Wednesday, April 4, 2012
UofL Student's Bill of Rights: 52 Cardinal Freedoms
The
U of L Student's Bill of Rights
52
Cardinal Freedoms
The
Mission of the University of Louisville
“The
University of Louisville shall be a premier, nationally recognized
metropolitan research university with a commitment to the liberal
arts and sciences and to the intellectual, cultural, and economic
development of our diverse communities and citizens through the
pursuit of excellence in five interrelated strategic areas: (1)
Educational Experience, (2) Research, Creative, and Scholarly
Activity, (3) Accessibility, Diversity, Equity, and Communication,
(4) Partnerships and Collaborations, and (5) Institutional
Effectiveness of Programs and Services.”i
“Whereas
disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous
acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of
a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and
belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the
highest aspiration of the common people”ii.
Whereas
even Patrick Henry had to fight
tooth and nail for the cherished and celebrated Bill of Rights 8
years after being a major, essential component of the Revolution,
when, eventually, they were begrudgingly added into the US
Constitution, 4 years after the US Constitution was ratified.
Whereas
it is the duty of every generation to declare our rights, and no
Generation prior to the 2011/2012 Generation, since 1977, thought to
include a Bill of Rights into their Constitution, even though it's a
staple in every other founding Constitution, now it's time for the
Postmodern Generationiii
to declare theirs.
“Whereas
recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable
rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of
freedom, justice, and peace in the world”iv.
“Whereas
it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a
last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human
rights should be protected by the Rule of Law”v.
Whereas,
every student at the University of Louisville (also “U of L”),
gets to enjoy the privileges and immunities guaranteed by the
amalgamation of founding documents from the Constitution of the
Commonwealth of Kentucky, of the United States of America, of the
City of Louisville, of the Student Handbook of U of L, of SGA's
Constitution, in addition to the privileges of attending a
University, and any other freedom, as the 9th Amendment to
the US Constitution allows, such as inherent, inalienable,
self-evident freedoms that are not mentioned, such as human rights,
but there is no single document which compiles all of the rights of
the U of L student into a single, user friendly, easy-to-read,
comprehensive student bill of rights, guaranteeing every student's
freedoms.
By
reinforcing our generation's collective freedoms, we also reinforce
our autonomy, and can prevent all future excursions from any outside
government body—national,
state, local, or otherwise—from stealing, or restricting, our 52
Cardinal Freedoms, and counting, in any way, shape, or form
imaginable.
Therefore,
Be It Resolved, that all Cardinal Freedoms herein shall be protected
freedoms for every U of L student with this Amendment.
Cardinal
Freedoms
#1
The
Freedom To Life, Liberty, and Propertyvi.
#2
The
Freedom to Vote.
#3
The
Freedom of Revolutionvii.
#4
The
Freedom To Speak Freely Without Frontiersviii.
#5
The
Freedom of Self-Preservation.
#6
The
Freedom to Maintain Own's Dignityix.
#7
The
Freedom of Security.
#8
The
Freedom of Religion.
#9
The
Freedom of Education.
#10
The
Freedom to Enter into a Contract.
#11
The
Freedom to Petitionx.
#12
The
Freedom of Justice.
#13
The
Freedom to Peacefully Assemble.
#14
The
Freedom to Associate.
#15
The
Freedom to Organize Student Unions.
#16
The
Freedom to Work.
#17
The
Freedom to Participate in Government.
#18
The
Freedom to get Married, and
Raise a Family, Gay or Straight.
#19
The
Freedom To Openly Bare Arms.xi
Academic
Freedoms
#20
Freedom
of Research
and Inquiry.
#21
The
Freedom To Distribute Written Material Without Prior Approvalxii.
#22
The
Freedom of a Fearless Pressxiii.
#23
The
Freedom To A Syllabus.
#24
Freedom
of Privacy; the Brandeis Freedomxiv.
#25
The
Freedom To Use The University's Facilities, Such As Auditoriums, Park
Spaces, Restaurants, and Documentsxv.
#26
The
Freedom To Remain Silent.
#27
The
Freedom To File A Complaint.
#28
The
Freedom To Invite Any Speaker To Campusxvi.
#29
The
Freedom to Address SGAxvii.
#30
The
Freedom of Open Meetingsxviii.
#31
The
Freedom to Self-Identify.
#32
The
Freedom to Be Independent.
Judicial
Freedoms
#33
Freedom
from Absolute and Arbitrary Powerxix.
#34
Freedom
from Arbitrary Arrest, Detention or Exilexx.
#35
The
Freedom from Unreasonable and Unwarranted Search and Seizures.
#36
The
Freedom of Fair and Public Due Process
#37
The
Freedom to Confront Your Accusers.
#38
The
Freedom of a Speedy Trial.
#39
The
Freedom of a Jury Trial, For Matters Involving $20 or More.xxi
#40
The
Freedom To Call Witnesses On Your Behalf.
#41
Freedom
From Double Jeopardy.
#42
Freedom
from Excessive Bail and Cruel and Unusual Punishments.
#43
The
Freedom from Torture.
#44
The
Freedom to Not Be Jailed For Debtsxxii.
#45
The
Freedom of Habeas Corpusxxiii.
#46
The
Freedom to Not have the State Military Living In Your Sleeping
Quartersxxiv.
General
Freedoms
#47
The
Freedom of Leisure.
#48
The
Freedom of Culture.
#49
The
Freedom of Movement, such as Exercise or Dance.
#50
The
Freedom to Not Worry, and Be Happy.
#51
The
Freedom from Fear and Wantxxv.
#52
The
Right To Amend This Student Bill of Rights in order to Expand Your
Freedoms.xxvi
Louisville
First, Cards Forever.
iUniversity
of Louisville (herein “U of L”) Homepage.
http://louisville.edu/about/mission.html
Retrieved on March 16, 2012.
iiUN
Declaration, United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
Preamble (1948).
iiiJames
Klotter, New History of Kentucky, (Lexington:
University Press of Kentucky, 1997), 6-8; Klotter says that
Kentucky's history is divided by Paleo-Indian, Archaic, Woodland,
Prehistoric Era (1000AD-1750), and the Historic Era. Klotter had a
“Historic” mindset in 1997, before 9/11, George W. Bush, the
Iraq War, Barack Obama, and the Internet propagated all of this
information, and more, with this massive Gutenburg Printing Press
Revolution. If not postmodern, then posthistoric, but between the
two, it's clear that postmodern sounds best.
ivUN
Declaration, Preamble.
vUN
Declaration, Preamble.
vi
John Locke. “Two Treatise of Government” (1690);
Kentucky Constitution, Section 5.5, (1891).
vii
Kentucky Constitution, Section 4, (1891). “All
power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are
founded on their authority and instituted for their peace, safety,
happiness and the protection of property. For the advancement of
these ends, they have at all times an inalienable and indefeasible
right to alter, reform or abolish their government in such manner as
they may deem proper.”; Declaration of Independence, “...it is
the Right of the People to alter or to abolish [illegitimate
government], and to institute new Government...”
viii
“UN Declaration”, Article 19, (1948). “Everyone has the right
to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to
hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart
information and ideas through any media and regardless of
frontiers.”
ix
UN Declaration, Article 22. “Everyone, as a member of society, has
the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through
national effort and international co-operation and in accordance
with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic,
social and cultural rights indispensable for their dignity and the
free development of their personality.”
xU
of L's SGA Constitution, Section 2.4, (1977). “All members have
the right to petition the SGA or any agency thereof for a redress of
grievances.”
xi
Bill of Rights, United States Constitution, Amendment #2, (1791). “A
well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free
State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be
infringed.”; Kentucky Constitution, Section 1.7, (1891). “The
right to bear arms in defense of themselves and of the State,
subject to the power of the General Assembly to enact laws to
prevent persons from carrying concealed weapons.”
xiiU
of L's Student Handbook, Section 7.C;
http://louisville.edu/dos/policiesprocedures/student-rights-and-responsibilities-1-1.html
retrieved March 18, 2012.
xiii-
U of L's Student Handbook. Section 8.A – 8.D. “The student press
is free to deal openly, fearlessly, and responsibly with issues of
interest and importance to the academic community. There shall be no
prior approval of student press content by the University. Students
may not be disciplined by the University for their participation
with the student press except for violations of University rules
that are not inconsistent with the guarantees contained herein.”
xiv
U of L's Handbook, Section 11. “Students
have the right of privacy in campus residence facilities.
- Nothing in the University relationship or residence hall contract may expressly or implicitly give the institution or residence hall officials authority to consent to search of a student's room or residence by police or other law enforcement officials unless they have obtained a search warrant.
- The University reserves the right to enter a student's room in a residence hall or a student's apartment in a campus residence:
- in emergencies where imminent danger to life, safety, health, or property is reasonably feared;
- to make necessary repairs, improvements, or alterations in the facility;
- to provide necessary pest control services;
- to inspect the facility as deemed necessary by the University.
See
also Section 12. “The
privacy and confidentiality of all student records shall be
preserved in accordance with applicable laws. The University shall
establish and adhere to a clear and definitive records policy.”
xv
U of L's Handbook, Section 9, (2012). “Appropriate University
facilities shall be available to organizations within the University
community for regular business meetings, for social programs, and
for programs open to the public.”
xvi
U of L's Handbook, Section 7.D.
xvii
U of L's SGA Constitution, Section 2.5.1, (1977). “All members
shall have the right to address the Student Senate at regularly
scheduled Senate meetings held in accordance with Section 5.10.1 of
the SGA Constitution.”
xviii
U of L's SGA Constitution, By-Laws, Section 2. The Sunshine Laws.
xix
Kentucky Constitution, Section 2, (1891). “Absolute and arbitrary
power over the lives, liberty and property of free people exists
nowhere in a republic, not even in the largest majority.”
xxUN
Declaration, Article 9, (1948); Kentucky Constitution, Section 24.
“Emigration from the State shall not be prohibited.”
xxiBill
of Rights, US Constitution, Amendment #7 (1791). “In
Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed
twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and
no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court
of the United States, than according to the rules of the common
law.”
xxii
Kentucky Constitution, Section 18. “The
person of a debtor, where there is not strong presumption of fraud,
shall not be continued in prison after delivering up his estate for
the benefit of his creditors in such manner as shall be prescribed
by law.”
xxiii
Kentucky Constitution, Section 16. “All
prisoners shall be bailable by sufficient securities, unless for
capital offenses when the proof is evident or the presumption great;
and the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be
suspended unless when, in case of rebellion or invasion, the public
safety may require it.”
xxiv
Bill of Rights, US Constitution, Amendment #3. “No
Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without
the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be
prescribed by law.”
xxv
UN Declaration, Preamble.
xxvi
U of L's Constitution, Article 8. The Amendment Process.
An Act Restricting College Tuition Hikes
Whereas turnout rate for SGA elections
are 10%, and any addition of choices for the student would increase
the tuition rate.
Whereas college tuition was $2,000 7
years ago, and has increased over 400% in less than a decade.
Whereas college tuition in Kentucky is
now $9,000 annually, $36,000 every four years, continually rising 6%
yearly, with no hope of anybody stopping it.
Whereas $10 million dollars shouldn't
be given to the University's Bureaucracy at the blink of an eye, for
reasons of whim.
Whereas $10 million dollars makes up a
meager 1.25% drop of the $800 million budget for the University's
Bureaucracy.
Whereas $10 million dollars would be
better spent by the SGA, who has a $600,000 budget, or the Black
Student Union, which has a $20,000 budget, or any other Student
Union, who would have the student's best interest in mind moreso than
the University's Bureacracy, since they literally are students.
Whereas virtually every member of the
Student Populace thinks tuition is too expensive, and SGA is supposed
to be the main advocate for the Student Populace, since we're
automatically conscripted into their program.
Whereas voting in favor a tuition hike
is acting against the best interest of the student populace, which
flies in direct contradiction of Section 4.11.1 of U of L's 1977
Constitution, which states that the “President, Executive Vice
President, Academic Vice President, or Services Vice President, may
be removed from office” … “for acting against the best
interests of the student populace” (emphasis added).
Whereas any member of the Student
Populace at U of L is allowed to petition the Development Board for
the initiation of impeachment proceedings.
Whereas U of L's annual “The Rally
for Higher Education” isn't just empty posturing.
Whereas, in realpolitik terms, there
is never any reason for a student representative to ever vote for
unnecessary tuition hikes since the 19 votes of the Trustees are
going to vote for it, as the last 2 decades has shown. So your one
vote doesn't matter anyways, and the Board of Trustees would
completely understand. The SGA President has everything to lose by
voting for a Tuition Hike, and nothing to gain, and inversely, an SGA
President has everything to gain by standing up to the University's
Bureaucracy, and nothing to lose. It logically makes zero sense an
SGA President to ever vote for a tuition hike. Ever.
Whereas the Administration sets the
example of behavior, and genuine student representatives should
respond to a hike in tuition the same way the Administration
responded emotionally to our rejection of their secret deal to
auction off the Student Activities Center for pennies on the dollar
for what it's worth.
Whereas President Ramsey is getting a
pay raise and a bonus, along with selected staff, during the time of
massive Frankfort budget cuts, that Governor Steve Beshear warned “is
going to hurt”.
Whereas CPE, Frankfort, and the Board
of Trustees all blame each other, which spreads the blame around, and
nobody is held accountable for the annual tuition robbery.
Whereas U of L's Board of Trustee's
Tuition Hikes are strategically chosen in June, during the Summer,
after the Seniors' graduate, and a new President has been elected, in
order to slip the Tuition Hike in as an annual event.
Therefore, Be It Resolved, that the
SGA President, and any additional student representatives added to
the Board of Trustees, is hereby restricted from voting in favor of
any proposed tuition hikes proposed by the University's Board of
Trustees.
A 2011/2012 SGA Resolution to Legalize Gay Marriage
Whereas the Mission
Statement of the University of Louisville is committed to diversity,
which includes gay men and women in domestic partnerships.
Whereas the Gay
Rights Movement is our generation's Civil Rights Movement.
Whereas the world
needs more Love.
Whereas gay
partnerships represents egalitarian ideals that would benefit
heterosexual couples.
Whereas it is
nobody's business what two consenting adults are doing in their
private quarters.
Whereas passing a
Resolution isn't an Act, but instead seeks to express the will
of the main advocate of the Student Body, as both SGAs from North
Carolina State University and University of Maryland demonstrated
this year12,
as well as other Student Union representatives have done on many
other issues3.
Whereas it's the
right thing to do.
THEREFORE, BE IT DECLARED
AND RESOLVED, that students at the University of Louisville are
henceforth allowed to enter into legal same-sex partnerships.
1Will
Brooks, Technician
Online, [retrieved on
March 29, 2012]
http://www.technicianonline.com/news/student-government-votes-against-amendment-1.2655747#.T3Pw3WEge8A
2
Sarah Meehan, Diamond
Online, “SGA
Endorses Same Sex Marriage Bill”, [retrived on March 29, 2012]
http://www.diamondbackonline.com/news/sga-endorses-same-sex-marriage-bill-1.2001551#.T3Pw42Ege8A
3Travis
Crum, The Daily
Athenaeum, “SGA
passes Support Towards Israel”
http://www.thedaonline.com/news/sga-passes-support-toward-israel-1.1124777#.T3P1RWEge8A
(just one example)
Friday, February 24, 2012
Yevgeny Zamyatin's WE, The 1st 1984
There is
a cosmic battle going on in the head of D-503, the fictional author
of the diary “We”, between Freedom and Happiness, throughout the
novel. For D-503, (D-503 since nobody who lived in this futuristic
Soviet Union dystopic had names, only a combination of a letter, and
a number), the choice between freedom and happiness had to be
exclusive. D-503 writes about “non-freedom”, an Orwellian
doublethink concept, when he talks about the Bible's Adam and Eve:
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
The Dark and Bloody Origins of the Whites in Kentucky
February 21, 2012
“History is about the sequence of events that led to the lives we lead today. It is the story of how we came to be ourselves.” (Harman, ii).“The Indian population of 10 million that lived north of Mexico when Columbus came would ultimately be reduced to less than a million.” (Zinn 16).“[Hugh] McGary, insane with rage, hacked the body [of a Shawnee warrior] into bits and fed the pieces to his dogs.” (Harrison 35).Kentucky was once “filled with Native American homes”, but as the white settlers came in Kentucky, with Harrodsburg in 1774 and Boonesborough and Stanford in 1775, “bloodshed resulted and filled the first decade of settlement with death and sorrow. Native-Americans and European settlers and their African-American slaves, all mourned their losses.” (Klotter 33).In the standard Kentucky History book, “A New History of Kentucky” by James Klotter and Lowell Harrison, the authors maintain that the Indians didn't...
Monday, February 20, 2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012
UofHell's February 16, 2012 Board of Trustees Meeting
Future Board Meetings:
Right after this play, the Board of Trustees fired some poor soul.
UofHell's SGA's President for 2012/13 Should Be...
So there's this fat greasy pig fuck
douche bag that I can't stand, that I see everywhere on campus.
Recently, it was asked of him if he was going to vote in the SGA
elections, and he replied with an unequivocal “absolutely not”,
like the dickhead he has consistently been. I remember we got into an
argument in study room at Davidson Hall about Leonardo Dicaprio, and
he said something about putting Dicaprio in a dress,
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
U of L's SGA's Newly Revised, Outdated 1971 Constitution
While the changes made have made the lines between the different branches more clear, it doesn't go far enough., in the Overly Cumbersome and Fascist Constitution. Constitutional Convention needs to be called. 7. Add a Supremacy Clause to U of L's Constitution. Bring The Administration under democratic control. The students at the University shouldn't just vote...
Sunday, February 12, 2012
The 1st 10 Point Student Power Manifesto for U of L Tomorrow (2012)
“Civil disobedience is not our
problem. Our problem is civil obedience. Our problem is that people
all over the world have obeyed the dictates of leaders…and millions
have been killed because of this obedience…Our problem is that
people are obedient allover the world in the face of poverty and
starvation and stupidity, and war, and cruelty. Our problem is that
people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves…
(and) the grand thieves are running the country. That’s our
problem.”
~Howard Zinn
- Force the hiring of SGA's Advancement Officer. Do not allow The Administration to stop SGA from expanding their Budgetary Capital Base. The Advancement Officer position...
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Brain Droppings About U of L's SGA Campaigns
What happened to John Weber, Abigail "Abby" Smith, Ben Donlon, and Alexandra "Alex" Millson? They ran for the Top 4 spot last year, at U of L, but have been nowhere near this year's SGA. While they did lose the election, I believe that by not allowing them to contribute into the system, since they have the passion, the will, and the intelligence to make a difference, to make some much needed changes, U of L's SGA was worse off because of it. This doesn't happen in Parliamentary Democracies...
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