The open letter says I have always felt that the main struggle is to organize ourselves and when 350 people flooded into that open hearing and we spooked Simone on Halloween Eve, I felt that whatever the damn Regents did that we had already won; for a "national" organizer like myself it was inspiring to get off the phone and down to the grass-roots and once again the arrogance, racism, and contempt of our enemies (as embodied by Regent Garry and Simone) was driven home to me; after that November 7th "open" hearing, I fully realized why I strongly argued for disregarding formal "Board"procedures and advocated a direct action response on the 10th; I don't think that 15 of us would have been...
The open letter says I have always felt that the main struggle is to organize ourselves and when 350 people flooded into that open hearing and we spooked Simone on Halloween Eve, I felt that whatever the damn Regents did that we had already won; for a "national" organizer like myself it was inspiring to get off the phone and down to the grass-roots and once again the arrogance, racism, and contempt of our enemies (as embodied by Regent Garry and Simone) was driven home to me; after that November 7th "open" hearing, I fully realized why I strongly argued for disregarding formal "Board"procedures and advocated a direct action response on the 10th; I don't think that 15 of us would have been sitting in physical and political isolation on that day; my only regret was that we did not take over control of the 7th meeting--ruling the Chair out of order--and preceding to call our speakers. The open letter says the Finance Committee did not set a deadline for the implementation of full divestment, and it will be necessary that they specify the companies that are slated for divestment; at Columbia University, in a move that will surely revive a militant movement, the Trustees have moved to exclude IBM, GM, and COCA-COLA from the divestment list on the grounds that they are "disinvesting" from South Africa which is untrue (Anson will surely be passing out some of the material I gave him on this question). The open letter says it is important that the UH Regents at their November 21 meeting give you the specifics--both deadline and companies; frankly if they do not--and in light of their contemptuous treatment of students and faculty on the 7th--I would advocate taking the action originally planned for the 10th. The open letter says divestment is a target, the protest themselves are creating the climate against U.S. investment in South Africa, so if you don't get exactly what you are demanding go for it. The open letter discusses GM (General Motors), IBM (International Business Machines), democracy, and UH (University of Hawaii). [Note: Anson is Anson Chong.]
