Campus censorship "an epidemic"

[Captain...]

The classic polarisation of debate.

 

MattP thinks the BLM are a bunch of morons

Finnegan thinks the BLM are a bunch of morons

 

Instead of agreeing they are a bunch of morons it  turns into arguing semantics, the black KKK is a clearly inaccurate comparison, they are not lynching people and burning crosses in people's gardens, they are also not secretive and don't hide their faces, although they may hold similar beliefs about other races. To be honest they sound more like a black American BNP or EDL and will probably turn out to be about as relevant. Creating this debate gives them much more credibility and exposure than they deserve, even though you both agree they are morons and are fundamentally wrong and probably not deserving of any publicity.

[Voll Blau]

Don't know a lot about the BLM but I'm guessing they're better dressers too.

[Captain...]

Don't know a lot about the BLM but I'm guessing they're better dressers too.

 

Probably got more rhythm and bigger dicks too!

 

[ScouseFox]

As well as being idiotic, it's also insulting to imply that all males are rapists by default. 

 

[Rincewind]

Translation: I'll have to wait til Ken turns up and starts spouting nonsense so I've got someone to argue with who'll make me seem like the reasonable one instead of some knee-jerk conservative comparing some protesting idiots to the KKK.

I'll pass. I'll jet someone else have that pleasure with MattP

 

Not sure if achieving publicity on FoxesTalk will be high on their publicity seeking outlets.

[Thracian]

We've touched on this before but more and more stories and sources appear to be coming out about how so many student groups seem intent on blockcading freedom of speech and thought at our Universities.

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/student/news/campus-censorship-an-epidemic-at-uk-universities-as-aberystwyth-edinburgh-and-leeds-named-among-most-a6818896.html

 

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/feb/02/free-speech-universities-spiked-ban-sombreros

 

 

The most common things to result in bannings were debates or support revolving around Israel, Muslim clerics, lad culture, abortion, divestment, athiests and secularists.

 

Some of it is so hilarious it barely merits a mention, one university banned Sombreros on campus on the grounds of them being "racist" towards Mexicans, I imagine that's like being referred to as being anti-Irish for having a pint of guinness. Publications such as The Spectator, The Sun, Daily Star and Charlie Hebdo were also banned in certain universities.

 

The NUS also officially condemned Israel and UKIP but refused to pass the same motion on ISIS.

 

 

Seems to me that unions are  too often (though not always) lead by people who only countenance their own aims or philosophies and to hell with representing their members in general.  

 

They are fertile ground for politicals and barrack-room lawyers with their own agendas - and people are often saddled with their effect whether they wish to be or not.   

 

And no, they're never far from hypocrisy. A lot are just basically bullies - people who will force their ideas on others if it's the only way.

 

I remember being in the NUJ - appalling experience among people who achieved nothing for anyone. I soon left and ploughed my own furrow.

[notnow john]

Seems to me that unions are too often (though not always) lead by people who only countenance their own aims or philosophies and to hell with representing their members in general.

They are fertile ground for politicals and barrack-room lawyers with their own agendas - and people are often saddled with their effect whether they wish to be or not.

And no, they're never far from hypocrisy. A lot are just basically bullies - people who will force their ideas on others if it's the only way.

I remember being in the NUJ - appalling experience among people who achieved nothing for anyone. I soon left and ploughed my own furrow.

That's the N.F.U, surely?

[bmt]

As a student at Leeds, just thought I would say that the banning of hate-preachers etc is currently being debated by the Politics and Campaigning board. 

 

Also want to raise the point that having a no tolerance policy against sexual harassment is seen as restricting free speech by those who measure it http://www.spiked-online.com/free-speech-university-rankings/profile/leeds#.VqEZiiqLTIU

[theessexfox]

http://www.varsity.co.uk/comment/9664from a guy who went to my school.

[Rincewind]

Good article.

[The Fox Covert]

This is an argument which will never go away. When I was at university there was no BNP or muslim extremists but there was the NF. However much you loathe their opinions, let them have their say in public and their dark underside will soon come out. Look what happened to the BNP vote once Griffin got a chance to voice his vile and noisome prejudices on prime time TV before the 2010 election.

It isn't however a strategy completely without risk. Somebody living immediately below me was a fully signed up card-carrying NF Nazi, whose name now escapes me, stabbed and killed another student in an argument. He had already been in trouble for stabbing someone at the notorious demo in Lewisham in 1977 which turned into a riot. Somehow he managed to escape a spell inside for that. I wonder whether he is still rotting behind bars now.

[Webbo]

 

It isn't however a strategy completely without risk. Somebody living immediately below me was a fully signed up card-carrying NF Nazi, whose name now escapes me, stabbed and killed another student in an argument. He had already been in trouble for stabbing someone at the notorious demo in Lewisham in 1977 which turned into a riot. Somehow he managed to escape a spell inside for that. I wonder whether he is still rotting behind bars now.

I don't see what that's got to do with freedom of speech?

[Guest Kopfkino]

Las Friday, a new free speech society was set up at the LSE to combat the high levels of censorship we are put under. The SU have already brought up a motion to ban the anti-banning society, couldn't make it up tbh.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/12139771/University-free-speech-society-faces-being-ban-for-speaking-out.html?fb_ref=Default

[ousefox]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/12136295/Monty-Python-star-John-Cleese-will-no-longer-perform-at-university-campuses-as-political-correctness-kills-comedy.html

 

John Cleese discussing it too

[James.]

Obviously it's f**king ludicrous to go round banning all these groups but how many students are actually part of them? Don't most students spend their days attending the odd lecture and getting wasted? That's what I did, I didn't have time for any societies.

[ousefox]

Obviously it's f**king ludicrous to go round banning all these groups but how many students are actually part of them? Don't most students spend their days attending the odd lecture and getting wasted? That's what I did, I didn't have time for any societies.

Yep it's just the weirdos who bother getting involved with the student unions

[Guest MattP]

This is getting seriously bonkers now, the NUS have now "No Platformed" the leader of Hope Not Hate due to his "Islamophobic" views The biggest irony of this being HNH actually were so scared of doing anything about radical Muslims it took them years to hold any sort of demonstration or show any dissent towards Islamic hate preachers.

 

http://mancunion.com/2016/02/18/breaking-hope-not-hate-director-allegedly-no-platformed-nus/

 

Lowles commented that it seems “some ultra-left activists believe [him to be] Islamophobic because [he has] repeatedly spoken out against grooming and dared to condemn Islamist extremism”.

 

This has to reach some sort of ground zero moment soon, I can't wait for Billy Bragg to be no platformed.

[Thracian]

We've touched on this before but more and more stories and sources appear to be coming out about how so many student groups seem intent on blockcading freedom of speech and thought at our Universities.

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/student/news/campus-censorship-an-epidemic-at-uk-universities-as-aberystwyth-edinburgh-and-leeds-named-among-most-a6818896.html

 

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/feb/02/free-speech-universities-spiked-ban-sombreros

 

The most common things to result in bannings were debates or support revolving around Israel, Muslim clerics, lad culture, abortion, divestment, athiests and secularists.

 

Some of it is so hilarious it barely merits a mention, one university banned Sombreros on campus on the grounds of them being "racist" towards Mexicans, I imagine that's like being referred to as being anti-Irish for having a pint of guinness. Publications such as The Spectator, The Sun, Daily Star and Charlie Hebdo were also banned in certain universities.

 

The NUS also officially condemned Israel and UKIP but refused to pass the same motion on ISIS.

The NUS has been like a blocked loo for years, so full of shit it's time they were emptied or replaced.

[Claridge]

The NUS has been like a blocked loo for years, so full of shit it's time they were emptied or replaced.

Shut down the shitty poly's and put the money towards decent training schemes. Thousands of people with worthless degrees is pointless,when many trades are crying out for skilled workers.

Every application form i read seems to involve a degree in ,sociology or business studies etc... they go straight in the bin

[Darkon84]

Themed balls at Cambridge University now under scrutiny and face cancellation for 'promoting racial stereotypes'. Will this ever end? I'm so glad I'm not at University in these times, I genuinely doubt I'd be able to contain myself, being surrounded by such pathetic, moaning babies. Sod off to your 'safe place' and write some poetry about your feelings, urgh.

 

 

Ploy Kingchatchaval, a third-year English student, told the Sunday Times: "The vibe they are going for with the Orient Express is white people travelling in first class on a train, visiting 'exotic' places with the inherent sense of privilege that comes from being a rich tourist ... it's going to be a white presentation of these places they're trying to represent, full of stereotypes, which is erasing and gross."

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/12192635/Plans-for-Japanese-themed-ball-at-Cambridge-University-college-sparks-latest-row.html

[Guest MattP]

Themed balls at Cambridge University now under scrutiny and face cancellation for 'promoting racial stereotypes'. Will this ever end? I'm so glad I'm not at University in these times, I genuinely doubt I'd be able to contain myself, being surrounded by such pathetic, moaning babies. Sod off to your 'safe place' and write some poetry about your feelings, urgh.

 

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/12192635/Plans-for-Japanese-themed-ball-at-Cambridge-University-college-sparks-latest-row.html

 

 

Imagine being in your early 20's and needing a "safe space" as the thought of a "Orient express theme party" upsets and offends you so much, how are these people going to survive in the real world?

[Finnaldo]

 

Imagine being in your early 20's and needing a "safe space" as the thought of a "Orient express theme party" upsets and offends you so much, how are these people going to survive in the real world?

 

By finding a group of Far Left persuasion similar to them, and continuing to scream at anyone who may bring up any objection to their self-tailored definition of equality, racism and sexism, without ever revising or considering their own ideology other than to confirm it's absolutely 100% correct.

 

Similar to how some will go through life spilling legitimate hatred and xenophobia, spurred on by the 'soft left' argument only helped on by the group above, allowing their self-tailored definitions of National pride and the evils of multi-culturalism, without ever revising or considering their own ideology other than to confirm it's absolutely 100% correct.

 

Social Media and furthered communication means that these groups that aren't actually that big get amplified. people get drawn in to the far left by the hatred and racism they see spewed on 'popular' far right Facebook page like Britain First and people get pulled into the Right by the fact that the far left social justice vigilantes will use every stick to beat white males and appear progressive. Depending on the person it becomes a magnet to either side and as people's attention spans lower and it becomes easier to base your whole ideology on memes or a sensationalist clickbait piece about Right Wing action against innocent Muslims or an obscure Leftist spouting anti-semitic shite, then reasoned debate quickly turns to screaming and kicking on both sides. We're witnessing the political sphere being reduced to basic tribalism and until we can learn about wider reading and actually analysing the pros and cons of opposition policy it'll remain the same, if not get worse.      

[Darkon84]

 

Imagine being in your early 20's and needing a "safe space" as the thought of a "Orient express theme party" upsets and offends you so much, how are these people going to survive in the real world?

 

The thing is, in the study that was conducted not so long ago which showed the universities which were the worst for these kind of things (if I remember right, it was colour coded - red for least free speech, through amber to green which was most accepting of all views), it had Cheltenham as one of the worst.

That's where I studied 10 years ago and I can't remember one single instance of any of this sort of thing.....not one, and that's across all of the different campuses. Half the time I don't know whether to feel saddened or angered by that, because I had some of the best times of my life there, and the entire place, including the uni itself is absolutely beautiful and very welcoming to everybody. To see it now as one of the worst places for stifling free speech shows how bad this problem has become.

The way things are going there, I'm surprised we haven't seen huge student protests outside the racecourse demonstrating against animal cruelty and the amounts of money that get thrown around in there.

[Guest MattP]

Students left "scared for safety" after Trump supporter chalks "Vote Trump 2016" around college campus.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/03/24/someone-wrote-trump-2016-on-emorys-campus-in-chalk-some-students-said-they-no-longer-feel-safe/

[Darkon84]

Considering there are sensitivity training courses to help people deal with others opinions and feelings (such as this https://www.universalclass.com/i/course/workplace-sensitivity-training.htm), then surely these overly sensitive weaklings should be sent on some form of course to toughen them up (strangely though, (I couldn't find any courses for that) or perhaps a week in a military barracks with R. Lee Ermey!