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University of Maryland cancels ‘American Sniper’ after Muslim students complain

Yeah, I know you have your own definition of what terror is, but my country has been doing plenty of terrorizing of Muslim countries of late.
Do you not yet understand that Muslims are deliberately targeting and murdering Christians? It's hard to believe this this news hasn't yet reached your local media.
 
Muslims peacefully protested, do tell.
Can you spot any other difference? "The Last Temptation of Christ" was shown. American Sniper, protested only in a letter, was not shown. Do you not understand either why people are always concerned about Muslim protests? You really need to do some catching up.
 
Do you not yet understand that Muslims are deliberately targeting and murdering Christians? It's hard to believe this this news hasn't yet reached your local media.

Yeah, we've got it.
 
Can you spot any other difference? "The Last Temptation of Christ" was shown. American Sniper, protested only in a letter, was not shown. Do you not understand either why people are always concerned about Muslim protests? You really need to do some catching up.

No.......
 
The movie itself is not banned or illegal or anything like that though so you can't really make a connection towards a lost freedom or lost luxury. The university has the right to determine what activities occur on campus based on whatever reason they agree on. I don't think it's chipping away at our freedoms as much as it is just making concessions that probably didn't need to be made. The hype made both for and against the movie by overly passionate people I think contributed mostly to the movie being so controversial. Many people saw the movie as almost a religious experience that should be shown on repeat and other people saw it as a movie that glamorized war and emboldened negative passions towards Muslims, and so with that the movie became polarizing. I honestly just don't see it as anything other than that.
Certainly they have a right to ban a movie, book, or speech but is that really the point?

The Muslim Students Association said “We sincerely appreciate your commitment to exercising your freedom of speech to create an inclusive, just and safe campus community”, suggesting it would be 'unsafe' if the movie were shown. Of course the movie was shown everywhere around the US and the millions who saw it were safe. The idea that it would it would be otherwise at the University of Maryland can only be viewed as a threat.

You're reading too much into this. Don't be like those goofy Muslims.

University of Maryland cancels
 
Even when it's explained to you? Perhaps you should participate only in threads involving current celebrities.

You've explained nothing and I've no interest in celebs.
 
next up: students demand that university cancel discussion of huckleberry finn

if you dont want to see a movie then dont go see the movie

I recognize that argument.

It's freedom of speech that everyone needs to tolerate some sort of leftist display, and yet it's also freedom of speech to shutdown any pro-conservative display.

How is it consistent to have it both ways?
 
They seem to have insulted way more people by canceling the film than they would have if they went on with showing it if it made it to the news.

Did they? Just seems like a handful of internet posters to me.
 
No, it's not. A truly open environment would allow the materials to be presented, but also allow for opportunities to discuss and critique. You should always err on the side of allowing distribution, but allow for retorts-whether that comes in another function or not.

Of course it is an opinion, but it is very relevant given they espoused reasons for why the University should stop that showing. It's a critique of the rationale behind their objections.

I know these subtleties come hard for you, but do please actually pretend to care what the university stands for as an institution in American society before resorting to such simplemindedness.

Your line of reasoning make sense to me and strikes a cord as well.
 
You have a twisted version of reality.

The University was going to show the film until the petition said to not show the film. It was bullying. The proper intellectual environment would be to say you shouldn't pressure people to not present those materials. What you can do is allow for a rebuttal or panel discussion of Islamism or the like in film or popular culture. It's not like they don't have a case to critique the film, because we've long had scholars like Edward Said discuss how popular culture relies on certain tropes of Arab and Islamic culture. But you shouldn't bully people so they aren't exposed to another perspective.

As someone above pointed out, any campus outrage at a showing of the Last Temptation of Christ ought to be viewed in the same light. Christians displeased with that film ought not have the power to bully and pressure the university from displaying the film.

The university is a fragile structure. We shouldn't promote an intellectual atmosphere where only one spectrum of ideas are acceptable for public display or comment. It needs to be an open forum. Putting pressure to shield everyone from contentious issues is antithetical toward its purpose.

Whatever happened to 'those who don't want to see it don't have to'?

What could possibly more open to other's ideas than 'We are playing this movie. Come and watch it. Or not. Your choice.'
 
Whatever happened to 'those who don't want to see it don't have to'?

What could possibly more open to other's ideas than 'We are playing this movie. Come and watch it. Or not. Your choice.'

Greetings, Erik. :2wave:

For some reason, Muslims have become a protected class by this administration here in America. Why this is, or when it happened I don't know. Over the years, I have seen many Muslim women shopping in the same stores I do, and they didn't ask for preferential treatment of any kind back then - they were neither pushy, nor loud and demanding, nor arrogant, and they were treated the same as any other shopper.

However, lately it seems as if this administration has gone to great lengths to assure they are not offended in any way. This perception is having the opposite effect than BHO intended, though, IMO, since it causes resentment against them from everyone else, since no one likes to feel bullied. As has been pointed out, if you don't want to see a particular movie or any other presentation that you don't agree with, stay home or do something else you might enjoy. That's what most people do, since we don't all like the same things. Trying to force the issue is a stupid move, which will eventually backfire because it deliberately causes divisiveness, IMO.
 
Greetings, Erik. :2wave:

For some reason, Muslims have become a protected class by this administration here in America. Why this is, or when it happened I don't know. Over the years, I have seen many Muslim women shopping in the same stores I do, and they didn't ask for preferential treatment of any kind back then - they were neither pushy, nor loud and demanding, nor arrogant, and they were treated the same as any other shopper.

However, lately it seems as if this administration has gone to great lengths to assure they are not offended in any way. This perception is having the opposite effect than BHO intended, though, IMO, since it causes resentment against them from everyone else, since no one likes to feel bullied. As has been pointed out, if you don't want to see a particular movie or any other presentation that you don't agree with, stay home or do something else you might enjoy. That's what most people do, since we don't all like the same things. Trying to force the issue is a stupid move, which will eventually backfire because it deliberately causes divisiveness, IMO.

Greetings, Polgara. :2wave:

What a tangled web we weave when we start down the path of protected classes, as there's always an unprotected one, which feels bullied, as you correctly observe. Hard to reduce divisiveness and build unity that way. All that seems to be accomplished is to drive the resentment further underground, where is festers into something truly nasty.

Wouldn't it be just easier and less divisive to let society take it's 'natural' course? Of course that'll never satisfy some who want the confrontation, the divisiveness, as it's where they make their money, such as the race hustlers we've observed in the last years.
 
Greetings, Erik. :2wave:

For some reason, Muslims have become a protected class by this administration here in America. Why this is, or when it happened I don't know. Over the years, I have seen many Muslim women shopping in the same stores I do, and they didn't ask for preferential treatment of any kind back then - they were neither pushy, nor loud and demanding, nor arrogant, and they were treated the same as any other shopper.

However, lately it seems as if this administration has gone to great lengths to assure they are not offended in any way. This perception is having the opposite effect than BHO intended, though, IMO, since it causes resentment against them from everyone else, since no one likes to feel bullied. As has been pointed out, if you don't want to see a particular movie or any other presentation that you don't agree with, stay home or do something else you might enjoy. That's what most people do, since we don't all like the same things. Trying to force the issue is a stupid move, which will eventually backfire because it deliberately causes divisiveness, IMO.
Yes, it has created divisiveness in society and, according to what the Islamists say, that is what they want. They have no intention on any long term 'melting pot' but want to remain Muslim and have everyone else become Muslim as well. They make no secret of that.

And yes, the tradition has been to read a book, listen to a speaker or watch a movie - or not. But now that the ubersensitive Muslims have arrived in the first world the feeling among many is that everyone must adapt to their feelings and purported slights or a repeat of their earlier acts of violence will likely occur. It is they who will decide on which movies might be seen, speakers heard or books read. There is always an underlying threat and the intimidation works.

This is nonsense, of course, and it is they who should be doing the adapting if they intend to live in a first world environment, but that is not what's happening. This will not end well.
 
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Whatever happened to 'those who don't want to see it don't have to'?

What could possibly more open to other's ideas than 'We are playing this movie. Come and watch it. Or not. Your choice.'

There's certainly no shortage of American and international left-wing materials distributed and discussed at the average American university, nor should there be. Nevertheless, there are many alternative perspectives out there and they should be heard out.

If we expect students to be grown ups and handle being intellectually challenged by Marx, Sanger, Derrida, and Foucault, sexual studies pioneers, environmentalists and anti-war spokespersons, they can certainly handle being challenged by proprietors of the Right. This wasn't some Neo-Nazi production for Pete's sake. It doesn't qualify as hate speech, yet it's being pilloried as if it were the equivalent of such.

Why do we presume it is appropriate to privilege the views of one group over the other, when it certainly wouldn't be tolerated by left-wingers if the shoe was on the other foot? The value is in having a venue to engage in different ideas and debate them with a semblance of fairness. If material is controversial, you still provide an avenue for it to be displayed and then you can have additional discussion. That's what the university is supposed to provide.
 
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Greetings, Polgara. :2wave:

What a tangled web we weave when we start down the path of protected classes, as there's always an unprotected one, which feels bullied, as you correctly observe. Hard to reduce divisiveness and build unity that way. All that seems to be accomplished is to drive the resentment further underground, where is festers into something truly nasty.

Wouldn't it be just easier and less divisive to let society take it's 'natural' course? Of course that'll never satisfy some who want the confrontation, the divisiveness, as it's where they make their money, such as the race hustlers we've observed in the last years.

This sure has become a different world than the one I remember from not too many years ago, exempting politics, which seems to bring out the worse in some people! Back then, everyone more or less attempted to get along with other people, and authority was respected.

Then look at today - arrogant foul-mouthed students think they run the colleges they attend; every policeman is now automatically a bad guy; "protected" groups think everyone else owes them something; the same degree of justice for all is just a memory, since some are apparently above the law, and laws that you don't like can be ignored; politically correct speech is now expected, but word meanings are changed from time to time, so you're never sure; judges in lower courts over-rule a majority vote by the people if they don't agree with them; our flag and way of life that many died for is ridiculed and demeaned, and if you object, you're called names like racist or worse; riots and destruction of property have become commonplace as a means of expressing unhappiness with the system, which is a way of life in backward third-world countries, but shouldn't be happening here; and our lawmakers exempt themselves from laws everyone else has to obey.

Either the inmates are truly running the asylum, or we're reliving the last days of earlier civilizations that were once great, but decayed from within. Those are my observations, and my opinion. :rantoff:
 
Whatever happened to 'those who don't want to see it don't have to'?

What could possibly more open to other's ideas than 'We are playing this movie. Come and watch it. Or not. Your choice.'

Well, the truth is that "even though I didn't watch that hateful movie, I object that others are watching it. Who knows what they are thinking?" Seems like the irony of a statement like that might light a bulb. Maybe. I know that's a fictitious secnario, but that's the thought I think is behind the whole thing. That is, there's not much thought at all - but it yields results, so....
 
This sure has become a different world than the one I remember from not too many years ago, exempting politics, which seems to bring out the worse in some people! Back then, everyone more or less attempted to get along with other people, and authority was respected.

Then look at today - arrogant foul-mouthed students think they run the colleges they attend; every policeman is now automatically a bad guy; "protected" groups think everyone else owes them something; the same degree of justice for all is just a memory, since some are apparently above the law, and laws that you don't like can be ignored; politically correct speech is now expected, but word meanings are changed from time to time, so you're never sure; judges in lower courts over-rule a majority vote by the people if they don't agree with them; our flag and way of life that many died for is ridiculed and demeaned, and if you object, you're called names like racist or worse; riots and destruction of property have become commonplace as a means of expressing unhappiness with the system, which is a way of life in backward third-world countries, but shouldn't be happening here; and our lawmakers exempt themselves from laws everyone else has to obey.

Either the inmates are truly running the asylum, or we're reliving the last days of earlier civilizations that were once great, but decayed from within. Those are my observations, and my opinion. :rantoff:
And an excellent rant it was!

It seem to me that the coarsening of society, at least in the democracies, began in the late 1960's with 'God is Dead', the sexual revolution, and the widespread use of drugs. Of course I'm not innocent in any of this myself but there are some values retained and lines not crossed. Now those lines have become blurred, or ignored altogether. Anyone outside the democracies can see how weak we've become, accepting things our parents and grandparents would have readily fought against or, in this case, just laughed at and ignored. This weakness, the little understanding of history, and lack of moral clarity, could very well be our undoing.
 
University of Maryland cancels



Freedom of speech is a one-way street these days.

And this country has lost its spine.

This has jack to do with free speech or the 1st Amendment. And before anyone jumps to any stupid conclusions without knowing how my school operates, as a student at the University of Maryland, this came across my Facebook feed earlier:

The University of Maryland was not involved in the decision to postpone or cancel the showing of American Sniper. This decision was made by Student Entertainment Events, a student-led organization comprised of undergraduate students who work alongside advisors in the creation, promotion, and operation of campus events. Their official statement on the decision to postpone the film can be found here: https://see.umd.edu/american-sniper/.

Now I actually enjoyed the movie and think that at the very least it should be allowed to be screened to promote dialogue and discussion. But this wasn't a move that was officially done or sanctioned by the University so please stop with the idiotic comments about free speech, and even if it were, it still wouldn't be a 1st Amendment issue.
 
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This has jack to do with free speech or the 1st Amendment. And before anyone jumps to any stupid conclusions without knowing how my school operates, as a student at the University of Maryland, this came across my Facebook feed earlier: Now I actually enjoyed the movie and think that at the very least it should be allowed to be screened to promote dialogue and discussion. But this wasn't a move that was officially done or sanctioned by the University.
The nonsense in the SEE statement suggests that the poor neutered buggers were brainwashed at the U of Maryland rather than educated. What self-serving sanctimonious bilge!
 
Did they? Just seems like a handful of internet posters to me.

If something is on mainstream news it will always anger more than "a few internet posters".
You are unable to see beyond the medium that you are familiar with, which in this case is this forum.
 
There was no coercion involved. A bunch of people said "we don't like you're doing this and don't think you should" and so they didn't.

which would be considered intimidation to most people.
depending on the circumstances of them protesting it.

they should have continued to play the film and told them to go dig a hole or something.
this PC BS has gotten out of control.

welcome not the the US home of the free and brave,
but to the Home of the spineless meme of it might offend someone.

these people need to cry a river build a bridge and get over it.
however this is what run away liberalism meme and PC when allowed to happen does. it turns the entire nation into wimps.

yep it was intimidating and CAIR was involved.
now the school is paying the price for kowtowing to these people.
 
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:shrug: I think cancelling a film for the stated reason is stupid; however, the university has the right to do so if it wishes. It wished to do so.

Well it was in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Maryland. But they did have a big parade right after. :lol:

 
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