Thinking, as Thomas Sowell named it. Somebody get shot by a insane person? Get rid of guns and insane people without giving a passing thought of all of the consequences. Take away our freedom or liberty?... Who cares, there was a shooting! There is nothing in the Constitution that gives them the RIGHT to take away anything. The government only has those rights that the people give them... not the other way around.
It is all based on emotion and knee jerk immediate blaming of the Right... the hated Tea Party and despised Sarah Palin. We HATE them .... therefore they must be responsible.
It is such a predictable pattern.
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Cabbie has it right. We have a political reflex in our public life that everybody, large and small, feels called upon to issue a press release on every event and issue of the day. The Chancellor has plenty of real work to do, without adding his two cents to the pile.
This is different from, e.g., the President of the United States, whoever he or she may be in any given year, who does have a responsibility to speak to the nation.
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