Remember the Berkeley College Republicans who wanted to sell cupcakes priced by race and gender?

[lunatica]

At the time I said UC Berkeley would not put up with it because it has zero tolerance of such things. Well today the entire campus (Students, Faculty and staff) received this email from the Chancellor and two Vice Chancellors. I applaud them for speaking up. This is one reason why I love working at UC Berkeley

from the email:
Last week an incident occurred that was contrary to the Principles of Community we espouse as a campus. The Berkeley College Republicans (an ASUC sponsored organization) publicized an "Increase Diversity Bake Sale" that prices baked goods according to a person's ethnicity, race, or gender. This event has moved the campus community into dialogue, because it was hurtful or offensive to many of its members.
Illustrating the breadth of the offense taken, last night the ASUC Senate unanimously passed a resolution condemning the methodology used by BCR and urging respectful conduct by all student organizations. The administration firmly endorses those sentiments. It is our sincere hope that the strong reactions generated by the proposed bake sale provide a vivid lesson that issues of race, ethnicity, and gender are far from resolved, and very much a part of lived experience here and now.

The Principles of Community are not about political positions. They require a consciousness of the potential effect of words or deeds on others: a positive intent not to hurt, offend, or denigrate others while expressing a reasoned position. Regardless what policies or practices one advocates, careful consideration is needed on how to express those opinions. The issue is not whether one thinks an action is satirical or inoffensive, the issue is whether community members will be intentionally - or unintentionally - hurt or demeaned by that action. The same applies to the way we interact with each other, whether academically, professionally, or socially.

If we, as a community, do not live with these expectations, then our Principles of Community (which the community authored) are just words on a page. The administration can urge, but not mandate, a person to behave with civility. We can express our disappointment or condemnation when respectfulness is abused. It is the community who must hold each other accountable for behaviors that do not reflect our communal values.

Forbearance and consciousness of how one's actions may affect others should always be a strong consideration. We celebrate the exchange of ideas through the freedoms we share as a nation, but intelligent debate is based on mutual respect. Freedom of speech is not properly exercised without taking responsibility for its impact. Taking that responsibility does not negate the freedom, it brings an enhanced humanity to it.

Sincerely,


Robert Birgeneau, Chancellor
Gibor Basri, Vice Chancellor - Equity & Inclusion
Harry LeGrande, Vice Chancellor - Student Affairs

[provis99]

1. the ironic thing is,

if the College Republicans really got their way and eliminated these types of programs, there wouldn't be a single white at Berkeley; it would be all Asian. then they would bitch and moan about that, I suppose.

[lunatica]

2. Whites and other American ethnicities far outnumber foreign Asians

Every year in the Fall the campus counts ethnicities and citizenships. Here is the Fall 2010 breakdown.

http://osr2.berkeley.edu/twiki/bin/view/Main/Fall2010EthnicDistribution

And who do you claim would bitch and moan about that?

[mainer]

9. But Asians do make up an astonishing number

Adding it up, it looks like Asians make up about 11,000 students. Whites are about 12,000 students.

And Asians are only 4.5% of the US population.

I'm guessing that getting rid of affirmative action would bump up the Asian numbers even higher, and those white Republicans would find themselves at a disadvantage -- something they probably don't realize.

[lunatica]

11. There are thousands of American Asians on Campus

And you're not counting other Americans. There are African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Native Americans.

I work in UC and I hire the students as Graduate Student Instructors and Researchers. most of the Asians I hire are America citizens who were born here.

[KamaAina]

13. Asians are 13% of California's population

and nearly all UC undergrads come from in-state.

[lunatica]

15. And a large part of that 13% go to college

They seem to be driven to it culturally by their parents which goes to show that sending your kid to college is a family affair from the start.

[KamaAina]

17. Indeed.

Here in Silicon Valley, many Chinese and Indian families are spending more than they can afford in order to rent houses in the top school districts like Cupertino.

edit: It would be welcome indeed if they were to work with us to improve public education statewide.

[TNDemo]

18. My son went to the school of engineering at UCB.

We walked the long line of parents to the end at graduation. It looked to be about 95 percent Asian, a few middle eastern, some whites and a few black. But that may be just the school of engineering. Funny thing is when he first started he was part of a group of about 15 freshmen, some getting to know you thing, and the teacher asked for their opinion on affirmative action. No one spoke so my son felt like he should as a white guy from the south and he was saying AA provides opportunities that might not exist otherwise, etc. Then he looked around the group and realized he was the only non-Asian and the realization came over him that he was the one there because of affirmative action.

[roguevalley]

24. If I had a sheet, I would take it and stand in front of these asshats

and hope others came too. Cover them in their shame. Do what the bikers do when the HATE Gays idiots show up. Shield the world and others from their hate.

[Scuba]

3. The bake sale was designed to further divide people. n/t

[RockaFowler]

4. Something Repukes are good at

[lunatica]

10. It was in response to the SB 185 bill that Jerry Brown will sign

SB 185, a bill passed by the California legislature and on the desk of Gov. Jerry Brown. It would allow the UC and CSU systems to consider race and other factors in college admission decisions, in direct defiance of the will of the voters with Proposition 209.

http://www.berkeleycollegerepublicans.com/response.html

[customerserviceguy]

19. And preferential admissions standards never do that? n/t

[CopingBarker]

5. The bigger deal people make about this silly sale the more attention they get

If you hold a bake sale an nobody shows up, did it really happen and does your group even matter?

I think it's a little surprising that people have let themselves get so worked up over this stunt. Becuase that's exactly what the BCR's were looking for.

[lunatica]

8. Yeah, ignoring the teabaggerati sure made them disappear

Ignoring the grifter Sarah Palin sure made her shut up didn't it.

Ignoring racist, misogynists doesn't make them go away. History shows that.

[Scruffy1]

16. Well put.n/t

[EFerrari]

12. The corporate media is all over the 10 people doing this

where they blacked out hundreds of students protesting fee hikes. If this has impetus, it comes from the usual suspects, not from us.

[starroute]

21. And the young conservatives have been doing these bake sales for *years*

I'm really amazed that anybody even notices any more. Even ACORN pimp James O'Keefe ran one when he was in college.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/02/03/james_okeefe_white_nationalists/index.html

O'Keefe's racial issues can be seen in many of his prior stunts The notorious ACORN videos highlighted images of himself dressed as a pimp, deceptively edited through hidden camera footage as he baited African-American office workers into making statements that could be perceived as incriminating. There were also lesser-known but equally inflammatory spectacles like the “affirmative action bake sale” O’Keefe and his conservative comrades held when they were students at Rutgers University. During the event, O’Keefe stood at a table in the center of campus offering baked goods at reduced prices to Latinos and African-Americans while whites were forced to pay exorbitant amounts. (Native Americans, he announced, would eat free.)

[gratuitous]

6. "If we do not live with these expectations . . .

then our Principles of Community are just words on a page."

The Constitution works that way, too. Particularly those amendments about due process, the right to confront one's accusers, and prohibiting cruel and unusual punishments.

[lunatica]

7. And here's the response of their President Shawn Lewis. A real whiny piece

Evidently the backlash scared them.

http://www.berkeleycollegerepublicans.com/response.html

snip

"What I have seen and heard in response to the Berkeley College Republicans' "Increase Diversity Bake Sale" has been far from healthy disagreement or challenging of ideas.

Instead, I have witnessed the harassment of the creators of the Facebook event, threats to those who plan on participating in the event, and a total mischaracterization of the purpose of the bake sale."

********

Mischaracterization? Yeah, they're so misunderstood.

[KamaAina]

14. Repuke math FAIL.

25 cents for Native Americans.

25 cents off for women.

The women from the Native American Student Association could have pigged out for free! :rofl:

[CTyankee]

20. Poor liddle white men! Save the White Males!

Give them back their pedestal of power over everything! They deserve it! Why they're...well, WHITE...and isn't that "special"?

Look, you little jerks, we're on to you. Get off yourselves. Take a clue and look at the world around you. Oh, yeah, you're too scared to do that, aren't you?

Little pantywaists...

[RadiationTherapy]

22. Did you just go on a privilege rant

and then end it by mocking men for wearing "panties"? Weird.

[CTyankee]

23. Oh, dear, someone is irony deficient!

[RadiationTherapy]

26. I suppose.

Good one. Ahem.

[lifesbeautifulmagic]

25. I wish they could turn these type of events around,

by showing the other side, perhaps refusing to sell to people of color or women, or something that makes more of an accurate statement. Hopefully, someone more creative than I can come up with something.