UNM is Dreaming of a White Male Administration…Just Like the Administrations They Used To Know

December 24, 2014 by 2 Comments

UNMREGENTS

***Current UNM Board of Regents and President Frank***

Yesterday, Governor Susana Martinez announced her picks for three new Regents at the University of New Mexico. As per usual, none of the Regent selections were people of color.

That makes a Board of Regents at UNM that is completely lacking in diversity and does not accurately represent the student body. (Oh yeah… Regent Koch resigned, but was reappointed to fill Regent James position. Let’s not forget that 482 out of 492 faculty member’s voted no confidence in Regent Koch in 2010)

This should not come as a surprise to anybody. Just a few months ago, UNM’s first InnovateABQ board was selected and…you guessed it…none of the members were people of color or women. They were a bunch of older white males.

The public was outraged and UNM was forced to “expand” the board from 6 members to 11 members. One of the old white guys on the original board was furious and actually resigned his position. (He claimed that an 11-person board would be ineffective)

Now, you need to understand the process of getting selected for the InnovateABQ Board to understand why white males were selected in the first place. The Board of Regents reviews applications and makes the selections. So is it any surprise that a non-diverse Board of Regents selected a non-diverse InnovateABQ Board?

The University’s old, white, male President Frank is so excited about the expansion of the Board (maybe it has something to do with the city threatening to withhold $2 million unless the Board is expanded). He stated, “This makes up for our lack of diversity the first time…” Wow…I guess we should be grateful that they considered diversity after they were forced to do so.

This is just the tip of the non-diverse iceberg. There has never been a Hispanic, Black, or Native American Student Regent (in 20 plus years) and there are very few people of color in faculty positions. This total lack of diversity is sickening when you realize that 56% of New Mexico’s population is people of color and over 50% of the student body is people of color.

The sad fact is that the old white guard continues to control the establishments of America. They are not going to give up control easily. Racism, sexism, exploitation of the poor, and brutality (by the police and military) will continue as a means to retain power.

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New Mexicans Unite Across the State to Protest Police Brutality & Racism on 12-13-14

December 14, 2014 by 2 Comments

Protest Uptown

***ABQ Uptown Mall***

The Movement has begun. Today, all across the country, tens of thousands of people marched against police brutality and racism. The time to dismantle the unjust system and create something better has arrived.

em121214eProtest Santa Fe

***UNM Medical students hold die-in***People unite in Santa Fe***

In New Mexico, over 60 UNM Medical students held a die-in on UNM North Campus today; 50-100 people gathered in Santa Fe and marched down Cerrillos road; and roughly 30 people “shut down” the ABQ Uptown Mall in Albuquerque.

The numbers of people answering the call for action in New Mexico may not be as overwhelming as some other places, but that does not matter. Any action is better than no action at all.

It is disheartening to hear people say hateful/ignorant comments. It is disheartening to know that the police will mobilize in force to protect consumers and property. It is disheartening to think that people love “flash mobs” in a mall when they sing and dance, but become angry when a group of people attempt to bring awareness of injustice to the public.

At the ABQ Uptown Mall, consumer’s yelled comments like:

“Get a life”

“You are breaking the law…this is private property”

“If Black lives mattered so much, why aren’t there any black people with you?”

“All lives matter…not just black ones”

“All of the shootings were justified”

“Get a job and get out of my way”

“Go protest at the police department, not here”

These comments are typical. They show how little the general public seems to care about racism or injustice. They believe that nothing is wrong with the system. It shows how much they buy into the belief that property rights are more important than human lives. They are more concerned about a few minutes of their commute rather than showing solidarity for a few minutes.

Come on People, get your heads out of your asses. Do I have to be black to believe that black lives matter? Am I only supposed to care about my own race? I know that all lives matter, but the reality is that our system is designed to prey on people of color. It is a fact, not just a fun talking point. Educate yourselves.

protest commute

 “Inconveniencing” consumers by blocking traffic for 5-10 minutes is not done to punish anybody. It is done to force people to take time out of their day to reflect on issues that are important. Does anybody remember the bus boycotts or a woman named Rosa Parks? I will bet people were pissed off at them for “inconveniencing” their commute as well.

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***APD is deployed against peaceful protestors to serve as a private Army for Corporate America***

 The action at the ABQ Uptown Mall was originally supposed to be a die-in at Coronado Mall. Unfortunately the police were tipped off and were surrounding the meeting area. They were ready to arrest anybody who disrupted the capitalistic monster from consuming. Public tax dollars were used to stop people from lying down on the floor for a little while. There were multiple APD officers and cars all around the Mall.

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 The simple fact that the police were there is screwed up and amplifies the distorted truth of our injustice system. The Mall is “private” property; the police are supposed to serve and protect the “public”. They were deployed to the Mall like a private Army for the elite. The “militarization” of the police continues and must be stopped. They should not be at the beckon call of those who have money.

The struggle must continue. The People must have the attention span to keep building this Movement. Although protests are important for creating social awareness, the Movement will be created through organizing, educating the public, and time. People need to know the truth and be educated on why this is important. It has gone on for way too long!

Today was a just the ripple of a social wave that is growing. It doesn’t matter how many People participated today, it matters how many People participate tomorrow and every day after that.

 

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Find out what our Presidents have said about police brutality

December 13, 2014 by Leave a Comment

President Quotes

Here is a list of obscure Presidential quotes concerning Police Brutality and the Injustice System (yes, I am a nerd and went through a ton of presidential papers to find these). I know that some of the quotes may be a little out of context and many of the politicians are not worthy of being attached to them, but I thought they were pretty interesting. I hope you enjoy them.

1. “The American people cannot close their eyes to abuses of human rights and injustice, whether they occur among friend or adversary or even on our own shores.” Ronald Reagan

2. “The paramount duty of maintaining public order and defending the interests of our own people may require the adoption of measures of restriction, but they should not tolerate the oppression of individuals of a special race.” Grover Cleveland

3. “It is always possible that occasional individuals may have overstepped the law and humanity in treatment of criminals and those charged with crime, and if so, they should be severely punished.” Herbert Hoover

4. “[W]e must always remember that you are officers of the law in a great democratic nation which owes its birth to the indignation of its citizens against the encroachment of police and governmental powers against their individual freedoms.” Harry S. Truman

5. “[T]he guilty as well as the innocent are entitled to due process of law. They are entitled to a fair trial. They are entitled to counsel. They are entitled to fair treatment from the police. The law enforcement officer has the same duty as the citizen-indeed, he has a higher duty–to abide by the letter and spirit of our Constitution and laws. You yourselves must be careful to obey the letter of the law. You yourselves must be intellectually honest in the enforcement of the law.” Harry S. Truman

6. “The friendless, the weak, the victims of prejudice and public excitement are entitled to the same quality of justice and fair play that the rich, the powerful, the well-connected, and the fellow with pull thinks he can get.” Harry S. Truman

7. “[T]he rule of law does more than ensure freedom from high-handed action by rulers. It ensures justice between man and man however humble the one and however powerful the other. A man with five dollars in the bank can call to account the corporation with five billion dollars in assets–and the two will be heard as equals before the law.” Dwight D. Eisenhower

8. “Every citizen, regardless of his race, creed, or color, is entitled to equal justice.” Lyndon B. Johnson

9. “Effective law enforcement and social justice must be pursued together, as the foundation of our efforts against crime.” Lyndon B. Johnson

10. “It is very seldom that any one is in prison for an ordinary crime unless early in life he entered a path that almost invariably led to the prison gate. Most of the inmates are the children of the poor. In many instances they are either orphans or half-orphans; their homes were the streets and byways of big cities, and their paths naturally and inevitably took them to their final fate.” Lyndon B. Johnson quoting Clarence Darrow

11. “Law enforcement officers should use only the minimum force necessary in dealing with disorders when they arise. A human life–the life of a student, soldier, or police officer–is a precious thing, and the taking of a life can be justified only as a necessary and last resort.” Richard Nixon

12. “[W]e cannot speak of human rights in other countries unless we are going to do our utmost to protect the rights of our own people here at home.” Jimmy Carter

13. “[N]early all inmates are drawn from the ranks of the powerless and the poor. A child of privilege frequently receives the benefit of the doubt; a child of poverty seldom does.” Jimmy Carter

14. “In many courts, plea bargaining serves the convenience of the judge and the lawyers, not the ends of justice, because the courts simply lack the time to give everyone a fair trial.” Jimmy Carter

15. “Powerful white-collar criminals cheat consumers of millions of dollars; public officials who abuse their high rank damage the integrity of our Nation in profound and longlasting ways. But too often, these bigshot crooks escape the full consequences of their acts. Justice must be blind to rank, power, and position.” Jimmy Carter

16. “What our administration and our party seek is the day when the tragic side of the black legacy in America can be laid to rest once and for all, and the long, perilous voyage toward freedom, dignity, and opportunity can be completed—a day when every child born in America will live free not only of political injustice but of fear, ignorance, prejudice, and dependency.” Ronald Reagan

17. “Law enforcement officials cannot place themselves above the law that they are sworn to defend.” George H.W. Bush

18. “What we’re going to do is look into violations of the law and prosecute any of the people that have violated the Federal law and speak out against police brutality — because what I saw made me sick. It was sickening to see the beating that was rendered, and there’s no way, in my view, to explain that away. It was outrageous.” George H.W. Bush

19. “Not all Americans are living the American dream by a long shot. Many can’t even imagine it. There are impoverished Americans, the poor and the homeless, the hungry and the hopeless, many unable to read and write. There are Americans gone astray, the kids dragged down by drugs, the shattered families, the teenage mothers struggling to cope. Then there are Americans uneasy, troubled and bewildered by the dizzying pace of change.” George H.W. Bush

20. “[W]e have a right to expect a police force that protects our citizens and behaves in a responsible manner… in the American conscience there is no room for bigotry and racism.” George H.W. Bush

21. “[W]e also generally agree that it is important for you to focus on the constructive steps the Administration has taken and will take to root out police brutality,and strengthen the bond between police officers and the communities they serve.” Bill Clinton

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Why do elites get away with crime? D.A. Brandenburg is NOT above the law!

December 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment

KariBrandenburg

Stop me if you heard this before… the police conduct an investigation that reveals information that they believe is solid enough to press charges. The suspect claims innocence, but the system ignores their pleas and eventually sends them to prison.

Doesn’t that sound like thousands of cases that happen every single day across the United States?

Now let’s throw in a twist. What if the suspect is the District Attorney? What if that D.A. claims innocence despite strong evidence of wrongdoing? Well… you probably know where I am going with this now.

 gotojail

THROW HER ASS IN JAIL

That’s right…I am talking about District Attorney Kari Brandenburg and the recent allegations of witness intimidation and bribery. The D.A. is claiming that she has “never at any time violated the law.” Yet the APD report states that “there was probable cause to believe Brandenburg had violated state laws against witness bribery and intimidation in connection with alleged thefts of thousands of dollars worth of property by her 26 year old son.”

Wait a minute… did they say probable cause? In a record statement from 2012, D.A. Brandenburg states that probable cause is the requirement to present a case to a Grand Jury for indictment. Therefore, according to D.A. Brandenburg, it appears that this case should be presented to a Grand Jury to decide whether or not the D.A. should be indicted.

That being said, the reality is that she will probably never be put into that position. Why? This country and its People are governed by 2 sets of laws. One is for the elite class (politicians, corporations, and other “important” or rich individuals). This set of laws is loose and works in their favor. They are immune from the “regular” set of laws. The “regular” set of laws applies to everybody else and gets worse depending upon economic status or the color of a person’s skin.

This is a major problem in our society. In With Liberty and Justice for Some by Glenn Greenwald, the problem is explained:

“When the law is wielded only against the powerless, it ceases to be a safeguard against injustice and becomes the primary tool of oppression.”

D.A. Brandenburg is in an elected office that is expected to be tough on criminals. She is amongst the elite and expects that the system grant her immunity. She believes that she is above the law. Let any of us have a criminal investigation that yields probable cause. Do you think that she would just take our word that we were innocent? HELL NO! She would throw the book at us.

There is evidence that she intimated witnesses and bribed them. Who fucking cares what her story is. She can claim innocence, but needs to do it in a court of law. Mr. Greenwald also states “Courtrooms, indictments, and prisons are there for ordinary Americans, not for the ruling classes…” I guess that the D.A. believes that she is part of the ruling class.

Judge Diane Wood, of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals said “there is no one in society governed by law who is above the law or immune from some form of legal constraint.” Somebody may want to let D.A. Brandenburg in on this tidbit if information.

Lady_Justice_Detail_1

 WHAT IF D.A. BRANDENBURG ACTUALLY GOES BEFORE A GRAND JURY?

So what if she does stand before a Grand Jury? Will the office that she runs indict her? Does anybody think that the Great Oz will pull back the curtains and stand before the citizens of Emerald City? If police officers are immune from the system, why the hell would a D.A. be subject to it?

We must remember that D.A. Brandenburg believes that the Grand Jury is flawless and indicts the correct criminals. She even believes that police officers are indicted at a fair rate. In the recorded statement from 2012, she proudly proclaims that her office has data that over the last 40 years, 1 out of every 500 police officers involved in a shooting have been indicted and NONE of them were acquitted (and she brags that police have a broad range to use deadly force).

I am not quite sure where she gets this data. Most police departments do not release this type of information (and are not required to provide this information to any government agency). A New York Daily News Report used outside agencies to determine that on-duty NYPD officers have killed 179 people since 1999 (27% were unarmed; 86% were Black or Hispanic). Only 3 of these cases led to an indictment of a police officer and only one of those led to a conviction (the officer was sentenced to 5 years of probation and 500 hours of community service).

Considering recent incidents involving the failure of the Grand Jury and over whelming statistical evidence that the elite are immune from the system, maybe D.A. Brandenburg should rethink her faith in the system?

In reality, she knows that the system is corrupt and that she will never be indicted for her crimes. She IS the system. This is an excerpt from an article written by a group of Public Defenders:

“There is no system of checks and balances when a D.A. is tasked with prosecuting a colleague.”

It is just a fact that the D.A.’s Office is not going to indict the D.A. They are colleagues. D.A. Brandenburg knows that and can proudly proclaim her belief in that system. She, and many of her colleagues are immune from the “regular” set of laws that are for ordinary Americans, especially those with darker skin.

CONCLUSION

The Public Defenders go on to explain “Nearly every public defender will tell you that cases with much less evidence are indicted in a matter of minutes. The typical indictment will [only] require the testimony of one or two witnesses…”

D.A. Brandenburg’s case has an investigative report that supports probable cause and there are witnesses available. How can that not be enough?

One of D.A. Brandenburg’s goals is to “increase the [D.A.] office’s effectiveness in prosecuting those who violate our laws…” Maybe she should put an asterisk next to it that says “this only applies to poor people and people of color. The rest of us get to do whatever the fuck we feel like.”

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Injustice is Inevitable

November 26, 2014 by Leave a Comment

fergusonprotest1

                          *New Mexico State Police wait in riot gear on Central & Girard

It is time for me to admit it; some things in life are just inevitable. This morning I woke and was mesmerized by the golden rays of the sun penetrating the New Mexico horizon. The colors of the New Mexico sky can be one of the most beautiful experiences in the world. It made me think about the natives and how they saw the same colors in the sky since time immemorial. The sun rising and setting has happened since the beginning of the earth and will continue to its end. It is inevitable.

fergusonprotest2

The fact that Officer Wilson will not be indicted was also inevitable. Really…how many people really believed that he would stand before his peers in a court of law? A grand jury is not a trial; it is a process that determines if there should be a trial. There is no way that the state (who is the prosecution and is the only side that gets to present a case in a grand jury proceeding) will give a 100% effort when presenting its case against a cop. The system is flawed.

I was even more disturbed when I read comments about the marches that occurred around the country in response to the announcement. I read comments like:

 

“Those who think that an injustice was done do not know the facts or evidence of the case”

 

“The liberals had their feel good moment, now they can go back home and sleep safely in their beds knowing that they are protected”

 

There were hundreds of comments similar to these. I could not believe the hatred and anger that these commenters directed at their fellow citizens who were exercising their 1st Amendment rights. I could not understand how they could be so blind as to believe that the system is not broken.

fergusonprotest3

The protests were not about the Ferguson case alone. They were a response to uncontrolled police brutality across the country, racist sentencing guidelines in our one-sided court system, the militarization of the police force, prison systems that are overcrowded with people of color, and a court system that sends innocent people to jail.

I will agree with the commenter who states that people do not know the facts or evidence in the Mike Brown case. That is why this should have gone to trial. That is where both sides will present the facts and evidence to a jury of Officer Wilson’s peers. Let them decide his guilt or innocence, not the commenters on Facebook who think that they know everything somehow.

No matter what an individual thinks about the Ferguson case, they have to admit that our system is broken and needs to be fixed. The decision not to indict a cop should not be the inevitable outcome every time.

****I would also like to apologize to my readers for the long delay between posts. It will not happen again****

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Why is My Little Girl Afraid of the APD?

August 15, 2014 by Leave a Comment

vigil

Dear Readers,

My heart is torn to pieces. Tonight I attended the candlelight vigil held in solidarity for the brave people standing up against police brutality & racism in Ferguson, Missouri. I had planned on writing a post about the event to make sure that it was accurately recorded for the future.

BUT…

I experienced something very painful and heartbreaking. After listening to Jonathan Mitchell’s father discuss the pain of losing his child, I looked at my daughter with wonder. I could not imagine losing her.

cops

After he spoke, my daughter ran down from the steps and sprinted towards me with a look of complete terror in her eyes. My wife and I were stunned and did not know what was happening.

She ran in between my wife and I and looked up at us with tears in her eyes. We asked her what was wrong. She said:

“The police are here and they have ambulances with them! Are they going to hurt us?”

I didn’t know what to say. I attempted to reassure her that we would be fine and that we had a right to be there. I said that she should never be intimidated by the police or anybody else. I told her that I would not take her somewhere dangerous.

She seemed to calm down and went back to playing and participating in some of the chants.

undercover cop

As we left the vigil, we noticed somebody standing outside of a car parked near ours on the corner of Roma & 5th. He was a dark haired gentleman with a goatee. He had a badge on his belt and was taking pictures of the vigil from afar.

My daughter noticed him and asked why the police wanted to take pictures of everybody. What do I say to that? It is just so difficult to give her answers that make sense.

While the police in Ferguson attack innocent people, the APD attempts to intimidate us. How do you tell your little girl that she should feel safe? Isn’t that what a daddy is supposed to say?

candlelight wall

I cannot live in a world where we must fear those who are hired to protect & serve us. My daughter and everybody else deserves to live without fear. I stand in solidarity with Ferguson.

As the speakers at tonights vigil said, we cannot allow the momentum to fizzle away. We need to be loud and strong. Our children need a better future. That is our right! Stand up and fight back!

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#OurUNM holds symbolic Die-In to give students a voice

May 7, 2014 by 2 Comments

OurUNM Die In Group 5

The #OurUNM Student movement held a symbolic Die-In in front of Zimmerman Library on Wednesday, May 7th. The event was designed to allow students to express how the system has failed them. Students outlined each others silhouette with chalk and then placed a message inside to represent their symbolic death. The Die-In last for almost 2 hours and hundreds of students either witnessed or participated in it.

The messages covered a wide variety of concerns and many of the onlookers were inspired to ask questions. They did not know that so many systematic problems existed. No matter how many people actually chalked, the reality is that the event sparked conversations that may have never been brought up to some students.

OurUNM Die In IgnoredOurUNM Die In law student ratio

Some of the messages directly addressed racial inequality and bias on campus. One student wrote that they are the only black student in their class and they feel like they are ignored. It is difficult for a young person to have nobody else in a class that looks like them. Another student pointed out that there are only 4 African-American students in the UNM School of Law (out of 330). It makes me wonder how we can have a fair system of justice if the only law school in the entire state of New Mexico only has 4 African-American students.

OurUNM Die In HomelessOurUNM Die In FoodOurUNM Die In housing

One student pointed out that he was homeless while another was concerned the they did not have enough money to buy food. Last year there were over 400 homeless students at CNM and many more at UNM. These students do not have a permanent place to live while they attempt to better their lives. That is unacceptable. To make matters worse, full time students are not eligible for many public benefits. Students cannot get SNAP (food stamps) or commodities.

OurUNM Die in Police Brutality

Students discussed mounting debt and sky high tuition rates. Others were worried about the Bridge and Lottery Scholarship, poor academic advising due to a 800:1 student to advisor ratio, and police brutality. The list goes on and on. It is clear that the system is broken. Students do not know who to turn to for help. They are hungry for change and will force the system to react.

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#OurUNM and the New Student Movement

April 26, 2014 by 1 Comment

OurUNM unity

To paraphrase a famous quote, the wind of change is blowing through New Mexico. Whether they (those in power) like it or not, this growth of community consciousness is a political fact. The gentle breeze of unrest has rapidly increased into a typhoon of outrage and disgust. Citizens across New Mexico are organizing to fight political corruption, police brutality, inequality, and injustice. In the same regard, students at the University of New Mexico are organizing to demand accountability, transparency, equity, and inclusion.

A student and community group called #OurUNM has emerged as the voice of the students and has forced the administration to listen. #OurUNM gathered in front of the UNM Bookstore on Wednesday, April 23rd and conducted a rally in which over 100 students attended. The group had multiple speakers address the crowd concerning multiple university related issues. After an hour of rallying, the group decided to respectfully march through campus, the Student Union Building, and to UNM President Frank’s office.

Contrary to some reports,the march was peaceful and respectful the entire time. The marchers maintained a quiet tone while marching through the SUB and made very little noise in the President’s office. Once they packed into the office, they hand delivered a list of demands for equity, accountability, transparency, and inclusion to the President’s Chief of Staff.

OurUNM Packs Office

On Friday, April 25th, #OurUNM students attended a Student Fee forum conducted by the UNM Student Body President and the Graduate and Professional Student Association President. The forum focused on President Frank’s broken promise to give students a voice in how student fees are allocated. President Frank removed all student input from the student fee allocation to athletics ($4 million) and libraries ($780,000). The only voice that remains for the students will be in the remaining student fee allocation that must be split amongst every other organization in the university.

OurUNM MannyOurUNM Chris

Multiple media outlets attended the forum and interviewed students from #OurUNM. Apparently, the media attention caused a panic in the administration which forced President Frank to release a statement that afternoon:

Dear students –

Student engagement in shared governance is critical to the success of any university, especially to a public research university such as UNM. During this spring semester, in particular, I have heard from a number of formal and informal student organizations, as well as individual students, that we need to find additional ways to ensure that all voices can be heard in order to maintain an accountable, inclusive and transparent community.

I believe in continuous improvement. We can always do better and commit ourselves to finding solutions rather than providing excuses. In order to hear more student voices, the Provost and I propose the creation of a student cabinet as an additional way to engage with students. This cabinet would facilitate communication with a broader cross-section of our students, both undergraduate and graduate. It would act as a forum for discussion on campus issues important to students, such as academic affairs, student affairs,  financial and other critical issues, with the goal of bettering our institution.

 The Student Cabinet is in no way intended to interfere with the operation and structure of our Student Governments, and will not replace the current formal representation from our elected student leaders.  However, it will allow for an additional sounding board for students and the administration to communicate on all aspects of the student experience.

 Over the next week, we will be announcing the process for nominations and applications for the Student Cabinet. I am looking forward to improving the level of student engagement and would like to thank our students for their passion and involvement in our university.

Go Lobos!

 Robert G. Frank,

President

On top of his condescending email to the students, President Frank went on to conduct more damage control in the media. He minimized and belittled the student Movement on KOAT News. He stated that the Movement only consisted of 2 small official student groups and a few students who are part of an unofficial student group. In his mind, “It is only about 1000 students being vocal, while the other 31,000 [students] are going to class.” President Frank went on to “clarify” that the students are just “confused and misinformed”. He took the opportunity to tout his “brilliant” idea of a new “Student Cabinet” with which he will meet 2 times a semester to get student input.

He was also kind enough to do an interview on KRQE News in which he said that there are “more important stakeholders” than the students. Once again, he took the opportunity to pat himself on the back and announce his “Student Cabinet” idea. According to KRQE ,President Frank said “even though he won’t be going through the Student Fee Review Board for athletic and library fees,” he’s “put together a new student cabinet.” Therefore, “I’m going to get more input from more students so, I think the concern that they’re not going to get input is wrong. I’m going to get more input from more students about this.” http://krqe.com/2014/04/25/unm-president-cuts-student-input-for-some-fees/

Amazingly, KOB News focused on the student perspective, but President Frank provided a statement to them in which he once again mentions his wonderful idea of a “Student Cabinet”. http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S3413316.shtml?cat=500#.U1vNLl5X9g0

It is clear that President Frank thinks very little of student input, student Movements, and believes that he can make it all just go away with a “Student Cabinet”. The idea is ridiculous and to make matters worse, students were not consulted at all. How can a “Student Cabinet” exist if students did not create it? How can students expect to be heard if they were not involved in any aspect of this idea?

Obviously, President Frank sent the message out after the forum to have evidence and talking points when he addressed the media. He wants the public to believe that he has been thinking about the situation for a long time and has developed a well thought out solution. It is pure propaganda and proof that he will never care about the students as much as the “other stakeholders”.

Students and community members will come together and show President Frank and the media that this Movement is not just a few confused students being vocal. They will reject his “Student Cabinet” idea and demand that he sit down at the table for negotiations with them. THE STUDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY WILL NOT BE SILENCED AND WILL CONTROL HOW THIS PROCESS MOVES FORWARD.

The winds of change are at typhoon strength and must continue to blow. #OurUNM is not going to roll over and play dead just because of a ridiculous proposal by President Frank. Take back our university and demand real change. Join the Movement and find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ourunm

Also, please read this positive article about Student Movements across New Mexico: http://www.abqjournal.com/389924

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