Responding to R. Corrigan's Letter About San Francisco State University Occupation

9 Dec. 2009
Around three in the morning, 12 San Francisco State University students blocked the entrances to business building. They announced their 21 demands that were welcomed by some while mocked by others who think it was not related to SFSU's budget cut issue.

10 Dec. 2009
Police removed the occupiers and business building at the campus was reopened. Robert Corrigan, the university's president, released a letter to address the shutting down of the business building by the protesters, denouncing their actions who he called as "an illegitimate takeover that denied thousands of students their educational rights."

In response to that letter, I wrote this blog:

1st, I do support the SFSU occupation. It's a student demonstration. It's a free speech. It expressed what many students at SFSU felt.

2nd, he said, "More than 3,000 students and faculty were shut out." Didn't Corrigan considered the 250,000 students that were turned away this year alone and also.... hundreds!! of lecturers that were laid off as being shut out??! "Keep them open and not closed..." what a statement! Moreover, what about within the university? We're virtually being shut out because we cannot get into the classes that we need. Think also about the class that should be ran as a small class but now, professors have to take let's say 50 students per class. Don't you think it will shut out the transferred of education? Physically blocking the entrance of our classes is not the only way to shut out things.

3rd, "The protesters also demanded that no disciplinary action be taken against them. If you are going to engage in an act of civil disobedience, then you should have the courage of your actions. Civil rights activists - and I was one -- did not demand immunity; they acted and changed our nation." So? What points are you trying to make here? There was also a rumor that it was not true and made up to make these protesters looked bad. There was no proof for this but even if let's say it's on the demand, I don't think it's bad at all. Why is it bad?

4th, "Barricading a building is not befitting our cherished liberties." And what do you want us to do? We're desperate cause you never listened!! We organized peaceful walk-outs, rallies and protests. What answers did we got??

An increase of fee, cut of classes, last minute cancellation of class, furlough days, building of recreation center and library at the expense of our classes and education.

I myself experienced two of my classes that I registered for this semester were canceled just like that before this semester began and no compensations!! What's more sickening than the sudden cancellations is the fact that they announce a fee increased and giving us only a limited time to pay or we will be dropped automatically from the classes' rosters. Please, define liberties. Define democracy for me, dear Mr. President.

I'm paying more for something a lot less. I'm paying for the building of library that I will never walked into (because it's projected to be finished when I graduate). The same goes with the building of the recreation center. When we're in a dire need for a space for more students, we're building things that we do not need. We need to learn to prioritize. Ask why closing prisons and taxing oil companies were in the demands??!

And even on the Senate meeting that will determine OUR education, we, as students, cannot give inputs. So tell me, what should we do for you to REALLY LISTEN what our opinions and demands are?

The City of Neighborhoods

Here in San Francisco, hippies movement started. Proclaiming love for everyone, San Francisco hosted the Love Fest this year and drew a crowd of people from all over the country. This city has strong grassroots movements in which Ross Mirkarimi, a member of the Green Party, was appointed to represent District 5, one of the most diverse districts ethnically speaking.

San Francisco is also known as "a city of neighborhoods" in which two distinct neighborhoods are separated by only a street between them. Take Geary Boulevard for example. Japantown is at the North of Geary Boulevard while Fillmore or the so-called Harlem of the West is at the South of the street. San Francisco has the largest Chinatown in the United States. It has a large population of foreign-born as well as parents or grandparents who are foreign-born. I can quite confidently say if you ask someone randomly about where their parents or grandparents are from, they will answer something other than San Francisco or the United States.

In San Francisco, Being Crazy is Good

I remembered a few semesters ago, my classmates and I as international students in San Francisco were discussing about how San Francisco was probably the most Americanized city in the United States despite of the insanely liberal label attached on it.

San Francisco is truly a unique city that represents most values that Americans said to be the heart of the country. It has such an incredible amount of support for the First Amendment.

It provides a place full of tolerance and diversity for everyone. People may disagree with gay marriage to a certain extent but it is important to be kept in mind if who someone married to is no other people's business. People may believe if many San Franciscans are being "unpatriotic" when they opposed the Iraq war. Many reasons make you believe that San Francisco will go down. You think it will go down but I do not share the same thinking. I actually sympathize San Franciscans for fighting their sole battle against the rigidness of rules and the message of hates.

San Francisco has been singled out by other Americans for being flexible and diverse and tolerance. People say San Francisco should just declare their own independence because San Franciscans are so different. San Franciscans are not "Americans." People described San Francisco as crazy and chaotic. However, if crazy means you are a pacifist and chaotic means that the city will tolerate other people's beliefs and options about what to do with their own lives, then, please, I would like to be called as "crazy" too.

San Francisco
Dec. 2nd, 09
11:03 pm