13 February, 2008

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Twittering on 2008-02-13

13 February, 2008 in Uncategorized by Robyn | No comments

  • Back to the machine! #
  • What happens if you don’t especially jive w/ your interlocutors? #
  • How did I get captured by theoretical physics? #
  • Ok…off to lunch to read some Foucault #

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the politics of the College of William & Mary

13 February, 2008 in Culture, Politics by Robyn | No comments

I have always [well, for the past 5 years] appreciated Alternet’s articles. Below is an article that might affect you…

 

 

AlterNet

Right Wing Succeeds in Campaign to Bring Down Progressive College President

By Ryan Powers, Think ProgressPosted on February 13, 2008, Printed on February 13, 2008http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/http://www.thinkprogress.org//76884/

Gene Nichol, the President of the College of William and Mary, resigned yesterday in protest of a politically-motivated decision by the College’s Board of Visitors not to renew his contract. Michelle Malkin and other conservative commentators have seized on his resignation as “victory” and inaccurately characterized his departure as “disgraced.” The reality is quite different.Nichol’s tenure aroused significant outcry among conservative lawmakers in Richmond, VA and conservative political operatives in Washington, DC. These external voices objected to Nichol’s presidency for two superficial and unfounded reasons:1) Nichol’s decision to remove a Christian Cross from permanent display from in the College’s non-denominational Wren Chapel.

Nichol explained the decision was made “in order to help Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and other religious minorities feel more meaningfully included as members of our broad community.” The cross continued to be available for display upon student request. Further, my conversations with several leaders of student-run Christian groups on campus revealed that that the cross’s removal was indeed not an issue.

But while the cross was eventually returned at the decision of an independent committee, a lawsuit calling for a reversal of Nichol’s decision was dismissed by a federal court. Indicative of the entirely political nature of the attacks on Nichol’s Wren Cross decision is the fact that this “Save the Wren Cross” campaign was led by former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich’s policy director.

2) Nichol refused to bar a student-funded and run organization from hosting the “Sex Workers Art Show.”

While Nichol expressed personal disapproval of the event, he argued the students must be allowed, on First Amendment grounds, to proceed with their student-funded event. The Rector of the College, former FCC Chairman Michael Powell, did not object to Nichol’s justification. Malkin suggests that critics of the event were silenced, but a number of vocal protestors from the campus and community were allowed to assemble outside the two sold-out performances.

Further, all three local nightly news broadcasts covered the event, and a number of op-eds objecting to the event were published both the campus and community press. Malkin’s conspiracy theories aside, the bar on video and still photography during the event is a common condition placed on many performances on William and Mary’s campus.

It’s unclear what truly motivated the attacks on Nichol. His efforts to diversify the College economically and ethnically — and his past as a Democratic candidate for Senate in 1996 — have roiled some conservatives outside of campus. Yet Nichol has enjoyed strong support among students, many of whom can be seen across campus sporting “I [Heart] Nichol” pins attached to their bags and “Renew Nichol” stickers on their notebooks. Others are wearing t-shirts declaring, “If President Nichol’s Not Welcome Here Than Neither Am I.”Despite this support, the Board of Visitors headed by former FCC Chairman Michael Powell voted — in secret — against renewing Nichol’s contract. Further, the board offered — and Nichol refused to accept — “substantial economic incentives if [he] would agree ‘not to characterize [the non-renewal decision] as based on ideological grounds’ or make any other statement about [his] departure without their approval.” In unsuccessfully attempting to buy Nichol’s silence, the Board ensured that Nichol’s departure would indeed be remembered ever more vividly as a disgrace. The real disgrace, however, belongs to the Board, not Nichol.Read Nichol’s resignation letter in its entirety HERE.Ryan Powers is a former intern of the Center for American Progress and a senior at the College of William and Mary.

© 2008 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved.View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/http://www.thinkprogress.org//76884/

 

 

PFLAG news

13 February, 2008 in Culture, Identity, Politics, Queer by Robyn | No comments

I’ve never, ever attended a PFLAG meeting.  Perhaps it was because I never could make a meeting in college, or because I dreaded retaliation from my theology colleagues?  I don’t know?  But, I am happy to share the following news from PFLAG…

It is with great pleasure that I announce that Pastors Christine and Dennis Wiley of Covenant Baptist Church have been invited to receive the Faith in Action Award at Metro DC Parents Family and Friends of Lesbian and Gays? (PFLAG) annual Gala on March 8, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.  Pastors Christine and Dennis Wiley of Covenant Baptist Church are widely admired in the PFLAG community for their insistence of inclusion and diversity in the Covenant Baptist Church congregation. We know that this inclusiveness must not have been an easy decision and has not always been easy to implement.  Metro DC PFLAG is grateful for the courage and attention to the spiritual needs of all of God’s children, inclusive of those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender that has been demonstrated by Covenant Baptist Church.   They are also the first African Americans of a faith-based affiliation to receive this award from our organization, so we need the support of all the brothers and sisters of our community to show them just how much we appreciate them embracing ALL of its members of the church and community.

Please consider attending the Gala to show your support for members of our community who believe that we are all welcomed and affirmed in God’s presence. You may also want to join our organization or making a charitable contribution to support our work in the community.  For more information on the Gala, please visit this link . Our theme is:  Unveiling the Real Me and it is a Venetian Carnival masks and costumes or black tie affair.  You may purchase your tickets online. 

From the Austin American Statesman: No public Tickets to be available for the Clinton/Obama debate

13 February, 2008 in Culture, Politics by Robyn | 1 comment

Leave it to Texas to privatize…I mean, I’m all for the “Keep Austin Weird” campaign, but come on!  Isn’t this the People’s Republic?!  Read on, my friends!

No public tickets to be available for Clinton/Obama debate

By Corrie MacLaggan | Wednesday, February 13, 2008, 11:48 AMAttendance to the Feb. 21 Barack Obama/Hillary Clinton debate at the University of Texas Recreational Sports Center will be by invitation only, said Hector Nieto of the Texas Democratic Party.”There are no public tickets,” he said. “The majority of the people invited are going to be elected officials.”The Democratic Party will host a watch party, Nieto said. He said he’ll have details soon on that.

Update

OK, lots of people are clearly not happy about the news that there will be no public tickets to the Hillary Clinton/Barack Obama debate at the University of Texas Recreational Sports Center.All of you who wanted to go have another option. The watch party sponsored by the Texas Democratic Party will be open to the public. But here’s the catch: it will cost $50.The gathering will be at the Hyatt Regency, 208 Barton Springs Road, from 6:30 to 10 p.m., said Hector Nieto of the Texas Democratic Party.Nieto said it wasn’t the state Democratic Party’s idea not to invite the public to the debate. CNN officials “were the ones doing all the logistics on this,” he said.Nieto said Clinton and Obama have been invited to attend the watch party after the debate.For the $50 entry fee, you get light food and drinks, Nieto said.Or, if you have CNN or Univision, you can watch it at home for free.

Jobbing it w/ the SOA Watch?!

13 February, 2008 in Jobs by Robyn | No comments

If you are interesting in social justice, then perhaps check out the following…

SOA Watch is Hiring! 

Are you passionate about the struggle for human rights? Do you think our government should be held accountable for its deeply flawed and oppressive foreign policy towards Latin America? Do you believe that change and a better world are possible?

Then we need YOU at SOA Watch.WORK AT SOA WATCH: School of the Americas Watch is hiring for the Development & Operations Coordinator and Communications Coordinator positions to be based in Washington, DC. The positions are full-time with health benefits, paid vacation and holiday time. Salary is negotiable, and there are opportunities for skills development. Our staff is made up of paid, unpaid, full-time, and part-time activists who are all dedicated to this work. Development & Operations CoordinatorSome of the responsibilities are:- Produce donor appeals; grant applications, and other fundraising materials- Develop and pursue new ways to raise money- Maintaining database- Process donations and maintain records on donors- Stock, promote, sell and distribute SOA Watch books and video resources- General office management functions- Manage daily operation of computers; providing information on problems to consultants for repairs- Recruit and coordinate interns and office volunteers- Directly coordinate some logistics for all national SOA Watch eventsClick here to view the complete job description, requirements and instructions on how to applyCommunications CoordinatorSome of the responsibilities are:- Develop a proactive media campaign- Update and maintain a database of Spanish- and English-language media outlets and reporters- Monitor news and respond to stories with an SOA/ WHINSEC connection- Send out news releases; host press conferences; develop messaging strategies- Coordinate a volunteer media working group to assist with events and other ongoing media work- Compose and send out mass emails to grassroots base- Maintain and update the SOA Watch websiteClick here to view the complete job description, requirements and instructions on how to applyInternships at SOA Watch: SOA Watch is accepting applications for full-time Spring Internships. These positions can be focused on a particular area of work or more general in nature. Click here for more information on internships and volunteer opportunities at SOA Watch. You can also contact SOA Watch at info(at)soaw(dot)org or 202-234-3440. School of the Americas Watch is a nonviolent grassroots movement that works to stand in solidarity with the people of Latin America, to close the U.S. Army School of the Americas (SOA, now renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation or WHINSEC), and to change oppressive U.S. foreign policy that the SOA represents. We are grateful to our sisters and brothers throughout Latin America for their inspiration and the invitation to accompany them in their struggle for economic and social justice. 

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