Posted by
Jill Cowan on Sunday, November 16, 2008 04:18 pm
We kind of wanted to stay away from this one, since we don’t have all the details yet and we definitely don’t want to take sides. That being said, we just have to ask, “Why?” How can we expect anything to get solved in the “real world” if we, as college students, can’t even function civilly in a place where open discussion and non-violent interaction are supposed to be priorities? Aren’t we, like, hypothetical grown-ups? What is so funny about peace, love and understanding? Argh. So many questions …
The internet, naturally, is abuzz with speculation and finger-pointing on the matter. It’s a good thing you can’t get punched online. (And Superpoke doesn’t count.)
Image Source: crimfants under Creative Commons
Fight Erupts at Israel Liberation Week Concert [Daily Cal]
Racial/Political Violence [UC Berkeley Livejournal]
On Israel and Brawls [California Patriot]
We at the Clog have gone protest crazy. Yes, we know there’s one every second. But damn, May-Day and Jimmy Carter Day back-to-back?! Thanks for reaffirming our will to live, Lord.
Based on the knowledge that the mere rumor of a famous person farting near Berkeley will lead to picket signs, the Clog knew Carter’s arrival would mean an orgy of the opinionated.
And the event-within-the-event delivered like an orgy should—an amusingly awkward orgy, that is. The pro-Carter people camped on the left side of Zellerbach, and the anti peeps chilled over by the right side. In between the two groups, frustrated normal people waited in line for a chance to see the bizarro Yellowcard.
So while they waited, we got sound bites from every quirky cluster. Here are the pictures/commentary of the brave souls who said, “Fuck the speech and fuck the webcast. I’m going to stand outside and hold a sign.”
Jewish Student Union-Lev Ingman, who identified himself as Dan Rosen (who is actually his frat brother)
“Okay, so we’re not here to say Jimmy Carter shouldn’t be here. We’re saying his presence is polarizing to the community.”
Do you hear that? That’s the sound of the Clog scratching its ambiguity-shaped head. Is “Mr. Rosen” saying, “We’re here to protest the fact that this man makes people inclined to protest”?
Go figure.
And that picture of JSU’s identity-challenged spokesperson is probably the photo of the millennium. We wonder if he ate something as old as Jimmy Carter before we took the shot.
Bay Area Women in Black-Sandra Butler
“We stand in silence. We’re the Jewish voice for peace.”
On the other side of Carterdom is this reticent organization—thankfully spoken for by Mrs. Butler. At first it was somewhat difficult to get an interview with them because these ladies were, well, conducting a silent vigil. So from what Sandra said, we’re deducing that the women were sort of silently protesting the JSU protest of Carter fomenting protest with a Jewish-themed demonstration of their own. We feel an aneurism coming on.
International Socialist Organization-Michael Smith
“It is great that Jimmy Carter is finally waking up to the fact that Israel is oppressing the Palestinian citizens. It’d be nice if he woke up to how they’re being oppressed inside Palestine.”
Workers of the world unite—in your back-handed quasi-praise of the former peanut farmer. We don’t get why a protester would show up just to sort of support somebody.
By the way, Smith’s mug shot is Ingman-level amusing.
handsoffiran.org-Keith Barton
“Well I think Jimmy Carter is the voice of reason and fairness in a polarized world.”
No comment here, but the Clog did find it funny that the group went by the name of “handsoffiran.org”. We’re reminded of Oscar from Arrested D yelling, “I’m Oscar…dot com!”
Jewish Voice For Peace-Glen Hauer
“For me, I appreciate Jimmy Carter’s courage. And also, that I think he’s a good ally for Jews. He doesn’t let his friends drive drunk, though.”
Ugh, more uninspired pseudo-kvetching. Before you bitch at us for saying that, just know that the Clog is Jewish. Well, on its ambiguous Dad’s side.
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