This was the chancellor’s address yesterday on the Quad. It may be that I’m being uncharitable, but I hear her invoking her experiences in Greece in 1973 as a way of claiming solidarity with the pepper-sprayed UC Davis students while expressing ostensibly genuine contrition over what happened to them. But then I juxtapose those sentiments, shared as they were through tears, with Eric’s post, which seems to indicate that Chancellor Katehi was one of the architects of a policy allowing the police back onto Greek campuses for the first time since the 1973 uprising.
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The Edge of the American West 
11 comments
November 22, 2011 at 12:40 pm
kathy a.
perhaps sometimes people learn from their mistakes — or from how taking a position can translate into something they did not envision.
it is worth it to permit some time for her to address that.
November 22, 2011 at 12:44 pm
ari
I’m eager to hear her address this issue, kathy, among others.
November 22, 2011 at 12:59 pm
kathy a.
i’m not at all an apologist for katehi, and definitely do not forgive what happened at davis. i think mistakes happened from the top down. and yes, there is cognitive dissonance. but i also believe in discussions, and want to see how this one goes. discussion is what the students want, and they have shown themselves to be dedicated, brave, and non-violent even in the face of unwarranted force. at this point, katehi has apologized, and promised further talks. perhaps she will not come through. but perhaps — she will.
November 22, 2011 at 1:02 pm
ari
I hope you haven’t read any posts here as calls to fetch the tar and feathers, kathy.
November 22, 2011 at 1:16 pm
kathy a.
yeah, i have, and as i said, i’m not a supporter of the chancellor. but it is possible — maybe not probable, but this is a non-violent, deep-thinking community — that she’ll have some food for thought. after which she can be tossed. but wouldn’t it be something if she had something more substantive than “i regret the actions…”?
November 22, 2011 at 1:19 pm
kathy a.
oh, i misread the tar and feathers part. no, nobody calling for tar and feathers. yes, many calls for her ouster.
ari and eric, you are doing great work with this coverage of davis.
November 22, 2011 at 8:40 pm
TF Smith
Dr. A –
Thoughtful points, but isn’t there a line here that deserves being drawn?
As in, any contrition from the powerful is all for the good (although sincere contrition is better), but when the campus PD that the chancellor is responsible for sees the use of pepper spray on non-violent students as SOP, doesn’t the chancellor need to become an example?
Sort of a “pour encourager les autres” sort of moment?
There’s a reason the captain is relieved of command after the ship runs aground, even if they are off watch and stacking zees when it happens…
Very respectfully
November 22, 2011 at 10:27 pm
kathy a.
TF, you talking to me? i’m merely a lawyer. but in any event, yes, you’re right. this is a ship run aground moment. it would just be to the general good if the chancellor dug a little deeper. people often need a bit of time to do that. i’m not thinking she has a whole lot of time to do the right thing, though.
mcnamera came out with this whole book kinda apologizing for the vietnam war and its escalation under his influence. amazing stuff, but way too little and way too late. it would be good if the chancellor took some deep breaths, paid attention only to what happened and why, and then did the right thing. immediately, or at least this week.
November 23, 2011 at 3:13 pm
Pauly Shore
Han shot first!
November 23, 2011 at 4:29 pm
Vance Maverick
I’ve just deleted a couple of comments (and some responses) at the commenters’ request. If only Pauly suffered such qualms.
November 23, 2011 at 8:45 pm
TF Smith
Kathy –
Yes, I mistook your post-graduate education for mine.
I think we agree, then.
Ms. Katehi should go, along with the police chief, Lt. Pike, and his compatriot – and to be frank, I’d suggest their opposite numbers at Cal and Mr. Yudof, as well.
Best,