It Ends Not With a Bang

A letter was circulated on December 19, 2008, authored by UC Berkeley Dean of Students Jonathan Poullard and addressing the “fight” that got me started on this blog in the first place. It related the news that as of December 12, the Alameda County District Attorney has decided that there will be no charges filed. JP further informs us that “the D.A. has indicated that statements provided by witnesses to the altercation were both inconsistent and ambiguous” – that to the D.A., it remains “unclear who among the participants initiated the physical confrontation.”

The eyewitnesses to the “fight,” who saw Husam Zakharia end a heated verbal exchange with Gabe Weiner by punching him in the right cheek, have been successfully drowned out by a group of dissenters who apparently feel no compunction about lying under oath. For once, the blame doesn’t lie with the school, or even with its much maligned police force, but rather, with its dishonest student body. The most infuriating part of the entire enterprise is the way these students – the ones who by their actions render the law-keeping force incapable of activity – then turn around and berate the admittedly inept police to the equally incompetent ASUC Senate, telling them that nothing is being done to ensure the security of “ethnic” students on campus. I’m not sure if it's the taxpayer, the (unfortunately) white man, or the rational thinker in me that takes offense at all this, but I’m willing to wager that all three have a legitimate right to be pissed.

I suppose the lesson that needs to be learned here is that in our modern society – in which the worst form of defense is your fists, and the best your lawyer – when it comes down to “he said, she said” (figuratively, of course; if it ever actually came down to “he said, she said” in court, “he” would be fucked), having the truth on your side doesn’t win you any points. If anything, it loses you the wiggle room that comes with the opportunity presented by a lie to stretch your imagination to its fullest. I guess from now on, anyone planning on stirring controversy in Berkeley should hire a cameraman to follow them around, to provide incontrovertible video evidence for the inevitable trial date.

Until then, I’ll just have to come to terms with the fact that dishonesty pays huge dividends, especially in Berkeley, and especially when there are “ethnic” concerns involved. Still, that doesn’t mean I can’t continue to be angry about it. I swear, it really always comes down to the argument I would make back in first grade: Justice would be so much better at her job if she would just take that goddamn blindfold off.