I was censured last guild council and nearly forcibly removed for speaking out against the chairs. In their resolution to not allow an ethical emergency motion on the agenda and subsequent silencing of opposition to their decision, they injured guild democracy perhaps irretrievably for their tenure.
While it’s entirely the chairs decision, they do not have a free hand. In ruling the emergency motion the ignored several years’ worth of guild council motions as to what is the “key” work of the guild of students. See the guilds ethical policy “key duties of any Guild officer of member of staff.”
While the chairs themselves may have personal feelings against the motion (certainly two of them have spoken out against similar motions in the past), if guild council is function democratically then these are feelings need to be put aside. They failed to put these feelings aside and rode roughshod over guild council.
Not only did the chairs dismiss this motion, but they smothered my attempts to challenge this decision.
I first asked them if they would allow guild council to discuss if issue should be on the agenda. Their reaction was not as I hoped, after some uncertainty they resolved cleanly to tell guild council why they had not allowed it on the agenda and spent two minutes listing the pros to having it off the agenda. The chairs denied my requests to be allowed to list to pros to having it on the agenda. I also requested that if I wasn’t allowed to respond to their speech then for it not to be discussed at all, to let neither side have any say is more democratic than one side’s domination.
When I attempted to list the pros they shouted me down and attempted to carry me out of the chamber by force. The chairs have powers that are not democratic in nature i.e being able to decide what is on the agenda, the power to silence individuals and groups and to have people removed. When these powers are abused the guilds democracy is destroyed.
does a guild motion mean nothing? Can it all be wiped away by a independent chair are students who would object to having years of motions they have worked hard to see put in place wiped away, going to be carried out the chamber?
Leaving Counter-Strike behind
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Last year I wrote a post about how I needed to take some time out, due to
me developing physical anxiety symptoms. It’s fair to say that many things
got on...
3 months ago
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Edd....you are beyond pathetic
ReplyDeleteIt all sounds lovely Edd, but you are very very conveniently forgetting that 'emergency motions' and their grounds for submission are detailed and aren't flexible. It has nothing to do with the content, it was late and does not affect the Guild - late and irrelevant and that is not the fault of the chairs.
ReplyDeleteYou are also forgetting this 'threat to democracy' that 'over-rides Guild Council' as you so eloquently put it at GC were only doing their job, and then did over-ride the will of GC by going back and addressing the issue at all on your behalf.
You also nicely forget that what they should have done after rejecting a motion on whatever grounds is move on - but they were descent enough to mention the matter on your behalf. They did you a favour and you still give them this much stick and abuse.
You also conveniently forget everything the chairs said - they were not pros to not discussing it, just the bare facts why it could not be discussed and there is no reason why your motion warrants special treatment in this regard.
And anyone who stands up and shouts abuse, refuses to do as he's told by Guild security in GC - anyone who calls anyone else a 'threat to democracy' is very confused. The chairs were not bringing GC into disrepute, you can only look at yourself and the embarassment you caused.
And pardon me for saying, but sod all the censures, protocol etc etc - what you said and the way you acted was down right rude and you should be apologising, not further criticisng the chairs who were in fact demorcratically elected into these 'un-democratic' powers.
I've apologized for the way I did it. I was too loud and aggressive my only defence is the heat of momeant which is no excuse.
ReplyDeleteagain as for accusation that this was rejected because it was late, thats not true I have the e-mails if you want see them.
"but they were descent enough to mention the matter on your behalf. "
I personally requested that they didn't if we can't have a even and fair debate then there shouldn't be one at all. The chairs going ahead with that despite me asking them quietly out side GC not to was partially what made me shout out.
It was not the Chairs' decision to censure you, it was the decision that was arrived at by a vote by the Guild Councillors.
ReplyDeleteThere was never anything you could have done about the Indpendent Chairs' decision in any case, jumping up and shouting out changed nothing and merely served to damage your credibility. Perhaps if it weren't for your outburst (is that the correct word, you seemed to reading off of something) and assuming you answered well, you'd probably have got the "Disarm Birmingham's Investments" motion through, especially considering the rambling "loony lefties" speech of the opposition.
When exactly did you apologise? I did not hear you do so at any time during the rest of Guild Council, which that was really the time to do so.
So - your outburst achieved nothing and gained you a censure, but, much more importantly has served to weaken your reputation in the eyes of Guild Council and students in general and probably lost you that motion. You should pick your battles more wisely.
I admire your passion alot.
ReplyDeleteHey EJ I’m not complaining here about my censure, as you would have seen in the guild council I didn’t even speak against it I used the speech to explain why I did it, not why I shouldn’t be censured.
ReplyDeleteI knowingly broke the rules, to raise awareness about a decision that I thought was wrong and I’m willing to take the consequences of that, such is civil disobedience.
I sent them e-mail apologizing for my aggressive manner, in which I did go too far, I have also been asked to apologise at next GC for it, which I plan on doing.
You may well be right about picking battles more wisely through