The Minuteman

From the May 2007 Print Edition

Where’s McCarthy when you need him?

n April 19, Senator Leland Yee, D-San Francisco and San Mateo, honored a delegation from Communist Vietnam, according to the OC Blog. Senator Tom Harman, R-Huntington Beach, along with fellow colleagues from Orange County, walked out of the chambers. With one-third of California’s Vietnamese population living in Orange County, many of whom came to the country to escape communism, the senators felt that Yee’s actions were inappropriate. “This is a regime which still denies, in a vicious and systematic manner, so many of the basic freedoms which every American is privileged to possess,” Harman said. Yee, a leftist and former Assembly speaker pro tem, is also remembered for introducing legislation in January 2004 that would have required the use of feng shui in the California building codes. Right-wing Christians? Following the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision to uphold the Partial Birth Abortion Ban, the United Church of Christ’s Justice and Witness Ministries issued a statement of disapproval, according to United Church News. According to the report, “the Supreme Court is capable of reversing decades of constitutional protections for women in regards to their reproductive health and rights.” While many evangelical Christian groups rejoiced in the Court’s ruling, the UCC, a mainline denomination with many Congregationalist churches that trace their heritage to the Pilgrims, has favored abortion for many years. Although it seems like all Christian groups are pro-life, some are actually pro-abortion. 

Free speech … except for Republicans

A committee of the University of Rhode Island student senate voted on April 16 to disaffiliate the College Republicans as a student group on campus, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. The committee demanded an apology from the group for advertising a satirical scholarship for “white, heterosexual, American males.” This scholarship, which was offered in November, was designed as an act of protest against the kinds of scholarships that are offered on the basis of race, orientation, and nationality. Certainly, the student senate’s action is against the First Amendment rights of the College Republicans.

 

Paper or recyclable plastic?

In March, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved legislation to ban non-recyclable plastic bags in major grocery stores. Now, Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates is jumping on the bandwagon — if his proposal is approved, Berkeley will be the second city to impose this ban. Local grocers are upset with Bates because his proposal will make recycling more difficult, according to Dave Heylen of the California Grocers Association. Additionally, the standard plastic grocery bags cost about one or two cents each, whereas compostable bags will cost about six to ten cents apiece. Los Angeles and Santa Cruz are also considering similar bans on the non-recyclable bags. When the ordinance was first passed, it seemed like it would be an “only in San Francisco” piece of legislation. However, it seems like the City by the Bay has started a trend.

 

More ways to make Cal look bad

The oaks by Memorial Stadium are not the only place for “tree-sitters” in Berkeley. Five students climbed up a redwood tree by Berkeley’s famed Sather Gate on April 19, according to the Daily Californian. The students refused to state their motives for sitting in the tree for a couple of days but instead displayed banners with phrases such as “Activate Your Love Force.” However, on Cal Day, April 21, the tree-sitters stated that they represented the Phoenix Coalition, a new student group that is against the stadium rebuilding plan and the $500 million BP deal with UC Berkeley. The Phoenix Coalition includes student groups such as Students Organizing for Justice in Americas and the Berkeley Stop the War Coalition, among others. The protesters remained relatively peaceful, although they created a spectacle as prospective Cal students walked through campus.

 

Where’s the Straight Graduation?

UC Berkeley, like many universities across the nation, will be hosting a “Lavender Graduation,” a special commencement ceremony for homosexual graduates, complete with rainbow tassles. This year’s keynote speaker will be Dr. Susan Stryker, a documentary filmmaker and expert on transgender studies.

 
Sheryl Crow denounces toilet paper

According to her Web site, Sheryl Crow is proposing a stringent restriction on toilet-paper use as she goes on a “Stop Global Warming College Tour.” The singer went so far as to say that one sheet of toilet paper should be sufficient for most trips to the bathroom, “except, of course, on those pesky occasions where two or three could be required.” Recently, Crow has been urging people to reduce their carbon footprints. Additionally, Crow suggests that people should cut down on their use of paper napkins. She designed a detachable sleeve that could be used in lieu of a disposable napkin. She hinted that people suffering from colds could use such a sleeve. If you happen to run into Sheryl Crow, you might want to think twice before you shake her hand.

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