American Politics: An Enabling Immunity

[Ifreann]

And how much money is the university donating to Israel?

Also sorry for reading the definition wrong my bad lol

The exact amount is unknown, to my knowledge - part of the demands is the disclosure of such.

University officials are on record saying they refuse to divest, however - so it's not nothing.

Have to assume if their investment in Israel was trivial or entirely unrelated to the war then they'd have said so and probably taken a lot of wind out of the sails of these protests. But the fact that they're instead bringing in the police to beat their students down then clearly they've got some serious money on the line.

[Phobos Drilling and Manufacturing]

The exact amount is unknown, to my knowledge - part of the demands is the disclosure of such.

University officials are on record saying they refuse to divest, however - so it's not nothing.

Have to assume if their investment in Israel was trivial or entirely unrelated to the war then they'd have said so and probably taken a lot of wind out of the sails of these protests. But the fact that they're instead bringing in the police to beat their students down then clearly they've got some serious money on the line.

That is true. The amount of money being invested is probabaly not something to squint at.

[Vassenor]

While that is an option, that is something I wouldn't say would be ideal. Campus officials need to be more flexible in their demands (as do the protestors), but given things are at a standstill, it's not looking good. But as a reminder, if police go in their break it up, you'll be looking at 1968 all over again, and we know how that ended, especially for Democrats.

These entitled people’s demands aren’t reasonable. I don’t like oil companies. Do I and others have a right to occupy the lobby of their headquarters and prevent employees from getting to work?

Question: What is your objection to free speech?

[Zurkerx]

Once again, what does encouraging a university to divest from the Israel conflict going to do to solve the problem? The IDF and Hamas are not gonna look at Columbia university and be like “Oh wow maybe we should stop fighting.”

If you cut off investments from, as an example, Israeli Weapon Industries, the company that manufactures the Tavor assault rifles that are IDF standard issue, well that's obviously going to hamper Israel's ability to equip their soldiers to point Tavors in the faces of innocent Palestinian children.

Of course, one could also make the argument that even if divesting from companies such as IWI does not actually impact the course of the war, it is obviously the morally correct course of action. Consider that Columbia already refuses to invest in the tobacco industry.

Correct, but remember, these universities hold a very small fraction within these companies, so small it wouldn't dent anything on the company's end - they simply will find someone else to invest in those companies to make up the loss.

So morally, that's where this would go considering even if all these universities divest from anything related to Israel, I seriously doubt it would hurt these companies or Israel itself significantly. Of course, the effort is more of raising awareness and stigmatizing partnerships that these companies have with Israel and thus (hopefully in the eyes of the protestors) that reduces or end doing business with Israel. That seems unlikely right now, if not improbable.

[Southland]

This is my problem with protestors of the Israeli Hamas war. Unlike the civil rights protests or the Anti Vietnam protests in the 60s or even the BLM riots, all of which the citizen of the US were greatly and directly effected by their respective problems, the Israel Hamas war pretty much doesn’t directly affect anyone except for the families of those in the area. Stop trying to get involved in a conflict that is thousands of miles away. Tens of Thousands of people protesting for Israel or Palestine to stand down isn’t gonna do shit. The Israelis or the Palestinians or Hamas don’t give 2 shits about what some white urbanites with nothing better do to think.

The average American wasn't affected by white South Africans oppressing its black population either, but they still rightfully protested against it. You're basically asking people to stop having empathy for people in other countries. Which is...quite a position not going to lie.

[Stellar Colonies]

California’s population increased last year for first time since 2020 (Los Angeles Times)

California’s population rose last year for the first time since 2020, according to new state data.

The state’s population increased by 0.17% — or more than 67,000 people — between Jan. 1, 2023, and Jan. 1, 2024, when California was home to 39,128,162 people, according to new population estimates released Tuesday by the California Department of Finance.

“The brief period of California’s population decline is over,” H.D. Palmer, a department spokesman, said in a phone interview. “We’re back, and we’re returning to a rate of steady, stable growth.”

That resumption of growth, Palmer said, was driven by a number of factors: Deaths, which rose during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, have fallen nearly to pre-pandemic levels. Restrictive foreign immigration policies imposed during the Trump administration have been loosened under President Biden. Domestic migration patterns between states also have changed, boosting the state’s population.

In 2021, as the pandemic raged, more than 319,000 people died in California and fewer than 420,000 were born, the data show. Last year, about 281,000 died in the state, while nearly 399,000 were born.

And while California saw a net loss of nearly 3,900 people to international immigration in 2020 — when many countries’ borders were closed due to the pandemic — the state saw a net gain of more than 114,000 international immigrants last year, according to state data. That’s close to pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, California notched a net increase of about 119,000 international immigrants.

Shifting domestic migration trends — which were the subject of the much-ballyhooed “California exodus” during the pandemic, when remote workers moved to other states where they could live for a fraction of the cost of cities like Los Angeles or San Francisco — also played a key role.

In 2021, about 692,000 people left California for other states, while fewer than 337,000 moved into the Golden State from other states.

Last year, about 414,000 people moved here from other states, while more than 505,000 left for other states. That means California saw a net loss of about 264,500 fewer people to other states last year than in 2021, according to the new state data.

Los Angeles and Orange counties grew last year, though not by much; the former saw a population rise of just 0.05% — or nearly 4,800 people — while the latter notched up 0.31% — or nearly 9,800 people.

For both jurisdictions, that’s a reversal from 2022, when L.A. County saw a net loss of nearly 42,200 residents and Orange County lost about 17,000 residents. The city of Los Angeles saw its population rise 0.3% last year, the data show.

California also saw a net increase of about 116,000 housing units — including single-family homes, multi-family dwellings and accessory dwelling units, or ADUs — in 2023. Palmer described that growth as an “encouraging” sign amid the state’s housing crisis.

That rise, which is a relative drop in the bucket compared with the state’s more than 14.8 million housing units, was led by the city of Los Angeles, which saw a gain of more than 21,000 housing units, followed by an increase of about 5,700 units in San Diego, according to the state data.

While California’s resumption of population growth is a boon for boosters who reject the storyline of the state’s decline, there is no indication that the Golden State will be returning to the massive boom in residents it underwent generations ago.

“For the foreseeable future, we’re looking at steady, more predictable growth that’s slower than those go-go years of the 1970s and 1980s,” Palmer said. “Obviously, there are things that we can’t forecast that could have an impact on our population. For instance, another pandemic.”

[Zurkerx]

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is moving to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, moving it from Schedule One to Schedule Three, saying it would recognize medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs. This does not mean it would be legal for recreational purposes, however. Still, it's a major step towards possible legalization of the drug although that is a long ways away.

[Stellar Colonies]

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is moving to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, moving it from Schedule One to Schedule Three, saying it would recognize medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs. This does not mean it would be legal for recreational purposes, however. Still, it's a major step towards possible legalization of the drug although that is a long ways away.

Feds might be seeing the way the wind's blowing.

[Zancostan]

These entitled people’s demands aren’t reasonable. I don’t like oil companies. Do I and others have a right to occupy the lobby of their headquarters and prevent employees from getting to work?

Question: What is your objection to free speech?

Again you should absolutely occupy the lobby of those oil companies and prevent people from getting to work that would be AWESOME.

[Phobos Drilling and Manufacturing]

This is my problem with protestors of the Israeli Hamas war. Unlike the civil rights protests or the Anti Vietnam protests in the 60s or even the BLM riots, all of which the citizen of the US were greatly and directly effected by their respective problems, the Israel Hamas war pretty much doesn’t directly affect anyone except for the families of those in the area. Stop trying to get involved in a conflict that is thousands of miles away. Tens of Thousands of people protesting for Israel or Palestine to stand down isn’t gonna do shit. The Israelis or the Palestinians or Hamas don’t give 2 shits about what some white urbanites with nothing better do to think.

The average American wasn't affected by white South Africans oppressing its black population either, but they still rightfully protested against it. You're basically asking people to stop having empathy for people in other countries. Which is...quite a position not going to lie.

There is a difference between apartheid, something that is objectively bad, and a conflict in which neither side in the right.

[Jerzylvania]

Once again, what does encouraging a university to divest from the Israel conflict going to do to solve the problem? The IDF and Hamas are not gonna look at Columbia university and be like “Oh wow maybe we should stop fighting.”

That’s a rather disingenuous argument. It belongs with we should stop law enforcement because crime still happens.

Corollary: Only stop law enforcement on those private colleges campuses bc we pretend crime can't happen there.

[Jerzylvania]

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is moving to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, moving it from Schedule One to Schedule Three, saying it would recognize medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs. This does not mean it would be legal for recreational purposes, however. Still, it's a major step towards possible legalization of the drug although that is a long ways away.

In general, all i can say is... well, it's about time!

Critics point out that as a Schedule III drug, marijuana would remain regulated by the DEA. That means the roughly 15,000 cannabis dispensaries in the U.S. would have to register with the DEA like regular pharmacies and fulfill strict reporting requirements, something that they are loath to do and that the DEA is ill equipped to handle.

^Typical of the bungling bozos of fed drug policy even when they've nearly done something smart. WTF classify it in schedule 3 with steroids and Ketamine?

It's legal for recreational Cannabis in 24 states, like NJ, MD, NY, DE, DC, OH... wait. Where the hell's PA?

[Stellar Colonies]

College protests in California: See what’s happening at each campus (San Francisco Chronicle)

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have spread across college campuses in California and throughout the country, with students calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war and demanding that school administrators stop all investments tied to Israel.

Students at more than a dozen universities in California have rallied and set up encampments, holding study groups, prayers, art workshops and more. In some cases, demonstrations — and the response to them — have disrupted academics, campus life and commencement plans.

On Monday, San Francisco State University became the latest Bay Area college to join the nationwide movement — one that has resulted in hundreds of student arrests as universities struggle to balance freedom of speech rights and campus safety. The protests have largely been peaceful, but some Jewish students have reported feeling unsafe amid claims of increasing antisemitism.

Protests at universities had been happening since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages, 100 of whom are still being held. In the ensuing war, Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza, the majority of them women and children, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The current movement was sparked by an April 17 protest at Columbia University in New York, during which administrators called in the city’s Police Department to clear student encampments. More than 100 students were arrested, prompting faculty members to rally in support of the demonstrators and condemn the arrests. In solidarity, students at campuses across the country began following suit.

Here are the California colleges where major pro-Palestinian demonstrations and protests are taking place.

BAY AREA

San Francisco State University

Hundreds of SFSU students rallied at Malcolm X Plaza on Monday afternoon, and demonstrators set up a dozen tents outside the student union. Students are demanding that SFSU and the California State University system divest from Israel and “stop investing our tuition in genocide,” organizers said. Administrators said the university will respect the rights of students to peacefully protest while working to ensure the safety of protesters and the campus community.

UC Berkeley

On April 22, students established an encampment with rows of tents on the steps of the administrative building Sproul Hall and pledged to stay outside until the university divests from companies doing business in Israel and creates a Palestinian studies program. No arrests or altercations related to the protest have been reported, according to the student newspaper the Daily Californian. The Jewish Community Relations Council Bay Area on X called the protesters’ words “abhorrent” but said they have a right to free speech and assembly, and that administrators were “committed to ensuring Jewish safety and participation in campus life.”

Stanford University

Students erected a “People’s University for Palestine” encampment at White Memorial Plaza on Thursday evening. On Friday, administrators threatened to discipline or arrest protesters who camp overnight, saying free expression is allowed at White Plaza but that overnight camping isn’t. No arrests have been reported.

Sonoma State University

The “SSU Gaza Solidarity Encampment” on Person Lawn was set up at the Rohnert Park campus on Friday evening. In a campus-wide message to the campus community Sunday, Sonoma State President Mike Lee said the protest has been peaceful. The university’s Police Department has been monitoring the protest and “have not found it necessary to take any action at this time,” Lee said.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Cal Poly Humboldt

Police arrested more than 20 people, including students, faculty and one journalist, early Tuesday morning on Cal Poly Humboldt’s campus after issuing warnings to disperse for several hours. The arrests and further attempts by police to clear the encampment of protesters calling for a cease-fire in Gaza and an end to U.S. military support for Israel reflected simmering tensions on the Northern California campus. after days of demonstrations. Students occupied two buildings over the weekend.

The university announced a hard closure of the campus, prohibiting people from being on or entering the campus without permission. All instruction and work has shifted to remote during the closure, which will remain in effect through the end of the semester on May 10.

Sacramento State University

The Sacramento State chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine launched an encampment at the Library Quad on Monday. A university spokesperson told the State Hornet, the student newspaper, that protesters will need to disperse by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

University of Southern California

The Los Angeles Police Department arrested 93 people at the University of Southern California on April 24 amid protests against the Israel-Hamas war and the university’s cancellation of the graduation speech of a pro-Palestinian valedictorian. The next day, the university announced it was canceling its main commencement ceremony on May 10. In response, two prominent speakers scheduled to appear at satellite graduation ceremonies dropped out and are calling on others to join them in a boycott, the Los Angeles Times reported.

UCLA

Students set up a pro-Palestinian encampment in front of Royce Hall on Thursday morning. Counterprotesters, waving Israeli flags, began gathering that afternoon and continued into the weekend, according to the Daily Bruin. The dueling protesters clashed on Sunday, resulting in a mostly peaceful shouting match. No arrests were made.

UC Irvine

The UCI Gaza Solidarity Encampment was launched on Monday. Students organized the first day with a rally, teach-ins, art activities and games, meals and a prayer break.

UC Santa Barbara

Students have organized protests around campus, some setting up tents and hosting workshops at the university’s student resource building on Monday, according to News Channel 3-12.

UC Riverside

Students launched an encampment at the Belltower Lawn on Monday morning, organizers announced in an Instagram post.

Occidental College

An encampment was set up Monday morning on the campus Quad, according to an Instagram post by the group Students for Justice in Palestine at Occidental College.

Claremont Colleges

Demonstrations at three Claremont College campuses — Harvey Mudd, Pitzer and Pomona — halted alumni festivities over the weekend, according to the Claremont Courier. A pro-Palestinian encampment was set on the Pitzer College mounts, the outlet reported.

[Ifreann]

The average American wasn't affected by white South Africans oppressing its black population either, but they still rightfully protested against it. You're basically asking people to stop having empathy for people in other countries. Which is...quite a position not going to lie.

There is a difference between apartheid, something that is objectively bad, and a conflict in which neither side in the right.

Apartheid was a conflict thousands of miles away from white urbanite Americans with nothing better to do.

[Shrillland]

There is a difference between apartheid, something that is objectively bad, and a conflict in which neither side in the right.

Apartheid was a conflict thousands of miles away from white urbanite Americans with nothing better to do.

I think they refer to Hamas. You can't exactly call Hamas mere freedom fighters when their stated goals include wiping out Jews to ensure Israel can't come back. And by the same token, while violence can be seen as justified against tyrannical regimes, Hamas' mass slaughter and rapes aren't on the same level as the bombings the ANC undertook in those days.

[Zurkerx]

Usually as the months warm up, border crossings increase. And yet, they have remained lower than usual. It's a welcoming sign to the White House, which hopes its partnership with Mexico on deportations and cracking down on illegal immigration. Things can change, but if the numbers remain lower than usual, it would possibly dissuade Biden from taking aggressive action on the border. It could also help him politically too, showing that he can manage the border although I do think he will still take some kind of action, especially if the numbers increase more.

[Dresderstan]

Usually as the months warm up, border crossings increase. And yet, they have remained lower than usual. It's a welcoming sign to the White House, which hopes its partnership with Mexico on deportations and cracking down on illegal immigration. Things can change, but if the numbers remain lower than usual, it would possibly dissuade Biden from taking aggressive action on the border. It could also help him politically too, showing that he can manage the border although I do think he will still take some kind of action, especially if the numbers increase more.

I'd wait until around June or July til things heat up in the South.

[Zurkerx]

Usually as the months warm up, border crossings increase. And yet, they have remained lower than usual. It's a welcoming sign to the White House, which hopes its partnership with Mexico on deportations and cracking down on illegal immigration. Things can change, but if the numbers remain lower than usual, it would possibly dissuade Biden from taking aggressive action on the border. It could also help him politically too, showing that he can manage the border although I do think he will still take some kind of action, especially if the numbers increase more.

I'd wait until around June or July til things heat up in the South.

Generally, the increases begin in March and climb more and more as the summer starts - around the time you said. Still, if numbers are lower than last year, we can expect Biden to tout that. So, we'll see what happens, and whether Mexico will continue helping the US on the border.

[Krikkit]

Guns as gifts isn’t that uncommon of a thing even in the world of politics.

Weird to give Trump the gift of a gun, considering he's not a shooter.

You gotta give the old guy someway out of this, he's still human after all

[Krikkit]

Another measure joins the Plaza...and no, it's not the abortion measure yet, though that'll be up before the month's out. In fact, it's another state's debut:

Hawaii: Hawaii will be voting on an amendment that would repeal the legislature's right to ban same-sex marriage.

As a Bisexual woman I support that, it's long past due that the right for gay marriage be protected. Love is fucked up enough as it is don't make it any harder. The only way I could imagine you being against it is if you were operating under The God Delusion, which should really be kept in your bedrooms and whatever term your delusion clubs have.

[Ifreann]

Apartheid was a conflict thousands of miles away from white urbanite Americans with nothing better to do.

I think they refer to Hamas. You can't exactly call Hamas mere freedom fighters when their stated goals include wiping out Jews to ensure Israel can't come back. And by the same token, while violence can be seen as justified against tyrannical regimes, Hamas' mass slaughter and rapes aren't on the same level as the bombings the ANC undertook in those days.

I think that Valles' position is that people should not be protesting over a conflict that's occurring thousands of miles away from them. I think that, because he said as much. If his actual belief is that protesting against Israel's war crimes is unacceptable because Hamas are no angels then he should have said that. But he didn't. If he has a problem with how it looks to take a position that logically means he's opposed to the protests against apartheid South Africa then maybe he should sort out what his actual position is instead of making excuses. And he certainly doesn't need you making excuses for him.

[Krikkit]

The average American wasn't affected by white South Africans oppressing its black population either, but they still rightfully protested against it. You're basically asking people to stop having empathy for people in other countries. Which is...quite a position not going to lie.

There is a difference between apartheid, something that is objectively bad, and a conflict in which neither side in the right.

Both sides were shitty in the apartheid fight too, cause they're made up of humans and humans are shit

Honestly the best thing we could do, and the only immediate option to stop suffering, is to complete carpet Israel and Palestine with nuclear weapons. Or better yet shoot some up to explode in atmosphere and make a hole big enough to turn Elysium into the new Venus.

[Shrillland]

I think they refer to Hamas. You can't exactly call Hamas mere freedom fighters when their stated goals include wiping out Jews to ensure Israel can't come back. And by the same token, while violence can be seen as justified against tyrannical regimes, Hamas' mass slaughter and rapes aren't on the same level as the bombings the ANC undertook in those days.

I think that Valles' position is that people should not be protesting over a conflict that's occurring thousands of miles away from them. I think that, because he said as much. If his actual belief is that protesting against Israel's war crimes is unacceptable because Hamas are no angels then he should have said that. But he didn't. If he has a problem with how it looks to take a position that logically means he's opposed to the protests against apartheid South Africa then maybe he should sort out what his actual position is instead of making excuses. And he certainly doesn't need you making excuses for him.

Apologies, I've been skipping through posts, so I didn't quite catch that.

[Philjia]

Donald Trump has been fined $9000 for contempt of court in the hush money trial. In a statement the judge stated that the former president could face a custodial sentence if he continues to wilfully commit contempt.

So now the question is not only if Trump will be convicted of falsifying business records but if he will be able to make it to the end of the trial without being sent down for crimes committed during the course of the trial itself.

[Port Carverton]

And what should have he done instead? Do you really think he would have made a better decision or a better impression if he showed bias towards one side or the other of the conflict and thus appeared to be showing favoritism towards or prejudice against certain religions or ethnic groups?

If he'd taken a consistent position against killing civilians and cut off military aid to Israel when they started killing civilians then Biden would probably be in a far better position. But of course, Biden was never going to do that, because he isn't consistently against killing civilians.

---

The right to assemble does not include the right to assemble on someone else's property without the owner's permission.

But this isn't just someone's property, is it? It's a college campus, and the protesters are students.

As far as I am aware, Columbia is private, so actually they do have the right to clear them out.