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SDS revised
yesterday's olympia SDS article revised
FREE SPEECH UNDER FIRE
Olympia Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) has been suspended by TESC administration for the remainder of the year and will face probation until January next year. Having its student group status revoked, SDS has lost its budget and office; they can no longer hold meetings, book events, or use school facilities and equipment.
After Evergreen’s February 14th dead prez concert and the ensuing uprising, the college imposed a ban on all concerts.
Several weeks before the concert moratorium was created, SDS had planned to hold two events on Friday March 7th. The administration used the moratorium to cancel SDS’s pre-scheduled and pre-approved events two days before they were to take place. This was a politically motivated decision seeing as the first event, a panel discussion on the San Francisco 8 to discuss issues of torture, police and government repression, COINTELPRO, the Black Panther Party and political prisoners, had no musical attributes whatsoever and was put on as a separate event. To follow this was an anti-war folk music performance. The administration’s decision to cancel this was clearly biased because numerous other musical events were allowed to take place on campus including a concert with 300 attendees the week prior. SDS and the speakers and performers from the two events decided to go through with the events without administrative approval with the understanding that the cancellations were unjust and a direct attack on free speech. The administration responded by revoking SDS’s status as a student group.
SDS had been very involved with organizing against police racism in our communities prior to February 14th. SDS was the first, and thus far only, organization to officially speak out against the police racism and violence (including the hospitalization of one student) on the night of the dead prez concert and the administration’s enthusiastic to cooperate with the police. SDS has been significantly involved with organizing support for those being used as scapegoats by the ongoing police investigation.
SDS submitted an appeal to this decision and on Monday, April 7th held a hearing with administrator Tom Mercado. That other student groups back SDS’s reinstatement was evident by their appearance at the hearing. Representatives from at least eight other student groups were present to support SDS’ reinstatement, including SESAME, Umoja, MEChA, Center for Radical Education, ATF, EARN, WOCC and the Sabot Infoshoppe. Kelly Beckham, student coordinator of the Evergreen Animal Rights Network, recognizes that “freedom of speech has become a completely abused amendment. It’s a crime nowadays to raise awareness about an issue because you can cause ‘physical damage’ to a corporation, which is obviously politically motivated. This has become a common trend, discouraging activism, and now we’re seeing it here on the Evergreen campus. The fact is, if we want to keep what little freedom of speech we have, we need to be in solidarity with one another.” These groups came out in solidarity because they know that banning SDS is opening the door to restricting more and more the free speech of everyone.
During this hearing, members of SDS presented a fat stack of petitions signed by the student body, faculty, and staff demanding full reinstatement of SDS, an apology by the administration, and a restoration of autonomy to the Student Activities department. In one week, SDS received signatures from one-tenth of the student body.
On Monday, April 14th, Tom Mercado rejected SDS’ appeal, but shortened the length of the original suspension. This is still an attack by the administration on our right to freedom of speech, and is specifically an attack on political dissent. Lessening the severity of the blow does not change the nature of the attack. As Malcolm X once pointed out, if an oppressor has stabbed you with a foot-long blade, and then he later pulls it out 6 inches, there is no reason for you to feel grateful. In truth, even if he pulled it out it would still leave a scar. There is one more appeal available to SDS before all official channels of petition have been exhausted. SDS plans to file their last appeal, but regardless will continue this struggle for a say in the functioning of our campus and our community by all means available and necessary. The time is not only urgent, but one ripe with history. April 23rd marks the 40th anniversary of the beginning of the student uprising of Columbia University in1968. This month also marks the 40th anniversary of the assassination of the man who once said, “those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable,” the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King. There perhaps is wisdom to be learned in both.
These next days will be very important and exciting. Stay tuned.
In struggle,
Olympia Students for a Democratic Society
Olympia Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) has been suspended by TESC administration for the remainder of the year and will face probation until January next year. Having its student group status revoked, SDS has lost its budget and office; they can no longer hold meetings, book events, or use school facilities and equipment.
After Evergreen’s February 14th dead prez concert and the ensuing uprising, the college imposed a ban on all concerts.
Several weeks before the concert moratorium was created, SDS had planned to hold two events on Friday March 7th. The administration used the moratorium to cancel SDS’s pre-scheduled and pre-approved events two days before they were to take place. This was a politically motivated decision seeing as the first event, a panel discussion on the San Francisco 8 to discuss issues of torture, police and government repression, COINTELPRO, the Black Panther Party and political prisoners, had no musical attributes whatsoever and was put on as a separate event. To follow this was an anti-war folk music performance. The administration’s decision to cancel this was clearly biased because numerous other musical events were allowed to take place on campus including a concert with 300 attendees the week prior. SDS and the speakers and performers from the two events decided to go through with the events without administrative approval with the understanding that the cancellations were unjust and a direct attack on free speech. The administration responded by revoking SDS’s status as a student group.
SDS had been very involved with organizing against police racism in our communities prior to February 14th. SDS was the first, and thus far only, organization to officially speak out against the police racism and violence (including the hospitalization of one student) on the night of the dead prez concert and the administration’s enthusiastic to cooperate with the police. SDS has been significantly involved with organizing support for those being used as scapegoats by the ongoing police investigation.
SDS submitted an appeal to this decision and on Monday, April 7th held a hearing with administrator Tom Mercado. That other student groups back SDS’s reinstatement was evident by their appearance at the hearing. Representatives from at least eight other student groups were present to support SDS’ reinstatement, including SESAME, Umoja, MEChA, Center for Radical Education, ATF, EARN, WOCC and the Sabot Infoshoppe. Kelly Beckham, student coordinator of the Evergreen Animal Rights Network, recognizes that “freedom of speech has become a completely abused amendment. It’s a crime nowadays to raise awareness about an issue because you can cause ‘physical damage’ to a corporation, which is obviously politically motivated. This has become a common trend, discouraging activism, and now we’re seeing it here on the Evergreen campus. The fact is, if we want to keep what little freedom of speech we have, we need to be in solidarity with one another.” These groups came out in solidarity because they know that banning SDS is opening the door to restricting more and more the free speech of everyone.
During this hearing, members of SDS presented a fat stack of petitions signed by the student body, faculty, and staff demanding full reinstatement of SDS, an apology by the administration, and a restoration of autonomy to the Student Activities department. In one week, SDS received signatures from one-tenth of the student body.
On Monday, April 14th, Tom Mercado rejected SDS’ appeal, but shortened the length of the original suspension. This is still an attack by the administration on our right to freedom of speech, and is specifically an attack on political dissent. Lessening the severity of the blow does not change the nature of the attack. As Malcolm X once pointed out, if an oppressor has stabbed you with a foot-long blade, and then he later pulls it out 6 inches, there is no reason for you to feel grateful. In truth, even if he pulled it out it would still leave a scar. There is one more appeal available to SDS before all official channels of petition have been exhausted. SDS plans to file their last appeal, but regardless will continue this struggle for a say in the functioning of our campus and our community by all means available and necessary. The time is not only urgent, but one ripe with history. April 23rd marks the 40th anniversary of the beginning of the student uprising of Columbia University in1968. This month also marks the 40th anniversary of the assassination of the man who once said, “those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable,” the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King. There perhaps is wisdom to be learned in both.
These next days will be very important and exciting. Stay tuned.
In struggle,
Olympia Students for a Democratic Society
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