VCREPORTER.COM
Right Persuasion
The problem with boycotts by Paul Moomjean
paulmoomjean@yahoo.com
T
here’s something I used to tell my senior students before they went out into the world upon graduation. Every year they would ask for one piece of advice from me, hoping that I’d give them a secret insight that everyone was holding back from them. Not understanding that an advance placement English teacher wasn’t exactly the best person to give them nuggets of success, I would tell them in one sentence: “Don’t mess with a person’s spouse or paycheck.” What those eight little words meant to me were simple. They meant, don’t make life more unbearable than it already is. Today’s Twitter-using, sue-first, ask later, trial-by-public opinion, boycott-everything-we-disagree-with America is getting to a dangerous level, and while some say the recent call for boycotts are a form of free speech, it is a worse form of bullying than what triggered the cry in the first place. Boycotting does not affect the CEO or upper management of a major company. Whether one is being antagonistic to Fox News or Starbucks, the real victim is the hourly employee. When these major companies lose money, workers lose hours, bonuses and upward mobility within the company. The last thing cut is CEO bonuses.
Recently, David Hogg, a 17-year-old boy who was present during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Florida got into a Twitter war with conservative pundit Laura Ingraham after she mocked his announcement that he was rejected by most of his first college choices. That created a boycott movement and over 20 sponsors left her Fox News nightly show.
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have been the victim of a boycott. [. . .] I’ve lost a job as a result. It is wrong. You shouldn’t do this by team, you should do it by principle.” Maher’s point clearly shows that actively taking a person’s paycheck and livelihood because he or she makes fun of you or disagrees is worse than the mocking. There are real consequences, and domino effects do happen. Ingraham’s rat-
Maher’s point clearly shows that actively taking a person’s paycheck and livelihood because they make fun of you or disagree is worse than the mocking.
One of her few liberal supporters was Bill Maher, a man who has had his fair share of groups that attempted to boycott him. “I want to defend Laura Ingraham,” Maher told his Real Time audience. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but it has to do with the Parkland kids and guns and free speech. Again, [Hogg] is in the arena, and then he calls for a boycott of her sponsors. Really? Is that American? He complains about bullying? That’s bullying! I
ings haven’t been affected, but Hogg is now trying to find new groups to take down. Recently the high school senior tweeted his 700,000-plus followers a mystery tweet about future boycotts, and then on April 17 sent this out: “[BlackRock] and [Vanguard] are two of the biggest investors in gun manufacturers; if you use them, feel free to let them know.” Hogg then used the hashtags #BoycottVanguard and #BoycottBlackRock.
For those unaware, Vanguard and BlackRock are investment management companies. I guess Hogg likes the idea of the employees losing their money, investors losing money and the people who work in the warehouses of the gun companies losing their jobs too. The only reason he has a voice is because he’s a kid. If anything, he is exploiting his participation in the tragedy at his high school to take down innocent people for his own popularity. Google his name and you’ll find numerous pictures of the tiny teenager, lips pieced, fist raised as if he’s the leader of some cult movement. I’m not denying that he wants to end gun violence (who doesn’t?!), but his take-no-prisoners, go-for-the-throat tactics are disrespectful and out of line. Sadly, America is so thirsty for leadership, it’s following a kid. Remember, he still has to ask an adult to go the bathroom while in a classroom. I wish Hogg were my student. I would love to tell him that while we appreciate his desire, his methods are wrong. He’s messing with people’s lives. Ingraham will be fine. The investment groups’ CEOs will be fine. But their employees and assistants wouldn’t be. All he’s doing is using one tragedy to bring potential hardship to others not responsible, and that is where the boycott movement goes wrong. ♦
Power to Speak
What Ventura College did for me by Jeanette Sanchez I am a graduate of community college. April is Community College Month, and it reminds me how important they are and why community colleges are essential to Ventura County’s economic sustainability and the growth of our students. It was my community college that provided me with the tools, guidance and mentorship on how to pursue my educational goals. I wouldn’t have been able to achieve a master’s degree without a community college education and the dedicated faculty members who are committed to student success. By the time I got focused and knew what I wanted to do, I was no longer the typical student on campus. I had a 3-year-old daughter, was married and working full time. Without the flexibility and affordability of a community college, there was no way I would have been able to transfer to UCLA and finish my education. Living near Ventura College, I am reminded yet again of the myriad students who attend class every day, whether to transfer, enhance their skills or to learn important skills to make them viable members of the workforce. Thanks to the long history of innovation and evolution in these colleges, for many they have become
the gateway to higher education. Community colleges offer diversity, flexibility and affordability — and are some of the best places people can afford to take a class. The Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) serves close to 32,000 students among the three community colleges: Moorpark College, Oxnard College and Ventura College. VCCCD offers not only programs not for those interested in transferring to a four-year college or university, but also career education, basic skills instruction, and continuing education for economic development, cultural growth, life enrichment and skills improvement. We know that in today’s world having only a high-school diploma sometimes isn’t enough. A bachelor’s degree is now the new associates’ degree; and a master’s degree is the new bachelor’s degree. For many students, achieving a higher education degree also means the possibility of an insurmountable amount of student debt. Junior colleges, as they were formerly known when they first opened their doors in 1901, were known as “the people’s colleges” because these institutions were affordable and were available to a broader group of working-
class Americans than the typical four-year universities. To this day, community colleges continue to be the “people’s colleges.” Another way that community colleges are helping our community is by invigorating our local Ventura County economic development. While some students are attending community college to eventually transfer, as I did, others are garnering credentials and certifications to advance in their current professions or get hired locally. These students are not only the potential Ventura County workforce that our businesses need, but some of them are managing, running or own our local businesses. Community college students are landing quality jobs that sustain the economic vitality of Ventura County. Community colleges were founded on the belief that a more skilled workforce results in a stronger economy. For more than a century, they have been at the forefront of nearly every major development in higher education, offering a connection to higher-paying jobs. In a way, community colleges are pioneers of the revolutionary open-doors admission policy, accepting students from all walks of life. Not only were these institutions essential in receiving returning World War II and Korean
War veterans who were eager to use their G.I. Bill benefits, these colleges also opened their doors to many other generations and have served an ever-growing diverse population ranging from young to working-class men and women, to nontraditional students like myself, in a quickly changing economy. Community colleges continue to offer a connection between education and jobs, in addition to providing a life preserver for those who might otherwise be left without a job or in a lower-paying job. I applaud the work of the three Ventura County community colleges, faculty and staff, who do the work of supporting students and continuing pursuit of economic vitality in Ventura County. With sincere appreciation and in celebration of Community College Month, thank you to everyone who helped along my community college journey. You continue to educate and train a workforce of everyone from students to lifelong learners. ♦ Jeanette Sanchez is the President of Ventura County Women’s Political Council and cover education issues as District Director for Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks.
April 26, 2018 —
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