As students return to college campuses across the United States, administrators are bracing for a resurgence in activism against the war in Gaza.

  • toiletobserver
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    16624 days ago

    Or, hear me out, we could stop selling things that kill people to people who kill people.

    • @chiliedogg
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      10524 days ago

      In Texas, it’s actually illegal for a government entity to do business with a company that boycotts Israel. Calls for divestment at UT and other schools can’t legally be given any consideration because of our fucked-up state government.

      Like: when I evaluate bids for the City, one of the sections I have to fill out by law relates to the bidder’s stance on the Israeli government. It’s insane.

      • @Hexbatch
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        2824 days ago

        Also from Texas, this has been driving me crazy for years. At least they are now against international law now. Cold comfort

      • @barsquid
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        2524 days ago

        That sounds like a blatant and extreme violation of the First Amendment.

        • @chiliedogg
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          24 days ago

          Yes and no.

          It’s technically a restriction on government, which makes it legally trickier despite being blatantly against the spirit of the first amendment.

          • @barsquid
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            1424 days ago

            “Rejecting the bid isn’t prosecution,” that’s some bullshit. Yeah it is against the spirit for sure.

            • @chiliedogg
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              523 days ago

              It’s establishing a state minimum RFB. Just like requiring streets to be designed by PEs limits bidding option from those who are perfectly capable of the job from bidding because they lack the stamp.

              So they’re being eliminated for not meeting qualifications, not for their speech. Furthermore, they’re usually eliminated from consideration by municipal, county, and school governments, who didn’t write the rule. So the body that wrote the rule (state) isn’t perecuting companies directly.

              It creates difficulty in establishing standing to sue. It’s the state’s rule that limits the authority of the cities, so the anti-Israel companies have no standing to sue the state. But the cities also can’t sue the state because they can’t show damages caused by the discrimination since there’s a thousand other bidders who can do the job.

              The assholes in the Texas legislature specialize in drafting discriminatory laws that are difficult to challenge in court.

        • ...m...
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          24 days ago

          …i do a lot of work with texas municipalities and universities and all their standard contracts include a section forbidding us or any of our subconsultants from boycotting israel…

    • AItoothbrush
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      1624 days ago

      Look. im from europe and even us havent figured that out(even in the not genocidal countries) but at least we dont send them money and weapons for FREE. At least our countries sell the weapons to genocidal countries.

    • @[email protected]
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      1123 days ago

      Thats almost the entirety of the US GDP. We’re three weapons manufacturers in a trench coat pretending to be a government.

      • @Senokir
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        2824 days ago

        While the comment that you are replying to does lack nuance, the intent is clear. There is obviously a difference between murder and self defense.

      • toiletobserver
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        824 days ago

        You can support with food, medicine, and infrastructure. If we believe in killing something so dearly, we can send our own people. Harder to be a war monger if your own ass is on the line.

        • @chonglibloodsport
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          1324 days ago

          Some of the biggest supporters of Ukraine are its neighbours in Europe. I think they have a good reason to believe that if Ukraine fell they’d be next.