April 18, 2006
Salting Slugs
Slimy and spineless, subsisting on a steady diet of debris and feces and preferring to hide in dark, dank places, it seems that the University of California at Santa Cruz chose their mascot of a banana slug wisely.
One week ago, today a group of UC Santa Cruz students calling themselves Students Against War (SAW) committed felonies by blocking military recruiters from the U.S. Army and National Guard attempting to participate in a job fair on campus. According to the exact letter of the law as it is written in Title 18, Part I, chapter 115 Section 2388 (a):
Whoever, when the United States is at war, willfully makes or conveys false reports or false statements with intent to interfere with the operation or success of the military or naval forces of the United States or to promote the success of its enemies; or Whoever, when the United States is at war, willfully causes or attempts to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty, in the military or naval forces of the United States, or willfully obstructs the recruiting or enlistment service of the United States, to the injury of the service or the United States, or attempts to do so -Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
[emphasis mine - ed.]
Clearly, by willfully obstructing the recruiting efforts, these students committed felonies covered by federal treason and sedition laws, but that has not inflamed public sensitivities. No, what has inflamed the Left is the simple act of conservative Michelle Malkin, who posted the contact information of the organizers from the SAW press release (names since removed) on her blog.
As a result of posting this contact information, the three student activists who led this illegal act - Sam Aranke, Janine Carmona, and David Zlutnick - have been inundated with irate phone calls and emails. Some, perhaps many of them were threatening. The students have since asked Malkin to remove their contact information even though it has been used (and is still being used) by other fringe group web sites to help in their recruiting efforts.
Not surprisingly, the left wants to have it both ways. They want to be able to recruit on their own without objection or impassioned criticism, while they at the same time object to military recruiting by committing felonious acts of treason and sedition, and hope to get away with it without any response.
Blogger Ezra Klein, not surprisingly a Slug himself, wants to generate sympathy for these criminals, calling them:
...young, idealistic kids determined to save the world, feeling their way through uncertain thickets of ideology and unfamiliar collections of ideas, and naive about the dangers of direct political action outside a university's protected confines.
Klein would excuse a felonious act with a good intention, and would make college a place where laws do not apply. In his fantasy world that may be the case, but as Duke university lacrosse team members found out at 5:00 AM this morning, college enrollment is no excuse for committing one or more felonies.
Sam Aranke, Janine Carmona, and David Zlutnick proudly conspired to commit a felonious act against the United States. A few empty emailed death threats are a mild penalty compared to the jail time that they and their treasonous compatriots so richly deserve.
Jailing these nuts is not necessary. If the 'employers' of the country can't judge by what they saw while there, they are in trouble. Why would any reputable company hire a graduate from that or any other left wing liberal college. You're only setting your company up for real problems in the future. The racism and anti-america rants implanted in their brain by the leftie professors won't leave them when they graduate.
Every member of a minority in the country should read the remarks sent to Malkin's site. If they need further proof of where the racist are hiding they they are already in deep trouble.
Every thing the lefties try to project onto the Republicans is only proof that they themselves are the ones harboring those vile feeling and it's shows in their actions.
I disagree,
I think Jail time is not only warrented, but necessary. Free speech is one thing (I fully believe in it until you cross the line), they crossed the line. Just as more and more people are doing today.
Don't agree with the war, Fine, protest within the confines of the law.
Don't agree with the President, Fine, Protest within the confines of the law.
Break the law to the detriment of all (as impeding the military does) it is against the law, PAY the PRICE.
Posted by: Retired Navy at April 18, 2006 01:40 PMI feel pretty strongly in the right of the young to be stupid and impetuous. Being stupid is part of what it means to be young. They have no sense of proportion and little sense of history. No "big picture" ability. So I'm not that upset with them.
BUT, that doesn't mean consequences don't apply. When kids drive recklessly, sometimes they wrap their car around a tree. Physics grants no quarter. And when they go over the edge in their "student radical" fantasies, sometimes they get arrested and sometimes they do real time.
Without the consequences, where's the cache? How are they going to get sorority girls to sleep with them because they're so dangerous and edgy if there aren't risks and sometimes punishments?
Posted by: tim maguire at April 18, 2006 02:17 PMJailing these nuts is not necessary.
No, but it would be a civics lesson for them that will last a lifetime...and it will make me feel good.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at April 18, 2006 03:44 PM#1- "Why would any reputable company hire a graduate from that or any other left wing liberal college. You're only setting your company up for real problems in the future. The racism and anti-america rants implanted in their brain by the leftie professors won't leave them when they graduate."
Alright, I understand where that is coming from, but I have to protest on behalf of conservative students at predominately liberal colleges/grad schools, which unfortunately include most of the top schools in the country.
Posted by: Amber at April 18, 2006 05:17 PMWar has not been declared. The "War on Terror" does not constitute an official state of war, any more than does the "War on Drugs." Nor does the conflict in Iraq constitute an official state of war, any more than did the invasion of Panama, or Grenada. To think otherwise would mean that the U.S. would be in a perpetual state of war, based on the President's rhetorical flourishes or any use of military force. But perhaps you would like that. Anyway, these kids may have been guilty of blocking access to a public facility, disturbing the peace, or some other similar misdemeanor, but not the felony you cite. As usual, a right-wing blogger conflates non-violent civil protest, or any manifest opposition to the war or, as in this case, opposition to recruitment into the military that serves in that war, with treasonous behavior. I suppose you would like to see everyone who disagrees with this Administration and its mis-managed war, and who is active in expressing that dissent, locked up or mistreated in some way. But fortunately, we still live in a country where people can express their dissent.
"People should not be afraid of their governments; governments should be afraid of their people."
Posted by: Liberal Troll at April 18, 2006 06:08 PMInteresting attempt to dodge responsibility, Liberal Troll, but your understanding of the law is incorrect. There is nothing in the Federal law requiring an official declaration of war by Congress. It is written as "when the United States is at war." We are clearly engaged in warfare in not one, but two nations, and attempting to recruit soldiers to fight in each.
Clearly, among all but the most unbalanced, this was an unlawful act.
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at April 18, 2006 07:44 PMMr. Klein is indulgent toward the hooligans, who wanted to play a big boy's game without suffering the big boy consequences that the invaluable Michelle Malkin dished out to them. I love your analysis. Right on!
It's what makes your blog invaluable, too.
BTW, Klein was on CSPAN last Sunday and gave the typical progressive caricature of Charles Murray's Bell Curve: it's how blacks are genetically inferior to whites. Rather, the book looks at National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and finds a very strong correlation between IQ and subsequent success in the meritocracy. Of people of both sexes, all races. There is a chapter of blacks--the shortest in the book--which was a courageous decision, if foolhardy. It gives Klein, who probably hasn't read the book, the "ammunition" to dismiss it.
As he does here to the great Charles Murray (sub. rec'q.): http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20060410&s=klein041006
Posted by: a superfluous man at April 19, 2006 02:30 AMLiberal Troll,
I have a question for you. Since these kids are doing no harm as you say, why not protest in the proper way? What I mean is this, the Military people are just there to do a job. That job is to look after the U.S. and do what those that are FREELY elected into congress and the White House say. It is not up to the soldier or sailor to set forth policy other than to vote or protest on their own time. While in Uniform, they abide by the laws and do what they must to protect this nation, even if they don't agree with it.
Why not block congress from getting in their offices? Or better yet, block them from getting out so they actually have to deal with passing some laws?
Protest during elections for those that shouldn't be in office.
Stop picking on the young men and women that just want to protect and serve ALL of the U.S.
Posted by: Retired Navy at April 19, 2006 05:13 AMGreat name - Liberal Troll - All you have to do is read the name and know that you don't have to bother reading the post.
Posted by: Specter at April 19, 2006 10:59 AMWhat exactly is going on in Iraq then, Liberal Troll, if not war? As liberals would be the first to remind us, it's not exactly a tea party. Besides, the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan were authorized by Congress. The War Powers Resolution (1973), requires the President to obtain either a declaration of war OR a resolution authorizing the use of force from Congress within 60 days of initiating hostilities.
Posted by: Amber at April 19, 2006 01:59 PM
