In response to Wilson's post about Nurse's strikes, I do believe that strikes are an important part of American society. Strikes send a direct and distinct message to companies and involve the opinions of the public as well. Although in this case I am not sure that nurses' strike is beneficial for patients for the next few days, I do believe that a better treatment of the nurses may lead to better treatment of patients in the long run. In addition, such a strike is very effective for the nurse's as the patients may also put pressure on a large hospital to increase benefits so that individuals may get the personal care that they need.
Although I have shared my opinion, I do read this strike and wonder when such public statements are appropriate and necessary:
At UC Berkelely, the university has granted an injunction from the Alameda County judge to evict the tree sitters protesting since the UC regents vote to build facilities next to the football stadium where the trees are located. It has been 304 days since the protesters have lived in the trees. In a KTVU article, Zachary Running Wolf, a tree protester affirms that the sitters "won't let some judge force us out on the 304th day."
Superior Court Judge Rickard Keller has made a ruling only for one protester, David Galloway due to the university's inability to find the protesters and "track down and serve notice of its lawsuit."
In a short amount of time, the ruling may also apply to all tree protesters, the consequences being fines and five days in jail. Some say that such a protest is a danger to the school campus, others just find the situation silly.
To read more, go here:
http://www.ktvu.com/news/14247554/detail.html
After just reading the headlines about disasters in Darfur and Myanmar and discrimination in Jena, I must admit I did not take this article as seriously. I mean people are dying and being discriminated against and there are many very important issues going on in cities such as Berkeley involving poverty and crime. Why is saving a few trees so important?
One may argue that a protest for something so specific may in fact come to be more rewarding. Whereas we may write countless letters to government officials about Darfur and attend many protests, we individually may not have as great as an impact on the outcome of the government's actions on the issue. In this situation, as long as the students remain in the tree, they are actively making an apparent difference, not to mention causing a lot of trouble.
So the question: Is it worth it?
4 comments:
Is it worth it? Of course it is! What else are those students and random others going to do? Get jobs, go to class? Try to change the system from the inside? Work on their sarcasm? Nope, there's nothing better for them to do except sit in trees and hope everyone goes away.
I do not think it is worth it. Although I can understand their point of view and how they believe our environment is more important than a new facility, it is very difficult to go against the majority of people who are in favor of a new facility that would benefit the community as a whole.
Yes, it is worth it.
Although the protests are insignificant in the grand scale of things, they are still important.
The destruction of the environment has become a large threat to people all over the world. Events are occurring due to Global Warming which are unprecedented.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/09/15/arctic.nwestpssg/index.html?iref=newssearch
These students are making a small protest, but it's symbolic of the greater problems facing this world.
At the very least they deserve respect for demonstrating for their beliefs.
I believe it isnt worth it. I believe that there are more important things that are going on in this country then just some trees getting knocked down. Really if they are trying to protect the enviroment, then why dont they protest the rainforest getting destroyed. I just think that there are worst things going on.
P.S. they should just leave the trees so UC Berkeley can build there new atheltic facilities. Go Bears.
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