UCSD Students Fear "Operation College Freedom"

29 August 2006

A writes:

Can you add an update, since its the top Google result, that says that the letter was eventually sent to the administration with 4 signers? It's here: http://deletetheborder.org/node/1474

22 August 2006

Princeton University study of history of the state of fear, state fears, fear of the state:

http://dav.princeton.edu/news/2006/05/e17/new_topic_for.html

Fear Architecture: http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/08/22/architecture/

UCSD is the University of California at San Diego

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Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2006 11:18:27 -0700 (PDT)

Subject: Re: <nettime> actors wanted

From: lotu5[at]resist.ca

To: "nettime" <nettime-l[at]bbs.thing.net>



Some of us on campus tried to do the simple act of circulating a letter

opposed to wasting so much money on this ["Operation College Freedom"]

in the name of the war on terror and further militarizing our campus.



Unfortunately, the climate of fear at universities in the US has gotten to

such a height that no one would sign on. We even asked for suggestions and

changes in the wording, but no one replied with those either.



Maybe the letter wasn't all that great, but 3 people specifcally told us

that they were "scared" to put their names on the letter.



__________



Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2006 11:23:48 -0700 (PDT)

Subject: Re: <nettime> actors wanted

From: lotu5@resist.ca

To: nettime-l@bbs.thing.net



Actually, here's the letter that never got sent. At least you lucky

nettime readers will get to read it.



//



As students, faculty and staff at UCSD, we are appalled by UCSD's

decision to host the August 22nd terrorism preparedness exercise. While

thousands of people in New Orleans and millions of people

in Lebanon need real disaster relief right now, time and money is being

wasted on this so called "anti-terror" simulation.



We do not want our university to "play the part of the front line in the

war on terrorism", a fictitious war that has only served to increase the

profits of oil and defense corporations while causing so many lost lives,

a war that has served to legitimize human rights abuses, the erosion of

civil liberties, the undermining of the constitution for the purposes of

expanding executive power far beyond what democracy allows, and the

implementation of a police state in the United States.



In addition, we do not want our campus to be any further militarized. With

fighter jets roaring overhead everyday and recruiters at every career

fair, the UCSD campus already has a constant military presence. Bringing

the police and fire departments and the SWAT and HAZMAT teams on campus

will only serve to worsen the climate on campus. We want this to be a

place of learning, not a boot camp!



In this country, we are in a McCarthy-esque climate where academic

freedoms are being infringed on daily. Bringing this kind of

anti-terrorism activity into our school only serves to further a climate

of suspicion and fear. These exercises are not intended to protect us but

to increase the climate of fear so that we do not speak up against more

government abuses.



We request that the UCSD administration make a clear public statement

about how much this "anti-terror" exercise is costing this school, who

requested that it be here and why. We also request a statement about how

the decision was made for our University to be the front line in the war

on terror when neither the faculty or the student body were consulted on

this decision.



Sincerely,



The Undersigned



> Could a terrorism theme park be not far away?  /jc

<...>





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