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SEE is a student organization, not an arm of the University administration. A group of students were going to show the film, and chose not to. Here's what the student group said:
"Student Entertainment Events (SEE) has decided to postpone its May 6th and 7th screenings of American Sniper after meeting with concerned student organizations. SEE is choosing to explore the proactive measures of working with others during the coming months to possibly create an event where students can engage in constructive and moderated dialogues about the controversial topics proposed in the film."
Bold is mine.
A petition is an expression of an opinion by a group of people. That is free speech, not "bullying".
The proper intellectual environment would be to allow students to choose to show or not show the film as they see fit.
Funnily enough, this is exactly what they are planning on doing. Apparently you didn't read the statement.
If a student group wanted to show that film, and another group of students protested its showing via signing a petition, the exact same situation would apply. It's irrelevant what the film is.
To downplay the role of SEE at the university is hilarious. Their own page indicates that they are the entertainment venue for the university. The campus Republicans were in collaboration with SEE to show the film. It was not until another group started complaining did they back down and restrict the goals of the other campus groups. The film is no longer to be shown because privilege was given to the bullying tactics of one student group over the other.
If a disability student group was working with a student activity group in screening a film critiquing the conservative movement for its view of people with disabilities and the Republican student group pitched a fit about it and as a result the disability group couldn't air its film-that is a form of bullying, because now in its place the Republicans only wanted to inject themselves into the conversation without giving fair audience to the disability group.
That's the difference. Had they aired the film and then put in a moderated discussion or the like, that would not infringe on the Expression of the group's that wanted American Sniper to be shown. Instead you cut down on the ability to watch the film in favor of then allowing people to attack it. It's a power imbalance pure and simple.
It's antithetical to the purpose of the university.
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