Filed under: ASM, Uncategorized | Tags: ASM, Campus Elections, Israeli Divestment
As I procrastinate from my Senior Thesis composition this lovely Friday evening in Kenosha, I became extremely frightened by what I saw on Student Council Representative (and MPOWER organizer) Max Love’s Facebook Wall. See below:
MPOWER leader Tina Trevino-Murphy publicly supports plunging ASM into the depths of the Israeli-Palestine conflict! This has absolutely nothing to do with students or student rights and takes away from important issues such as tuition, financial aid, campus safety, quality of education, etc.
Why would MPOWER do this? Well, since less than 10% of the campus votes in ASM elections, they want to use the soapbox of student government to support their own far left radical agenda. Do you know what the worst thing about it is? ASM passing a resolution on this says that our campus supports divestment even though this is not anywhere near the realm of what a student government should work on or anywhere near an accurate reflection of how students feel.
I wonder how the Jewish community on campus would feel about their student government taking a symbolic stance on this issue? I can’t possibly fathom how MPOWER believes it can represent students when they would attempt to rubber stamp the student body’s approval on this internationally divisive issue!
This should be a warning to all students that MPOWER does not intend to serve students at all. Their stated goals and platform is merely a facade to shroud the group’s own divisive political ambitions.
Further, Tina and Max (MPOWER) clearly do not understand that ASM has absolutely no control over the University’s endowment. If they have a problem with something, they should approach the Board of Regents. They should not use ASM as a stage to fight messy international political issues.
I will continue to take you beyond the taking points of the MPOWER charade throughout the remaining weeks until the election on April 12-14.
19 Comments so far
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Some of us want to vote for MPower candidates because we care about a pro-student agenda, not crap like this. Stick to tuition and diversity, the type of issues outlined in the ASM candidate matrix. Not a single candidate publicly stated this as an issue they’d take up if elected so to bait and switch us now is super rude =(
Comment by No, no, no! Max! April 2, 2010 @ 11:57 pmJust wanted to point out that I said “maybe… we can.” I meant to suggest that if this is an issue that ASM student council decides merits a campaign, we would be able to form one and use grassroots tactics to put pressure on our administration and the Board of Regents. That’s what I was taught in the ASM internship program, and I stand by it. Any issue that representatives of students find value in working on can become a campaign, and ASM can be a great platform to work on issues that the organization doesn’t have direct power over, but that students have power over the targets of the campaign. I’m open to working on many different issues that impact students.
I’d also like to point out that during apartheid ASM played a role in getting the university to divest from South Africa. That being said, MPOWER has taken no stance on this issue, and it is not a part of our platform. Individuals’ views are an important component to the group, but all stances are decided on collectively by all members. MPOWER does support “divesting” (in this case cutting our contract with) Nike because of their violations of workers’ rights.
Comment by Tina April 3, 2010 @ 12:38 amOpen to working on “many different issues” such as Israeli Divestment? You can’t hide behind the “if Student Council wants to” line. You are running for public office. If elected, you are Student Council, you have to make the decisions about what the student government will work on.
Comment by Beyond the Talking Points April 3, 2010 @ 12:50 amMPOWER supports “divestment” from Nike not because it was a “collective” decision, but because it was the one issue SLAC brought to the table to get its members on the slate. This is nothing more than a group of special interests working on specific issues to aid their own groups. Max and Tina, the campus sees right through your charade.
Comment by Frugal scare April 3, 2010 @ 1:35 amI’m not encouraged by this response. It seems to read that you support divestment schemes and are open to letting them take over other pressing concerns. I can’t express how disappointed I am over this turn of events.
Brandon, ’13
Comment by Brandon E April 3, 2010 @ 1:42 amAfter re-reading your comment, I am less opposed to a grassroots campaign. I don’t support ASM having a formalized vote but private student groups are really free to do what they please. If they want to lobby the Regents they are free to do so.
Brandon, ’13
Comment by Brandon E April 3, 2010 @ 1:48 amBrandon,
Tina is saying she supports using ASM resources for this type of a campaign. Also, in order to do a grassroots campaign council would have to take up a formal vote to approve it. She is just trying to back track and cover up a major exposure that shows how radial and scary MPOWER is. I agree with you that private student groups should be free to do what they please, however ASM should not be wasting time on a non student issue like this. Tina & Max- I’m disgusted.
Comment by A mentor to complement April 3, 2010 @ 12:10 pmI was originally planning to help M-Power by getting my FB friends and floor to support their L&S candidates. If they support these divestment schemes, I will work 72 hours straight to support anyone in opposition. I promise.
Brandon, ’13
Comment by Brandon E April 3, 2010 @ 1:34 amBrandon,
I think you are justified in your disappointment. It is unfortunate that the real issues MPOWER candidates support come out after they released their “platform.” *And that they take away from student issues*
Comment by Beyond the Talking Points April 3, 2010 @ 1:54 amI think the sentiment is that MPOWER, if we find significant support among our constituents, is not afraid to tackle difficult issues on behalf of students that may bring us into opposition with some of the powerful institutions around us. Students do have a right to be concerned about global events, and as a central student organization I do not think it would be inappropriate for ASM to take a stance on certain issues of particular importance to the current student body. That being said, this particular quotation is being taken grossly out of context to fuel the fire of an opposition candidate and I hope everyone that reads this post can easily tell. Love is not a candidate and Tina is just excited about all the new possibilities that the next year holds, and made a casual fb comment that gave an example of one of these possibilities. This particular issue is not on our platform, has not been discussed as a group, and is not an idea we have heard from a significant portion of the student body (i.e. nothing is going to happen with it). We have not, and will not, discuss uses of this office in private or conceal our motives, and certainly do not have a secret agenda coming into ASM. We are a students rights platform and that is the end of it.
Comment by peter lorenz April 3, 2010 @ 12:57 pm“Students do have a right to be concerned about global events, and as a central student organization I do not think it would be inappropriate for ASM to take a stance on certain issues of particular importance to the current student body”
You ignore Kurt’s point about many students not having a particular opinion or in the case of members of the Jewish community, being flatout opposed to it.
This is like the Dane County Board voting to impeach Bush a few years back, had absolutely no effect and just showed that they have nothing better to do than pander and soapbox. Ugh
Comment by Manhood Jams April 3, 2010 @ 3:03 pmI was not going to comment on these issues as I believe them to be completely frivolous and I doubt students take heed of the politicized comments from a blog post that seeks to do nothing but mislead the student body.
Besides the fact I am really disheartened that people do not seem to do research on the issues.
1. Divestment from South Africa did have an effect.
2. UW investment policy 97-1 also stipulates that the Board of Regents will seriously re-consider investments in companies implicated in practices that `violate, subvert, or frustrate the enforcement of rules of domestic or international law intended to protect individuals and/or groups against deprivation of health, safety, basic freedoms or human rights.’ Companies such as Boeing, Caterpillar, General Dynamics, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, Northrop-Grumman, and Raytheon are particularly culpable since they provide weapons and supporting systems that allow the Israeli Army and security services to implement state policies that cause substantial social injury to the Palestinian people, particularly Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza.
3. THOSE ARE MY PERSONAL BELIEFS. They do not represent the belief of MPOWER as a whole in any way shape or form. Impeach me from Student Council if you feel I do not accurately represent the students. Plain and simple, if you are going to draw correlation between my personal political beliefs and whether those have strayed into the realm of Student Council, you have no choice but to impeach me.
4. Oh did I mention it’s a UW Board of Regent Policy not to invest in companies that violate human rights?
Comment by maxwelllove April 3, 2010 @ 10:56 pmI am not blowing Tina’s quote out of proportion. “A casual comment” – that’s bullshit. This is an example of the types of policies that MPOWER people will support. Wasting student time and effort (hell, maybe even money) on divisive international political issues.
You may have signed onto something that looked like a “student rights” platform, – not entirely sure what you mean by that – but clearly there is a larger political agenda lurking behind what is written on the surface. If you don’t realize that, either you’re trying to hide it too or you’re naive.
Comment by Beyond the Talking Points April 3, 2010 @ 9:26 pmYou’re reaching, Gosselin.
First, I love how you try to speak on behalf of the “Jewish community” when it comes to any proposal to divest from companies profiting from the illegal occupation of Palestinian land. There are many, many Jews who actually support divestment. Stop speaking on behalf of an entire ethnicity of individuals. It’s blatantly offensive.
Secondly, let’s be at least semi-reasonable. Rather than hiding behind the foolish “it’s an internationally divisive issue!!” argument (ignoring that our university is ALREADY FINANCIALLY INVOLVED in this internationally divisive issue), or the baseless argument which purports that this is “MPOWER’S REAL AGENDA!” or that MPOWER is going to focus on this issue at the behest of other, more pressing needs (as if MPOWER can only focus on one issue at a time or that students don’t find our complicity in UN-defined Human Rights violations pressing), why not take a more rational, honest approach?
As in…this is a debate about whether the UW System Board of Regents is following their own policy when it comes to socially responsible investment. Specifically, 97-1 and 78-1. A debate that involves any and every UW student who cares about where our tuition dollars go.
I see no problem with bringing this debate to the table and getting ASM involved, if the SC and the student body wishes to do so. I see no problem with having an interest an international issue if our university is already indirectly involved.
Does that mean this will be the only focus of MPower? Absolutely not. In fact, I’m positive that no one in MPOWER is running based in any way off of a desire to pursue Israeli divestment. These are passionate people interested in getting students involved in a wide range issues that matter to them.
But, because one supporter and one candidate expresses an interest soliciting student interest in a divestment campaign, through a facebook comment, they’re unfit for office? Puh-leez.
Comment by Oh please April 4, 2010 @ 1:46 amThe problem is not that progressives have not tried to take over ASM. My first year in ASM, progressives certainly had a majority. That did not make the organization functional. And now, GSSF groups are alienating their allies in the student government with messages that the leadership is wrong. If they feel this way now, then I think they are missing a key component of the historical narrative of ASM. -SSFC Chair Alex Gallagher in early 2009.
MPOWER is nothing new. Progressives had control of ASM in the early 2000′s and screwed up royally. FACES, ORGASM, etc. the same slate comes back year in and year out claiming to have “new” ideas. The thing is, the NEW ideas really just come down to “You’re not representing US, vote US in so WE can give OURSELVES money. That’s all this is. Don’t let Tina fool you. Read “beyond the talking points” MPOWER really just wants to help SLAC, MCSC, CWC, and Wunk Sheek.
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