Tell us what to read at a campus filibuster
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| Also listed in: Campus Progress Blog |
Campus Progress, and other efforts to strengthen progressive work among young people, won’t succeed unless young people lead. We can provide some expertise and resources, but the most energy and the best ideas will come from young people. We see that now at Princeton, where students from the Campus Progress-supported Princeton Progressive Review are leading a filibuster at the Frist Campus Center. They’re giving time and stretching lungs to highlight the work of one Frist heir, Senator Bill, to weaken our democratic principles in pursuit of confirmation for every last arch-conservative, out-of-the-mainstream judicial appointment of the Bush Administration.
It’s late in the semester, but if you want to, you can filibuster on your own campus. You may not have as fitting a forum as a Frist Center or a Lott or Cheney center, but you have someplace where students, faculty, staff and others can hear your message. If you want tools to help – handouts, talking points, etc. – let us know: Contact Emily Hawkins of our staff at ehawkins@americanprogress.org .
Whether or not you want to have your own filibuster, we hope you’ll suggest some read-out-loud material for your fellow students, at Princeton and wherever else this may go next. Please post your ideas as comments to this post.
Here’s mine, not the coolest choice but one that’s relevant: In 1999, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, which sits in Richmond, struck down the part of the 1994 Violence Against Women Act that authorized rape and domestic abuse victims to sue their attackers in federal court. The seven conservative judges on the Court ruled that Congress lacked the power to create such a law (and the five conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court later affirmed that decision). The four moderate to liberal judges on the court in Richmond joined together in a dissenting opinion by Judge Diana Gribbon Motz. Read Judge Motz's dissent because it highlights what’s at stake as more and more Scalia-like judges join the bench. Read it for its tough, smart analysis of the issues. Read it because it’s plenty long and will fillabuncha hours. To read, click here and search the page for this phrase:
“MOTZ, Circuit Judge, dissenting”
It’s late in the semester, but if you want to, you can filibuster on your own campus. You may not have as fitting a forum as a Frist Center or a Lott or Cheney center, but you have someplace where students, faculty, staff and others can hear your message. If you want tools to help – handouts, talking points, etc. – let us know: Contact Emily Hawkins of our staff at ehawkins@americanprogress.org .
Whether or not you want to have your own filibuster, we hope you’ll suggest some read-out-loud material for your fellow students, at Princeton and wherever else this may go next. Please post your ideas as comments to this post.
Here’s mine, not the coolest choice but one that’s relevant: In 1999, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, which sits in Richmond, struck down the part of the 1994 Violence Against Women Act that authorized rape and domestic abuse victims to sue their attackers in federal court. The seven conservative judges on the Court ruled that Congress lacked the power to create such a law (and the five conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court later affirmed that decision). The four moderate to liberal judges on the court in Richmond joined together in a dissenting opinion by Judge Diana Gribbon Motz. Read Judge Motz's dissent because it highlights what’s at stake as more and more Scalia-like judges join the bench. Read it for its tough, smart analysis of the issues. Read it because it’s plenty long and will fillabuncha hours. To read, click here and search the page for this phrase:
“MOTZ, Circuit Judge, dissenting”
My reading list:
1. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington - Sure, Sony Pictures is refusing to let any progressive group screen this classic or use clips from it to help talk to people about the importance of the filibuster, so why not read the script? Read the scene when the starry-eyed Senator Smith filibusters to block a corrupt pork barrel project. Be sure to sound really dramatic when you say: “Wild horses aren’t going to drag me off this floor until those people have heard everything I’ve got to say."
(Read the full script here: http://www.geocities.com/classicmoviescripts/scrip t/mrsmithgoesto.txt)
2. The new version of scientist James Watson's classic textbook, Molecular Biology of the Gene. Sure, might not sound scintillating or filibuster related but it is over 800-pages long so it should keep you going all night.
3. Try the 1962 Port Huron Statement which articles the beginning of a real grassroots progressive student anti-war movement. The draft of the manifesto was written by former California state senator Tom Hayden. Though portions of it may now seem a bit dated or too full of youthful ego, it is still a great example of both participatory democracy and a real articulation of values by progressive young people.
4. Album lyrics. Of whatever sort. I might suggest a pair of my favorite musicians currently residing in New Jersey: Bruce Springstein and Ted Leo. They both blend the personal and the political but understand that the kids want a good, catchy hook.
If you want to get real into educating your fellow students, read the Project for a New American Century. This is the Neoconservative template for what is now known as the Bush Doctrine. It is truly the Bible of their far right operation. You will be truly enlightening your classmates to what they should be concerned about with these neocons.
Todd
The last to finish reading the entire text has to read Strom Thurmond's 24 hour filibuster. Talk about an incentive!
fitting, and there's enough there to last hours or
days...maybe Theory of Justice or Political
Liberalism. Just a thought.