In Chico, before I came, people were so disgusted with the apathy about the war, that they carried out what may perhaps have been the world's only grovel-in.
The organizers did an outstanding job of preparation and execution; they did so with considerable maturity.
Still, I wished that they had a broader perspective. For example, I did not have any sense of a connection with the local community college or with K-12 education.
In many ways, California is undergoing a self-induced (by a powerful minority) structural adjustment. The problem is not a matter of taking advantage of students and faculty. People are resisting the same forces in Iceland and Greece. Even worse, structural adjustment is only episodic in such advanced countries. In poorer nations, structural adjustment is the norm.
More at:
http://michaelperelman.wordpress.com/2010/03/11/brief-thoughts-about-chicos-education-protest/
-- Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University Chico, CA 95929
530 898 5321 fax 530 898 5901 http://michaelperelman.wordpress.com