community-based, non-corporate, participatory media
Carnegie Mellon Group Campaign against Activist
by Daniel Papasian
Tuesday, Mar. 18, 2003 at 11:02 AM
dpapasia@andrew.cmu.edu (email address validated)
My experiences after having stood up to the confrontation at DU
There's been a lot of fuss lately at Carnegie Mellon, so I've decided to make my stance clear.
On Sunday, I joined a few other protesters in standing across the street from DU. I never went on their lawn, I never vandalized any property, and my face was not covered. After awhile of standing there and listening to their pro-war shouts, their shouts turned violent. We were told that "we are bigger than you" and "don't you know we can kick your asses?" At this point I could tell that a lot of people around me were uncomfortable because of these threats, so I extended the peace sign to the group with one hand, and the middle finger with the other. Perhaps not the most mature response, but given the fact that we were being threatened with bodily harm I felt that some response was needed.
I have not felt safe since this Sunday. One of the people at the pro-war rally has formed a "For America Now" club, and in emails he has sent to a public bboard he has referred to protesters as "Daniel and his cronies." I feel that I am still being singled out because I took the time to stand up for what I believe in and have defeneded my actions publically. Given the fact that the physical threats issued on Sunday were never retracted in any way, I have no choice but to feel that the continued singling out of myself is a continuation of the physical threats against my person.
That being said, I also serve in the Carnegie Mellon Undergraduate Student Senate. Part of my job is recognizing clubs and approving, when appropriate, funding. I received an email regarding this For America Now club. Given the fact that I still feel threatened by many of the people who are presumably, on some level, affiliated with this club I sent an email to the founder of FAN to let him know that for as long as his group appears to be harassing an individual (in this case myself) for his political views, it may be difficult to obtain recognition.
In retrospect, it was inappropriate for me to say this (true) statement, as I am a party to the conflict and it reeks of bias and suggests that I cannot be impartial. However, it was not a threat against getting the group recognition. Personally, if the harassment ends and I once again feel safe, I have no problem voting for a civilized pro-war political group; Carnegie Mellon's campus is generally apathetic, and the more political groups the better. But for as long as I feel that I am the victim of harassment, I would have to abstain from any such vote due to personal involvement, and believe that many senators would be opposed to recognizing a club that spends its time harassing Carnegie Mellon Students.
I would like nothing more than to clear myself of any personal involvement of this issue. I have already arranged to not be present when For America Now comes before my committee for recognition. However, it will not be this simple. Considering the threats from Sunday were never retracted, and I was singled out afterwards, I still feel unsafe to go near Delta Upsilon. Also, there is now a movement coming out of the For America Now / rally at DU crowd to get me impeached from senate for improper behavior, despite the fact that I have officially removed myself from personal involvement with the group. This is personal harassment and I highly doubt that if I were any other Senator, merely giving them advice as to not make it seem like their group was supporting harassment, that the response would not have been anything near a campaign to impeach. This is a political action due to my political beliefs, and has nothing to do with how or what I have said.
That being said, there was a thread on indymedia recently as to why protesters wear banadanas/masks to hide their faces. I can see now, in retrospect, why that is: to be able to maintain a normal life free of conflict when the protests end.
Masked
by masked
Tuesday, Mar. 18, 2003 at 2:11 PM
Gee. I wonder why some of us wear masks.
..
by Ken
Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2003 at 12:16 AM
This is quite funny.
Your email wasn't "advice" it was a threat that I could assume you wrote with a smirk on your face. You know you have power in the Senate and you chose to display in the form of a "warning."
And please, don't flatter yourself. The last thing any person wants to do is waste time looking for you, or even risk getting in trouble for beating you up. How could you think that you're so important?
There were threatening comments made towards the pro-war rally crowd, one being "I'm going to shove my foot up your ass" or something along those lines. I'll be damned, however, if I'm going to be scared of some threat made by someone who was obviously caught up in the moment. I would think a sensible person could see the threat and respect it for what it is; empty.
Realizing this just now... the two quotes you brought up weren't even direct threats. Basically, you're spinning up garbage in order to attract sympathy for your cause.
Truth
by Joe Revelli
Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2003 at 12:43 AM
jrevelli@andrew.cmu.edu
Mr. Papasian-
I was there for the whole thing on Sunday and I don't remember hearing anyone saying they were "bigger than you" or they were going to "beat you up". However, as an officer of Delta Upsilon I apologize if you felt threatened in any way. I guarantee no person affiliated with my house meant to threaten you in any way. At least two thirds of the crowd on our side were not members of Delta Upsilon but I did not see or hear any threats from them either. I reccommend that you patch your relationship with the Greek community before elections come up again. If you look past the stereotypes that are burned so deeply into your brain you will see a large demographic of intelligent, politically active people of whose vote you have zero percent. You were never singled out as an individual but as a meber of student senate who openly admitted that he would not legitimize an organization that does not comply with your political beliefs. Shady politics at best Dan.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again
by Daniel Papasian
Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2003 at 1:49 AM
I've said it before, and I'll say it again- I will do nothing to block For America Now, or any other political group, from receiving recognition. However, if the group has undertaken a policy of harassment of individuals then it is not acting responsibly and it could be taken as reason to not recognize a group; however, because in this case the target is myself, the conflict of interest would demand for me to abstain from the proceedings.
For example, today FAN came to my committee, and I sat out.
I have nothing against DU or the Greek system as a whole, and in fact I have had conversations with several DU brothers that have been very positive. I do not know who it was who shouted the more specific threats at me, it may very well have not been a DU brother, but needless to say it added fear to an already intimidating situation.
My "threat" was simply "you're going to have a hard time getting recogniton from Student Senate for as long as your group seems to spend a lot of its energy attacking a specific individual. In this case myself." This isn't a threat at all, but rather an attempt to put an end to the harassment. Never did I suggest that the politics of FAN would be any problem at all to obtaining funding. Unless, of course, FAN is being designed to harass individual anti-war protesters- but I think you guys have a lot more promise than that, and don't need to harass individuals- which is why I don't see a problem with supporting you guys.
And finally, thank you for your apology. I was standing with only a few people, none of which were doing anything remotely confrontational, whereas the threats of violence came from one face in a crowd. I'm sure DU does not sanction this kind of thing, but as someone who experienced it, there was no way for me to know that as it was happening.
..
by Ken
Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2003 at 2:15 AM
Again, you keep spinning up stories.
What harrassment? I don't know of any cases where anyone has harrassed you. BBoard posts? Email? People calling you? What is this harrassment you constantly complain about, because if you didn't realize, the same harrassment card you keep playing can be very well turned around.
I'd also like to know what these specific threats were, and how they were so specific when there were people all over the place and you were across the street from the quadrangle.
You Essentially Lie
by Benjamin Hackett
Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2003 at 2:50 AM
You hide behind the shroud of peace.
But you lie; you did not step out on your own.
You were told to leave, or "advised" to
AND
YOUR GROUP HAS APOLOGIZED FOR YOUR ACTIONS, Formally.
Thus, you were out of line.
You were not threatened, and you were part of the group that was the aggressors. Stop repeating the same things over and over, and take on our posts. We post the truth, and all you can do is regurgitate your incorrect information.
AND AND AND AND!
"Daniel and his cronies" - Which by the way was actually "little Daniel and his cronies" was referring to all the people on cmu.misc.market, thus not targeting you. Additionally, out of all the posters on misc.market, none were members of FAN at that point. However, thanks to the illegitimacy of your arguments, you have brought us many many members.
If you had any sort of proficiency in writing, you would know that that is called colorful language.
Regards,
For America Now President
Benjamin Hackett
--
by --
Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2003 at 11:29 AM
This from Hackett- the idiot who claims that legally the frat brother phone numbers he listed on his website couldn't be duplicated.
Learn the law jerk.
for america now....
by Brian
Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2003 at 1:25 PM
artriotmedia@aol.com
Jesus Christ, hire a web designer. Or at least learn something about design before purchasing a domain. Also, your about as bad as Dubya in your arguments. You attack others for using your tactics of circumnavigating the arguments, when they haven't. They've very directly proven there points and you then proceed to do nothing to proove your side except result to childish name calling. I'm so glad I don't go to a major university.
Hey Dan
by Jeff
Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2003 at 8:27 PM
Dan..how credible can any student activist from CMU possibly be? One semester of CMU tuition according to Sally Fields (ha-ha)...is equal to the cost of feeding one thousand children for an entire year. You CMU students should just be grateful to be where you are and keep your overpriced pathetic whining little comments to yourself.....besides your own university is directly involved with government security...you know the very government that allows you to misbehave legally and the very government that WILL NOT hire you because you chose to act like a bonehead in college. Do yourself a favor and study that
logic textbook with a little more sincerity. This is not a time at CMU for you little kiddies to act stupid...absent the federal funding..CMU would shrivel up like the dessicated fly in Charlottes Web. Come see me tomorrow at the federal building where myself and many other federal employees will bust through your peace line like tonites daisycutters will jack up the contrast on your feeble 19 inch color dorm room televisions. word.
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