Day of Action/Reaction: Resisting the Bureaucracy

A common theme I found in the readings and the films we watched in class so far is resistance against bureaucracy. We first read about American Indians taking over Alcatraz as a symbol of Indian resistance against dysfunctional bureaucracy for Native Americans. We read about the prisoners of Alcatraz trying to fight the prison bureaucracy by various means such as studying law, cutting their tendons, appealing to the public through mass media, etc. We see resistance against bureaucracy in Berkeley students as well. In such a big university like Berkeley, it is easy to feel rather lost and powerless in the face of complicated and frustrating bureaucratic mammoth that students have to deal with throughout their college life. On Thursday, October 7th, a group of student demonstrators pulled fire alarms and picketed on the campus in a mass “Walk-Out” to fight fee hikes and lay-offs. Although I did not participate in the demonstration, I was glad-not just because a class was canceled- that Berkeley students are not afraid to fight the bureaucracy and to make their voices heard.

~J.K.