Civil Rights

In his column this week, Willie Brown, the former Speaker and former Mayor of San Francisco argues, “If the Occupy people really want to make a point about the 1 percent, then lay off Oakland and go for the real money down in Silicon Valley.”  We argue that Mr. Brown both makes and misses crucial points.

This started out as a small column for the off-topic column, but after some reflection I realized I needed to make a broader point here.  Illegal immigration is far more than just another flash point issue that divides one side from another.  It is a tragic situation that really has tragedy for all involved.

UC – Legislature Starting to Get the Message

While this will probably not go down as a great week for either UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi or the State Legislature, there are signs that the message of the student occupy movement, that has focused mainly on issues like the affordability and future of public higher education, has gotten through.

Whether anyone can do anything about it is another question.

The Occupy Woodland event from earlier this week triggered some interesting discussions.  Unfortunately, it appears a lengthy discussion on Supervisor Matt Rexroad’s page has been removed so we cannot quote from it.

With only a small contingent of protesters and their star, Cindy Sheehan, home with a migraine, the small but enduring Occupy Woodland group made a noticeable impact as they protested in front of Chase Bank on Main Street on the day of the bank’s opening.

Last week the Vanguard ran a piece that covered an op-ed by Daniel Filler who argues that the tactics used against the UCD protesters were typical of police tactics used against minorities.  Mr. Filler simply argues that police get away with certain tactics on minorities that would outrage the white community if it happened in Middle America.

UCD Academic Senate Commends Student Body

According to a release from the UC Davis News Service, The Academic Senate’s Representative Assembly took up only one proposal on Dec. 2, voting unanimous approval of a resolution commending the student body for its civility.

Jon Stewart Compares Linda Katehi to Hitler

As the Sacramento Bee’s Stuart Leavenworth notes, “[John] Stewart has remained remarkably steady. In my mind, there’s never been a comedic talent as consistently funny, informative and influential as Stewart.”

The Vanguard is off for the next four days, taking its annual Thanksgiving vacation.  We plan to return on Monday, barring some unforeseen major events in the coming days.

In a decision viewed as a major victory for opponents of same sex marriage, the California Supreme Court granted the proponents of the ballot initiative standing to defend measures in court when the governor and attorney general refuse to do so.

By E. Roberts Musser

As an alumnus of Penn State University, I was shocked and appalled by the child sex abuse scandal that has unfolded there in recent days.  However, I was not all that surprised.  When I attended Penn State in the years 1972-1973, only on campus for one year to obtain my Masters Degree in Applied Mathematics, there was an ugly rumor floating around Penn State even then involving sexual impropriety.

The ACLU of Northern California and the National Lawyers’ Guild filed a lawsuit Monday in federal court against the Oakland Police Department for what they are calling “its egregious constitutional violations against Occupy Oakland demonstrators.”

The lawsuit asks for an emergency temporary restraining order to stop police violence against political protesters. The restraining order is urgent because another police encounter with demonstrators is imminent, after the removal of the Occupy Oakland camp early this morning.

On Thursday night, the Vanguard had 285 people show up to our wildly successful event.  Despite that showing, we had a massive amount of leftover food that we could not store.  So my wife decided it was a good idea to donate it to those more needy than ourselves.

She posted on Facebook: “Just took 2 trays of delicious tortellini to Occupy folks so they could have a delicious lunch/dinner tomorrow.”

“Welcome to the occupation.  Here we stand and here we fight, all your fallen heroes.  Held and dyed and skinned alive, listen to the Congress fire,” sang REM back in 1987 in words that probably resonate more today than then.

I try not to put my personal life into the view of the community, though several people have suggested I do so to perhaps make things more personal, to allow this community to see what I am about, over and above the Vanguard, which is a creation that everyone who knows me, knows I take tremendous pride in.

by Dan Aiello –

Following today’s press conference timed to coincide with the visit of President Barack Obama to San Francisco, the City’s Democrat Assemblymember Tom Ammiano says he’s “pretty pissed off about this unwarranted attack,” referring to the multitude of federal raids orchestrated by the Obama administration’s Department of Justice on California’s medical marijuana dispensaries, their landlords and patients.

by Dan Aiello –

My typical 9/11 column has focused not simply on the horrific attack on innocent Americans, but also on the US response to those attacks.  I usually recount the horror I felt, now ten years ago, watching those towers come down, the fear I felt as I attempted to go about my day as though business were usual, and the despair I felt knowing that business would never be usual again.

The Great Recession has had a disproportionate impact on the net worth of households depending on their race, according to a new extensive report from the Pew Research Center which analyzes newly-available government data from 2009.