Dunning column: Goodbye, Gunrock; hello, Fighting Jalapeños

As usual, with 65,000 residents and 64,998 Ph.D.s in town, my mailbox has been filled to overflowing with the thoughts, rants and musings of this town’s intelligentsia over the recent events that have focused the eyes of the world on this place we call Davis.

Writes Curt at aol.com: “Bob — Hate to see people fired (over the pepper-spraying), but I think heads will roll. I understand UC Davis has launched a new recruiting campaign: ‘ UC Davis — We educate, train and season our students the old-fashioned way: Assault and Pepper.”

Curt — Hoping to capitalize on the worldwide publicity that Peppergate has generated for our humble campus, officials at UC Davis have officially fired athletic mascot Gunrock as “too violent.” From now on, in a nod to the ability of simple pepper spray to attract the public’s attention, the Aggies will be known as the “Fighting Jalapeños” and the official school colors have been changed to Red-Hot and White. Instead of tailgating, football fans will be invited to bring their tents the night before a home game and “Occupy” the 50-yard line.

Writes Richard at sbcglobal.net: “Bob — It’s probably time to back off and let the myriad investigations proceed. Enough of the front-page hysteria. To me it’s a case of politically correct academic administrators not being prepared for the reality of potential strife on university campuses.

“I love the long and wordy directive of the grand poohbah, President Yudof: ‘Put in place a structure to assemble recommendations for longer-term practices to ensure the safety of UC community members engaged in peaceful protest.’ With the long history of campus conflicts (particularly in his Berkeley back yard), you would think there would be specific policies and procedures in place for almost any situation.”

Richard — Precisely. After all, they’ve had 42 years since the days of James Rector and People’s Park to come up with policies and procedures to deal with student protests. To think the “Occupy” movement wouldn’t soon take up residence on a UC campus shows a distinct lack of foresight and planning.

Writes Jo at aol.com: “I watched in deep sadness for the students sitting peacefully as the cop sprayed and resprayed them. But I also fault not only the cop who did the spraying, but also the dozens of other officers who stood by and supported his actions. And also the dozens of onlookers with their video cameras who did not step in to surround or protect those few very courageous young people.

“It makes me wonder what has happened to our sweet little town where people looked after each other and the cops were our friends, too. It makes me wonder about our town and how so many could watch and record what was happening so they could make a great YouTube video. Or the many others who watched it, perhaps more like a TV show, with no effort or need to step forward and help or support those being so mistreated.”

Amen, sister Jo, amen.

Writes Jax at yahoo.com: “Bob — You know, maybe you’re on to something when you say we need to occupy the fruit and vegetable aisle. I abhor the whole ‘Occupy’ movement, but maybe we should be embracing it. What’s good for them is good for the rest of us. Occupy Davis Fireplace — a night where we all burn wet Duraflame logs; Occupy Davis Water Project — bring squirt guns to the City Council meeting and douse the council; Occupy Plastic Bags — dress our naked bodies in plastic see-through bags until they agree to drop the ban; Occupy Zipcar — we’ll sneak downtown and let the air out of the tires; Occupy Water Tank — we’ll camp out in the adjacent parking lot and let our kids go to town with paint brushes; Occupy Fourth and G Parking Garage — ah, never mind, nobody uses it, so nobody will care.”

Jax — I want them to Occupy the historic, WPA-era Central Park restroom building before the bulldozers arrive and destroy this final link to our past. 

— Reach Bob Dunning at bdunning@davisenterprise.net

Short URL: http://www.davisenterprise.com/?p=111068

Posted by Bob Dunning on Nov 30 2011.
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