I went up to campus last evening

I’ve been asked to provide legal support. As you know, I don’t agree with all of the political positions the protestors are taking, but I do oppose what is happening in Gaza and I do support students’ rights to protest. And I did find that the students I met were very receptive to concerns about antisemitism in their movement. They were appalled to hear about what happened at Los Bagels. A Seder was held in the Quad, and it was warmly received by the crowd.

The students have extended out of the building and taken over the quad for now. The weird offer the admin made yesterday to “allow” students to leave the building if they turned themselves in by giving their names and contact information was nonsensical. They set up three desks with computers in the plaza near the library. The students had literally dozens of ways they could leave the area and in fact did so back and forth all day. I entered the area as did 3rd District Supervisor Mike Wilson, several media people, and a bunch of community members. I didn’t see any law enforcement.

I was able to give some students legal advice and promised to research what I didn’t know. There is a law firm in Oakland who may be representing protestors if any criminal charges are filed. Students are going to need specialist lawyers to challenge disciplinary charges. There were “interim suspensions” that were emailed to some students, some of whom haven’t had anything to do with the protests – which suggests to me that the admin was relying on AI to determine who should receive them.

Everything was peaceful when I was there, though there is some concern that there isn’t a unified voice and different levels of militancy when it comes to responding to police and admin actions, and it always makes me wonder about infiltration. And there is anti-riot gear being held in a large truck in Blue Lake, so plans are being made for some kind of action. I would like to think that the admin has deliberately allowed students out of the building to allow for escape routes when the police move in with force, but they haven’t shown much sophistication thus far. When I told my wife about the desks being put up to allow students to turn themselves in, she opined that it was the product of the chancellor being unaware of the situation on the ground and barking orders from a distance in consult with CSU officials from even farther away.

But something is probably going to happen. These young people can definitely benefit from counsel from veterans of protests and it would be good if people are there to observe. If you have time, please go to the campus to provide support and wisdom. And by all means, have conversations about antisemitism and other issues you may have. I experienced nothing but receptive curiosity of youth. I know that I only met a small subsection of them, so be discerning. As you know, I don’t agree with all of the political positions expressed there, but I agree with the spirit of what they are doing and I’m very scared for them because the university is bringing in some hardcore skull-busters. You can recover from academic discipline and even an arrest or criminal record, but it’s harder to recover from a serious head wound.

I am talking to some of the supporting faculty about putting together a nonviolence training. In the 1980s we had the benefit of 1960s generation activists holding such trainings to say “learn from the mistakes we made.” The kids need some historical context and community support. I’m slammed with work and family obligations, but I’m going to try to make it up there as often as I can be there. Any time you have is better than none.

Haters targeted Los Bagels

I haven’t read the hard copy story in the North Coast Journal yet. I’ve only found the statement below posted on some Facebook accounts. But Los Bagels could only have been targeted simply because the owner, Dennis Rael, is Jewish. That is a hate crime.

Addendum: Apparently the NCJ only has the below statement – no story. I am informed that the Eureka outlet was defaced with stickers which have been removed.

Jon Stewart v. Jessica Williams re Trump trial media circus

Pretty funny exchange

Anti-Israel protests come to Humboldt

Redheaded Blackbelt has coverage and photos.

I don’t agree with divestment, and I think they have a very naive view of the Israel/Hamas conflict. But I respect the passion and compassion.

The RFK factor?

This is the third poll out of the last four in which RFK Jr. that I’ve seen negatively impacts Trump more than Biden. Maybe this is why Trump is lashing out against him? RFK Jr. claims that Trump asked him to be his running mate.

Kennedy’s family, including his sister, endorsed Biden at a public event last weekend. He says he loves them anyway.

Partisan/Faction breakdown on foreign aid vote

I knew that Putin has a stranglehold on the Republican Party, but what is interesting is the right wing opposition to Taiwan aid.

And note that fewer than half of the Republicans voted to save Ukraine.

Civil War Trailer

I mean, I want to see it just because I really want to see the scenario they dreamed up that has California and Texas seceding and becoming allies.

Has Biden successfully leashed Netanyahu?

Brooks and Capehart argue that he has effectively done so, even if it’s in a manner not satisfying to the American left. “He’s not playing politics.”

We discuss the sociology of rural white rage; and also Trump’s criminal trial and whether Netanyahu will drag the U.S. into a larger war

…..

Addendum: The article in particular that we are discussing in terms of rural white rage is in the New Republic and it’s responding to a number of indignant responses to a book written by the article’s authors. A couple of key paragraphs.

In recent years, research from political scientists showing some disturbing patterns of opinion among rural voters, especially rural whites, has begun to accumulate. But there is a clear discomfort with the implications of that research, even among some of these researchers. For instance, consider this quote: “Clearly, though, even when we account for composition effects related to race [i.e., the fact that rural America is whiter than the rest of the country], we see that racial resentment is higher in rural than in urban America.” That appears not in our book. It’s found on page 296 of Jacobs’s The Rural Voter.

Soon after, Jacobs and his co-author write, “On a range of race-related questions, responses from rural residents veer from those of other Americans—and even from other Republicans—in significant ways.” As you might have guessed, “veer from” is the euphemism they deploy to say that rural whites express more racist attitudes. “And yet,” they go on, “for many rural residents, attitudes about races are intimately linked to perceptions of hard work, self-reliance, a disdain for government handouts, and the dangers of elites.” What they’re arguing, then, is that it’s not that many rural whites (to reiterate, not all, but many) are racist per se, it’s just that they think nonwhites don’t work hard, aren’t self-reliant, and are the clients of nefarious “elites.”

………

What isn’t said enough is that rural whites are being told to blame all the wrong people for their very real problems. As we argue in the book, Hollywood liberals didn’t destroy the family farm, college professors didn’t move manufacturing jobs overseas, immigrants didn’t pour opioids into rural communities, and critical race theory didn’t close hundreds of rural hospitals. When Republican politicians and the conservative media tell rural whites to aim their anger at those targets, it’s so they won’t ask why the people they keep electing haven’t done anything to improve life in their communities.

Trump’s jury is set

From Politico

Seven jurors were sworn in this afternoon, filling out the panel that will decide Trump’s legal fate. Here is what we know about them:

• A man who lives in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood and works in investment banking.
• A man who lives in the West Village, works as a security engineer and has three children.
• An Upper East Side man originally from Lebanon who is retired and enjoys fly fishing.
• An Upper East Side woman who works as a speech therapist.
• A Murray Hill man who works at an eyewear company and enjoys the outdoors.
• A woman originally from California who lives in Upper Manhattan and works in product development.
• An Upper East Side woman who works as a physical therapist and enjoys tennis and paddle boarding.

These seven Manhattanites join five other jurors who were selected earlier this week. Those five jurors are:

• A West Harlem man originally from Ireland who works in sales and will serve as the jury’s foreperson.
• A man who lives in Chelsea and works as a corporate lawyer.
• A woman who has lived in Harlem her whole life and works in education.
• A woman who lives in Chelsea and works as a software engineer.
• An Upper East Side man who works as a lawyer practicing civil litigation.

……

All of them are white collar or at least light blue collar, but Manhattan has been pretty well gentrified so that’s to be expected.

One alternate was selected. Five more will be selected tomorrow. Opening arguments on Monday.