Collisions with Reality

Here’s some updates and a round-up of what’s going on with the assistant AG of Michigan (Andrew Shirvell) who is harassing the U of M student body president (Christopher Armstrong):

• Governor Granholm tweeted (. . . sigh) that she would have already fired Shirvell.
• Mr. Armstrong has filed for a restraining order against Mr. Shirvell (via B). I am relieved to see this, but distressed that it’s come to this.
• It has become an issue in the current campaign for Michigan Attorney General (also via B). I’m not sure how I feel about this.
• Mr. Shirvell was apparently a campaign manager for Mike Cox in 2006, but I’m having trouble directly verifying this — I can’t find anything from earlier than 2008 about this. Like, I dug up Cox’s campaign website with the Internet Wayback Machine, and nada. So when you see that factoid bandied about, maybe take it with a grain of salt until someone verifies it.
• On a lighter note, the Big Ten part of Michigan’s schedule starts on Saturday, as does the hockey season!

Finally, I want to note that I generally do not get involved with politics in other states. I do not write letters or donate money, no matter how dear the cause. However, I do not think this is a political issue. Even if politics were more explicitly involved, I think that I do have a legitimate stake in this as an alumnus of the University of Michigan. And Mike Cox has hardly avoided involvement with the affairs of my state.

I am deeply upset by the harassment of a gay University of Michigan student by an assistant Attorney General of Michigan. So, while it appears that Chris Armstrong can handily defend himself, I knew that I wouldn’t feel better until I wrote to the Attorney General myself. Here it is.

Attorney General Cox,

I am a former resident of Michigan and a proud graduate of the University of Michigan. I am deeply concerned about the systematic stalking and harassment of a University of Michigan student by an assistant Attorney General. I find it hard to believe that all of Mr. Shirvell’s actions — cyber-bullying, showing up at MSA meetings, videoing the student’s residence — are fully within the realm of legality. Even if he is not breaking any laws, his obsessive targeting of Mr. Armstrong is grossly unethical and an abuse of power.

Mr. Shirvell is clearly unfit for public office, and I encourage you to remove him from that position immediately.

(I never liked Mike Cox, anyhow.)