ARCHIVE #5: ASUC Senate Speech (11/19/08)

[NOTE: This was a rant I gave at the ASUC Senate meeting on 11/19/08, in the context of the infamous concert tiff and the subsequent talk of a campaign to recall Senator John Moghtader. I've decided to post it here because I think it retains an emotional honesty that's inevitably lost in prose, at least when I'm writing. The speech referred to in the 2nd paragraph was delivered by a Dahlia Elkinawy, relating threats of violence on campus directed towards Muslim students, male and female. The text of the rant was recovered from the meeting minutes; I have attempted to be faithful to what I read and to make the text clear. Forgive any instances of syntax errors - this was done on the fly. Retrospective insertions to the text are demarkated by brackets.]

I wish I had something prepared – please forgive me if my statements sound off the cuff… They are.

I’m so glad the last speaker made that speech; I’m here to talk about racism also. I’m not intending to make any grand, sweeping statements, but just to relate personal experience. I feel it’s finally time to relate my story, what’s happened to me since I got here.

Within a week of my coming to Berkeley, about 3 years ago, I was walking around on campus with my kippah – a traditional Jewish head covering – on, and somebody called me a “kike.” And it wasn’t long before that sort of thing was repeated. I’ve been called a “kike,” a “sheeny” [only in Berkeley are the racist swine well read enough to use that one], and a Nazi – presumably, I think, by someone who got their ideological symbols mixed up… And believe it or not, I’ve been called even more offensive things that I don’t want on the record. It’s been absolutely disgusting.

Incidentally, though I appreciate people’s support, I would ask you to please refrain from snapping your fingers – I come from San Francisco and you’re giving me flashbacks of the beatniks. But I appreciate your support.

I’m not here to talk about violence. Everyone here has mentioned violence, which, obviously, makes sense, given what’s been going on… But as someone blessed by G-d with good genes, and a gigantic and strong frame, I don’t feel physically threatened walking down Telegraph at night, and I sure as hell don’t feel threatened on campus during the day. Instead, I want to talk about racism – not because it puts people in danger physically, but ideologically – the danger it poses in terms of damaging people emotionally. To me, this is no less of a problem. I think ideologically, this is a huge problem.

I don’t care about myself. [Pause for consideration of previous statement.] That might sound stupid, but it was exactly what I meant, oddly enough. I don’t feel that my standing in the way of these epithets – that it’s really been a problem. By virtue of a physical ailment I suffer, I spend an hour to 12 hours a day in physical pain that most people would describe as insufferable. I’ve also managed to survive the proverbial rape and pillage of my GPA that’s happened since I arrived in Berkeley.

[My allotted 3 minutes expired. Motion to extend my time was made by Senator Dhar, and seconded by Senators Moghtader and Owens. Thanks, guys.]

Frankly, I challenge anyone in the world to level a challenge at me that I can’t handle. But the fact remains that I know people, speaking as a non-partisan and as an Orthodox Jew, who identify very strongly not with any state, but purely religiously. I’m speaking on behalf of many Jewish friends I have – mostly, for Orthodox Jews, since they are the people in my experience most identified with their Judaism. (Many non-observant Jews also have a strong identification, but because of the rituals involved in Orthodox Jewry, those Jews are more permanently tied up in Judaism. It’s just pragmatic, as it takes up more hours of the day when one forces themselves to follow all the rituals.) Speaking on behalf of many of my Orthodox friends who’ve undergone similar treatment – I worry about that. For many years, I’ve said you can level any charge at me you want, but you attack my family, I freak out, that sort of thing… I can handle anything, but my friends I worry about.

While I’m speaking on behalf of Jews, at this point my comments go out to all racism on campus. I’d speak for all racism on campus, but I don’t feel I’m in a position to, because frankly, as a boring white dude, I don’t have anything to talk about except that I’m Jewish. That’s the only way I’ve been prejudiced against, racially. So speaking on behalf of Jews – but I’d like to think it extends to anyone who’s suffered racism under any circumstances, not just on campus, but in the city (I feel like this city has basically destroyed my soul… At this point I really despise it) – I don’t have an answer. I am, unlike many people I know, painfully willing to accept the fact that I’m a fucking college student and don’t know anything about the way the world works; and that I don’t understand anything about solutions; and that I don’t know how people think, or how they work, or why they work that way. Frankly, that’s why I put this to the Senate. Because for whatever reason, you are the student’s representatives, duly chosen to try and solve these overwhelming problems. I have as much faith in you as I could possibly have faith in any other college students, so I beg you to realize that my message, despite being so hilarious, is also incredibly serious. If I was more secure with myself, I’d probably be able to talk about things this serious without joking about it; but I guess I’m not.

[The 2nd 3 minutes expired; I finally stepped down.]