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Sunday, February 19, 2012

Civics and Civility : Thoughts on Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee in Oakland (Community Voices) | Oakland Local

Civics and Civility : Thoughts on Michelle Rhee in Oakland (Community Voices) | Oakland Local:

Civics and Civility : Thoughts on Michelle Rhee in Oakland (Community Voices)

Michelle Rhee, www.studentsfirst.org/pages/about-michelle-rhee

Michelle Rhee, www.studentsfirst.org/pages/about-michelle-rhee

Two recent incidents have made me worry about the decline of public discourse in Oakland and about how organized labor is contributing to that decline.

It troubles me to write this because I respect the important role labor unions have played in American history, and I support the goal of safe workplaces and fair wages for all workers. I believe in the right of public protest. But I can’t keep silent about what I see as a disturbing trend.

The first incident took place on Nov. 9 at a media conference in Lakeside Park, next door to Children’s Fairyland. As you probably remember, Occupy Oakland had begun a month earlier. There had already been police confrontations,