Arbor Update

Ann Arbor Area Community News

Student Filibuster on WCBN-FM Tonight

19. May 2005 • Rob Goodspeed
Email this article

Ann Arbor Filibuster The organizer of today’s student protest filibuster of the Nuclear Option at the Michigan Union, Kristin Purdy, will appear on “Renegade Solutions with Charmie Gholson” on WCBN-FM tonight at 6:00 p.m. I’ll also be joining the show from Washington D.C. by telephone to talk about what we have been doing here. WCBN is broadcast on 88.3 FM in the Ann Arbor area, and also online. The image to the left shows U-M students calling their senators to speak out against the Nuclear Option. See the whole set here.

I just spoke to Kristin, and a hardy band of filibusterers are holding their protest despite some nasty weather. They plan on continuing until 9 p.m. tonight. I will update this post with photos as soon as I receive them. The students have released the following statement:

University of Michigan students will hold a 12 hour filibuster on the steps of the Michigan Union to protest the nuclear option in solidarity with students and community members across the country. We will be standing up against the destructive nuclear option and speaking out for democracy and minority rights.

As University of Michigan students we especially know the impact the judiciary and Supreme Court can have on individuals and society. Many of the students filibustering on Thursday traveled to Washington D.C. two years ago to support our University as the Supreme Court upheld our Affirmative Action policy.

For the last 200 years the filibuster has protected the minority in the Senate, no matter which party is in power. It forces parties to work together to confirm more fair and independent judges. Removing the filibuster removes an important aspect our system of checks and balances. As students we are protesting against the nuclear option not because it will have an impact on a couple judicial nominations, but because we know it will have a negative and lasting effect on our country.



  1. In an update of previous post: there is now a new MoveOn.org ad showing Frist as evil Star Wars figure trying to blow up the Capitol Dome, at http://www.moveonpac.org/savetherepublic/ . You can print out flyers.

    Their image is remarkably like the image seen at Daily Kos today on Lestatdelc’s “Recommended List” diary “Sith Happens!!! – PDF NOW AVAILIBLE” at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/5/19/24440/3864 ; this image, a polished-up version of DKos diarist randym77’s and mine, is even in PDF version to make flyers (which Lestat successfully did at a Revenge of the Sith showing last night).
    Great minds think alike, I guess. So choose the MoveOn flyers, or “mine”, or both.

    By way, I saw the movie this morning: not quite Last Tango in Paris (maybe Last Tango in Coruscant) or Citizen Kane (maybe Citizen Mace), but still well worth seeing.
    At least worth more than The Fandom Menace or Attack of the Clumsy Scriptwriters.

    May the Kos be with you !
       —David Boyle    May. 20 '05 - 12:29AM    #
  2. While I do support filibusters, it’s kind of lame that these protestors are just ripping the Princeton protestors’ idea.
       —mnemonic    May. 22 '05 - 05:07PM    #
  3. Mnemonic,

    in solidarity with students and community members across the country

    I think the proper term is not “ripping off”, but “riffing on”. Now, if UMich students tried to claim that “ours is the real campus filibuster” or some such, then it’d be pathetic. If they’re specifically doing it as part of a wider action, then it’s a mass movement.

    There’s a place in the world for cooperation and collaboration – things don’t have to be stunningly unique in order to be good.
       —Murph    May. 23 '05 - 12:52AM    #
  4. Would you criticize the second black woman in Montgomery, AL refusing to give up her seat on the bus because they were just ripping off Rosa Parks? Sheesh.
       —Scott T.    May. 23 '05 - 01:34AM    #
  5. The Princeton protestors where trying to start more filibusters …
       —Rob    May. 24 '05 - 03:16PM    #
  6. Thanks Murph-
    When we decided to do the filibuster protest we knew it wouldn’t be a huge campus event as not many people were on campus.

    The goal was definitely more about participating in a larger movement with campuses across the country.
       —Libby    May. 24 '05 - 09:32PM    #