Section A03
In The Imperial University, co-authors Piya Chatterjee and Sunaina Maira examine how the ideology of U.S military, cultural, and economic supremacy influence the priorities of institutions of higher education. The authors recall their experiences at two student protests at UC Riverside (2012) and UC Davis (2011) and how both occurrences were met by an unparalleled militarized response by the campus police forces. Through these experiences, they examine the ways that imperialism has manifested itself into the corruption of the university system. I was amazed by the sheer scale of the militaristic response to the protests. Those involved were students after all and it's shame that speaking up about such issues invokes such violence in a place of learning. Protesting the government and assembly in public places are rights protected by the U.S. Bill of Rights, so it's confusing as to why so much force is necessary for crowd control. Perhaps if there were effective options in place for students to be heard, other avenues could be explored before resorting to public protest, and the ensuing militaristic police force response. That being said, academic containment and manifest knowledge are other fronts of imperialistic influence within the university. It seems that the core of academia and free thought is inherently compromised by imperialism.
Question:
What can be done to demilitarize campus police forces? Is it necessary to have such power and weaponry in a place of learning? Furthermore, how can the system be changed?
References:
Chatterjee, P., & Maira, S. (2014). The Imperial University. London: University of Minnesota Press.
Baker v. Katehi (UC Davis Pepper Spray Cop). (2013, January 10). Retrieved October 22, 2017, from https://www.aclunc.org/our-work/legal-docket/baker-v-katehi-uc-davis-pepper-spray-cop
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