Rousing the Rally

Many of you have requested the transcript of Bernise Ang’s address to the anti-VSU rally on Thursday. She spoke as an international student, and has been involved in campaigns with the NLC on some issues raised in the address.

Here it is - as close as it gets anyway:

***
Hi everyone -

[crowd cheers]

Can I just say that “Voluntary” Student Unionism has got to be the biggest, fucking misnomer I’ve ever heard.

[cheers]

It’s not about freedom of choice, it’s about SILENCING OUR VOICE!

[crowd cheers wildly]

You’ve heard how student fees are needed for services. Some of these that are really important to international students are things like - orientation programs - equity programs - childcare - counselling -

[more cheers]

Student fees are crucial for campus life - I cannot overstate the value of a vibrant campus community life for our time at uni.

So, international students come here - what are we faced with? No travel concessions - [interrupted by cheers] - despite contributing 5.9 billion Australian dollars to this economy!

[crowd cheers]

Ridiculous visa conditions - that restrict our freedom to express our dissent, and participate in rallies - peaceful rallies - such as this one -

[more cheers]

And to top it all off, we have NO VOTE - and are therefore fucking invisible!

[cheers get louder]

As students, we deserve a full education experience - that is more than just about getting the degree, and then getting out - most of all, as students - students of ANY nationality - we have a RIGHT to voice out on issues that we care about - and NOBODY - not Howard, not Nelson - has the right to take that away from us.

[crowd goes wild]

I want to send out a message to Howard that international students are ready to mobilise across the country, we are ready to mobilise international media, and we will bring down that 5.9 billion - IF YOU KEEP ATTACKING STUDENT ORGANISATIONS!

[crowd goes ballistic]

***
Technorati: VSU, activist, Australia

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Extolling the Virtues of VSU

Voluntary Student Unionism. What the hell is the big deal about it anyway?

Those raving radicals on campus, the articles they write, the million anti-VSU posters all over campus - all screaming the same message: VSU is evil. It must be stopped.

But why, I wonder?

The loopy hippies have given reasons, reasons and more reasons to fight the pending legislation. Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn about VSU. Or the consequences of it, that the lefties at the Student Guild are so flustered about.

I don’t care for the clubs and societies; I’m not even active in any of the gazillions I’m in. Lots of my friends at uni are, and care a lot about them. But that’s none of my business.

I don’t care for the cafeteria discounts. 10% can’t be that much.

I don’t care for the free legal advice. I know a couple of friends who would’ve been in serious trouble if not for it. But that’s none of my business - I’ll never be in that situation.

I don’t care for Orientation. Sure, those poor rich international students from Singapore probably do, and anyone else from a different culture in the same bag. But that’s none of my business - I’m not international, or rural, or new (anymore).

I don’t care for childcare. I’ve heard a lot of postgrads with families rely on them to continue studying. But that’s none of my business - I don’t have a kid.

I don’t care for equity programs. I’m sure lots of students from developing countries need them in order to get an education here. But that’s none of my business - I’m not Third World.

I don’t care for counselling. Yen from Law and that complicated Bern from Psych needed it when they went through a hard time last year, I heard. But that’s none of my business - I’m not weak like them.

Least of all, I don’t care for a “student voice” - whatever that is. I’m happy with the way things are, and don’t see why everyone else shouldn’t be. And even if I’m not, what can one measly individual do. It’s just pointless. The same way it is trying to tell Howard to be fair to homosexuals, or grant asylum to refugees.

So if you’ll hand me back my 250 dollars, thank you very much, I’ll be on my way to get me some beers. ‘Cause, that’s what being a student is all about - isn’t it?

***
[Ed: deliberately left this out at first, but here is one last bit] --


I should get some sleep. The anti-VSU National Day of Action (NDA) begins in 5 hours. Details via adrianwong.org

Bernise will be speaking at the rally. Wish her luck.

I'll see you there.


TT: VSU, higher education, Australia, current affairs

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Microsoft: Your Potential, Our Passion - unless you’re gay and lesbian

New York Times April 22: Microsoft Comes Under Fire for Reversal on Gay Rights Bill


This comes a few days late, but nevertheless serves only to further endear me to the corporation. (See previous post.)

For all of its perpetrated behemoth of capitalist consumerism, and software incompetencies, I had had a modicum of respect for Gates and his work in the developing world’s health and education. (Well, it really was just the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, but still.)

And I had had even more respect (relatively) to know of Microsoft’s LGBT-friendly employment policy (and from my impressions, office culture).

But now, this?

Even as a non-American I feel betrayed.

What riles me is not this isolated act of irresponsibility and cowardice on the part of one MNC. Heck, if we were to start finger-pointing - ever the constructive exercise - more direct responsibility would be had by the likes of Bill Finkbeiner and other moderate Republicans (if any) with no backbone consistency (if any).

But --

It's the broader shift in politics to the right, as well as its seemingly increasing influence by the fundamentalist right, rather than the cause from which politics itself emerges - governance. Even more than the seed of capitalism itself - economic rationalism.

Whatever happened to separation between Church and State?

One of the most regrettable things in all this, for me, is how there is now such a split between progressive rights advocates (and their supporters), and the collective believers of the Christian faith. I, for one, feel torn between both camps (to differential degrees), as I gingerly tread to find ground that does not crumble under political weight as soon as the exclusive claim to one is trespassed.

But really, this personal battle of mine and, I imagine, many others, is merely secondary to the reality of the battleground our society has been made. There is enough conflict in our world.

It amazes me that two such well-meaning groups, with such capacity for influence and (positive) change, are unable to reconcile on something so fundamental. Perhaps, it is precisely the fundamental nature of the issue that the schism we see is symptomatic of.

This, I fear, has become the face of western identity politics, the impact of which, of course, spreads far beyond those shores.

I struggle to cling on to my airy-fairy hopes of social justice and rights, and simultaneously to the possibility that there may yet be some form of greater force, however nebulous, in my increasingly atheist mind.


ps. If the NYT link doesn’t work, googling [microsoft gay bill] should do the trick. And here are some more, for the enthused:

Microsoft's switch on gay bill stirs anger
Microsoft caves on gay rights
Microsoft abandons gays

pps. Somebody tell me how to get rid of the awful bullet point in the title while keeping the second line, well, in the second line.
[Ed: figured it out - it was embarrassingly simple.]

Title credits
The title of this post was coined originally by Dan Kully of Equal Rights Washington, as a satirical take on Microsoft's newest slogan.

Technorati Tags: LGBT, GLBT, Microsoft, politics

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Murphy's Law: Empirical Evidence

Amidst juggling multiple applications and windows for two major essays, both due tomorrow, Word peremptorily freezes on me. Wtf?

All the reasons fuelling my contempt for the Microsoft hegemony come screaming back to me.

Legal issues with the bank, Philly, health issues - surely I’ve had my share of Murphy in the last month to last me til, oh, the next condemnation of homosexuality by Benedict. Or anyone else, for that matter.

Oh, such negativity. Note to self: quit being indulgent and get a move on. In more ways than one.

On another (not too separate) note, this made me tear today.

Just for dramatic effect, here is the para that did it:

If Matthew had had consensual sex with a girl, and the state had prosecuted him at all, the longest sentence they could have given him was 15 months. Instead, because Matthew had sex with another boy, and only because he had sex with another boy, he has spent the past five years in Ellsworth Correctional Facility in central Kansas.

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Finally.

After months of procrastinating and (misguidedly) thinking that I could learn all the codes and whajjamacallits I needed to set up my own decent ranting space, I have unceremoniously sold out to the hegemony of platforms of expression. Now, I type these words because Blogger is telling me to post something before I can view my cookie-from-a-cookie-cutter of a template.

Oh, just how I can't wait to join the minions.

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