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The Tam News

News, Opinion, & Multimedia for Tamalpais High School

The Tam News

News, Opinion, & Multimedia for Tamalpais High School

The Tam News


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Tam students react to BART protests

Tam students react to BART protests

Since the fatal shooting of Oscar Grant on December 31, 2009, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) has been a hotbed for controversy.  This past July, passenger Charles Hill was also fatally shot, leading to several additional demonstrations and another questionable action from BART.  After receiving information that a protest in response to Charles Hill’s death was to take place on August 11, BART shut down all cell phone service in its underground San Francisco stations, effectively disbanding the would-be protesters. The move has gained BART heavy criticism on a global scale. Tam students recently reacted to the BART cell phone shutdown.

I think that’s bad, it violates our rights. It is not a good way to handle the situation.

— junior Karsten Hansson

I feel that any organization has the right to try and minimalize any negative aspects of said organization, however disrespecting free speech only serves to condemn themselves.

— junior Eric Webber

 

It’s an impeachment of rights. It’s tyranny.

— senior Tyler Parkerson

I think it’s wrong. People have a right to their phones and Americans should be allowed to protest, shutting down phones messes with our rights.

— sophomore Maddy Hill

Protesting is part of freedom of speech. It is probably not good for them to be doing that.

— senior Robin Weisselberg

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    Anthony HaSep 8, 2011 at 11:49 pm

    These are the natural responses to these kinds of circumstances.   Public, peaceful protest shouldn’t be tampered with, and we pay for our cell phones, so our service shouldn’t be infringed.   I agree with those notions, and if you didn’t know the context of the situation, then this is the auto-response.

    Here’s the context: BART platforms are NOT PUBLIC zones available for these kinds of gatherings.  They are privately owned by BART, who have a responsibility to prevent protests on their platforms for a myriad of reasons including, but not limited to, crowds getting knocked over into trains, stampedes in a confined area, and let’s not forget that electrified third rail.  Anything that may potentially harm riders has to be prevented with the least amount of physical harm possible.  Second, BART owns the repeaters that distribute cellular service in those tunnels.  Not you.  Not the phone company.  It was only a few years ago that there wasn’t any cellular service AT ALL in those tunnels, and for obvious reason: it’s in a tunnel.  BART put up the cash to provide the service to their riders, not to provide the means for some misguided group to harm their passengers.  Finally, the other arguments: “What if there’s an emergency?  How can I call 911 without my cell?”  Well, back in 2011, there was something called a “payphone,” which handles 911 calls for free.  Oh, and there are a LOT of payphones in those tunnels.  Besides, who’s going to be causing this emergency?  Probably the protesters.  “But isn’t BART cutting our phone service kind of like going into our houses and ripping out the phone line?”  It ain’t your house.  It’s BART’s house.  Now, if someone came into my house and used my phone to coordinate my public flogging and inconvenience my guests, well… what would YOU do?

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