The Minuteman

From the April 2008 Print Edition

BAMN: Education, not segregation

On March 13, proaffirmative action group By Any Means Necessary organized a rally for education, not segregation. About 300 people, including a number of high school students, marched through Sproul Plaza to the infamous Sproul steps, where they held signs and chanted. Minorities claim that the SAT examination is racist. The University of California recently proposed to eliminate the SAT II requirement, and supporters of BAMN say that this will help make admission more accessible to minorities. Shouldnt these high school students be in class instead of staging a midday protest if they care so much about gaining admission to a UC school?

Abizaid addresses ROTC students, public

General John Abizaid, who served for four years as the head of the U.S. Central Command, spoke on March 11 at the first of two Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Lectures. Many students from all branches of UC Berkeleys ROTC program were in attendance at the Berkeley Art Museums Grand Theatre. The event was also open to the public, and members of the anti-war groups Code Pink and World Cant Wait showed up. One woman had the nerve to bring a dog into the lecture. Since Abizaid basically supports the war on terror, a number of people protested in front of the lecture hall. Despite the antics of the leftists, its great to have a true American patriot speak on campus!

Si se puede!

UC Berkeley observed the last day of the spring break this semester as Cesar Chavez Day. Though many across the state of California marked the labor leaders life on March 31, Cal students had March 28 off in honor of Chavez. Since his death in 1993, Chavez has become somewhat of an icon for the Mexican-American community. Now, there are streets, parks, and buildings named after him. Though he is revered by farm workers, farmers despised Chavez for his militant tactics and his dishonesty. Often, he would walk into a farming town as if he had traveled there on foot, when in reality he had had a limousine drop him off on the outskirts of town. He really was a great man, wasnt he?

Tap water, anyone?

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom wants his citys restaurants to stop selling bottled water because plastic bottles are harmful to the environment. His initiative is called Take Back the Tap. It is not mandatory that restaurants remove bottled water, but Newsom is pressuring them to do so. San Franciscos tap water is actually nationally acclaimed, coming from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. However, it is often out of convenience that people purchase bottled water it is more portable. Perhaps fast-food restaurants will offer Nalgene-filling services.

Watch out for the bikes!

San Francisco may soon be clogged with more exhaust-emitting traffic. The City by the Bay has plans that would add 34 miles of bike lanes throughout the city and eliminate parking and traffic lanes to do so. Opponents are upset because they believe that the city has not considered the impact that this legislation will have on traffic, which is already a major problem in the city. However, with its tunnel vision, the city is simply interested in making San Francisco one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world, environment be damned.

No smoking in Berkeley

Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates Public Commons for Everyone Initiative includes a provision for the creation of more anti-smoking zones in public places around the city. This smoking ban is apparently targeted at minorities. According to statistics of the Berkeley Health Status Report, blacks are 1.6 times more likely than whites to be smokers. This new ban would cover some areas where more blacks reside. Members of the Berkeley City Council tout the legislation because they believe that it will help the population lead healthier lifestyles. Some support a citywide smoking ban. When will the city crack down on other types of smoking?

Interfaith group washes workers feet

On Maundy Thursday, the beginning of the Easter Triduum in the Christian calendar, an interfaith group staged a footwashing ceremony in front of the chancellors office. The group, known as the Eastbay Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice, feels that UC workers are being grossly underpaid. They claim that many UC workers are paid so little that they cannot make ends meet each month. As a sign of solidarity, people from this group washed the feet of some of the workers. Christians are called to emulate Jesus Christ and wash the feet of the poor on Maundy Thursday. Since when did it become a political statement?

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