He always looks so "spiffy," doesn't he?
Posted on 02/22/2005 6:37:32 PM PST by aculeus
An appearance by Malik Shabazz at Carnegie Mellon University last week has infuriated Jewish students, who say he not only devoted a university lecture to attacking them, but broke university rules and asked that Jewish students identify themselves as Jews before a hostile audience.
A columnist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who managed to stay at the appearance when other journalists were forced to leave, wrote: "Shabazz travels with a retinue of young men and women in jackboots, arm patches and berets. One wandered about with a nightstick. Another snapped photos of white people in the audience.... Try to imagine Farrakhan in Nuremberg."
Shabazz could not be reached for comment Monday. Nor could members of the black student group that organized the appearance. Carnegie Mellon officials said that they tried to persuade the students not to invite Shabazz, who has been criticized as an anti-Semite not only by Jewish organizations but by groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center. But the university decided that its commitment to free expression meant that the students were given the final say.
Michael C. Murphy, dean of student affairs, said in an interview Monday that the "tenor of hurtfulness and hatefulness" by Shabazz had upset many students at the university. Murphy was preparing for a town meeting to discuss student reactions, and for many private meetings with students and others who are concerned.
"This was hate," said Aaron Weil, executive director of the Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh. "At one point, he asked all the Jews in the room to raise their hands and say who is a Jew and then he asked who is a Zionist and the people with him told these students, 'I'm watching you.' One of our students was in tears."
Weil stressed that Hillel had not asked that the speech be banned, or tried to disrupt the appearance. But he said that Jewish students feel threatened by the fact that Carnegie Mellon let Shabazz and his entourage violate university rules about weapons during an appearance in which he repeatedly criticized Jews. Among other things, Shabazz suggested that Jewish people aren't really Jewish.
In terms of violations, Weil noted that people were searched for weapons going into the lecture. But members of Shabazz's group had nightsticks visible during the appearance. Murphy, the Carnegie Mellon dean, acknowledged that university rules bar private individuals from bringing nightsticks to campus events. He said that he knew of only one nightstick that was present, and that campus police officers made a "discretionary judgment" not to remove it. Murphy added that the officers "kept a close eye" on the person with the nightstick and that it was never used to threaten anyone.
Weil and students also reported that organizers of the event set up two lines to get in -- one for black people and one for white people -- and that very few white people were admitted. Students reported that they were told that the line for black people was for members of Spirit, the black Carnegie Mellon group that sponsored his appearance, but that many non-students who were black were let in, while white Carnegie Mellon students were kept out.
Murphy said that the lines were not organized by race. Rather, he said it is common to let students groups that sponsor events at the university give priority to their members when seating is limited. Off-campus groups co-sponsored the event with Spirit, Murphy said, so their members were allowed in the priority line. Still, he said he understood "how some people may have misinterpreted" the two lines.
Weil said that Jewish students and others were particularly dismayed that Carnegie Mellon police helped Shabazz and his aides remove television and radio reporters from the event. Weil said that the reason he and others believe Shabazz has a right to speak -- and the reason that the university offers for allowing him to speak -- is because of the First Amendment's principles of free expression. So why, he wondered, would the university then help to have reporters excluded?
Carnegie Mellon policy, Murphy said, is to allow those appearing on the campus to decide whether they will allow news media coverage, and he noted that performing groups frequently bar the recording of their appearances. He also said that one student reporter, who was initially removed, was later let back in by organizers of the appearance.
As for Shabazz asking Jewish students to raise their hand, Murphy said that was "troubling," but that he assumed that the students at the talk knew of Shabazz's reputation, and that those who were uncomfortable identifying themselves as Jewish would "just not respond."
Carnegie Mellon has not been known as a campus where Jewish students feel mistreated. Weil, whose Hillel center serves Jewish students throughout Pittsburgh, said that the university has been "a warm community," and that discussions started recently about adding Kosher dining options.
But Weil added that the Shabazz appearance (for which the university provided space, but not money) came just a few weeks after a university-sponsored lecture that was highly critical of Israel and that another such lecture had been scheduled to take place, but was postponed to a later date.
"I think the Jewish students know that what they are seeing in Shabazz is not Carnegie Mellon. But there is a sense of disgust and anger," said Weil. "If the university is trying to promote free speech and education, how is this part of the program?"
Shabazz makes periodic campus appearances, currently as the national chairman of the New Black Panther Party, which includes lists of particularly disliked white people (called "Devils, Whiteys, Honkys, Crackers") and of black "traitors," a group that includes both Colin Powell and Henry Louis Gates. Shabazz quotations about Jews are maintained on a Web site of the Anti-Defamation League. And the Southern Poverty Law Center includes him on a list of "40 to Watch," which primarily features white supremacists and neo-Nazis.
Murphy said that when he discussed the Shabazz speech with the students who planned it, they said that they had asked Shabazz to talk about the importance of education and the responsibilities of black students, not about his views on Jewish people. He said that the students "believed" Shabazz would "give a different speech than the one he gave."
He said he hoped the controversy would offer students a lesson: "There's an enormous responsibility that goes with freedom of expression."
— Scott Jaschik
Another of the Calypso Louie branch of TROP. When is the mother ship coming for him?
I am Sparticus!
At the very least, the university should make a blanket rule that all speakers and guest programs be open to reporters and cameras.
The self-hating jew is truly not a myth.
I was just sitting here listening to Quinn rail on CMU's twisted series of speakers ...
CMU Series Speaker Quote of the Day
"I didn't come here to play pin the tail on the donkey. I came here to play pin the blame on the honkey."
Let's see, special rules for racist minorities because campus police are afraid to provoke a confrontation?
Murphy, you're a disgrace to Irish Americans.
A complete disgrace to have this thug appear at Carnegie Mellon U.
It was bad enough when he appeared at the completely fourth rate Kean College in NJ, that was enough of an uproar. But at Carnegie Mellon? PUH-LEEZE.
Jewish Alumnea of these Universities, and yes I DO mean Columbia, which goes C/M one better and actually tenures their thugs instead of just having them a guest speakers, better start to hit them where it hurts, and let them know why.
Thnaks for the posting.
There is a transcript of this guy's interminable rantings at the Carnegie Mellon Tartan website.
http://www.thetartan.org/shabazz/
He always looks so "spiffy," doesn't he?
I fierst met a Carnegie-Mellon student in 1969. She was a feminazi A-hole. Glad to see nothing has changed.
"He always looks so "spiffy," doesn't he?"
Geez. Little pansy looks like the Commandante of the Michael Jackson Moonwalking Military Academy.
I wonder if Mrs. Clinton is as fond of the New Black Pantloads as she was of the Old.
So, if some group of students wanted to bring in a Klansman, it would be okay?
I think he gets Michael's castoffs.
Liberal Nazi's on the march, time to stop the lies of the left and send them packing.
NO!
I am Spartacus...
;-)
(Great flick!)
Ewww.
Liberal Zero tolerance is only imposed on small defenseless children. Anyone else, especially a group there bow to, well there's lots of tolerance and zero courage.
clothes! Clothes! I mean he got his old clothes!
”I love the outfits, they are fabulous!”
It's a shame that any university would allow any Muslim to speak.
Dont you mean islam is a rectal cancer???
How long are we going to put up this crap? I wonder if the KKK would have gotten the "roll out the red carpet" treatment from the University that this moonbat Shabazz received?
If this is a public university, it further inclines me to believe that we should end the gravy train. Our Universities today are pathetic.
"clothes! Clothes! I mean he got his old clothes!"
LOL! Whew! I was having some real bad visuals there!
*still chuckling*
How many bullets does an uzi hold again?
This dean Murphy is a piece of work.
I think liberal academics are at their best making excuses for the storm trooper behavior of the left.
I love the explanations of why when leftist students destroyand entire printing of a Conservative Student Newspaper; they were really advancing freedom of expression.
I am NOT answering that!
Somehow, I think that if a student group had invited the Aryan Nations to come speak, that they forced whites and blacks into seperate lines, they asked Jews to identify themselves, and were visibly displaying weapons, that the university might be singing a different tune. In fact, it would probably recieve 24/7 coverage and outrage in the MSM for weeks.
But oh yea, this Shabazz is black muslim .. so .. nothing to see here, move along.
I beg to differ. CMU graduates tend to be conservative, well at least I am.
The old Black Panthers do not approve of the New Black Panthers!
http://www.blackpanther.org/newsalert.htm
Yep. An illegal club is the same penalty in TX as having a pistol w/out a license. There WILL be a war again on US soil between the fascist leftists [of all colors along with islamofascists who are on the same side..]... and patriots...and they will start it...and we will finish it.
But, but, the administration has been telling everyone for years that "Spirit" membership is open to anyone on campus, regardless of race. I guess that was just a little fib....
Murphy, the Carnegie Mellon dean, acknowledged that university rules bar private individuals from bringing nightsticks to campus events.
Funny, the school didn't seem to care when somebody was waving a 12 ga. shotgun around pointing it at students on stage during a performance at Greek Sing at Carnegie Hall circa 1977 (give or take), but it's nice to know they have such a strict policy on "night sticks."
The ugly truth is CMU hasn't had the guts to stand up to any "minority" organization on campus since the Hill District riots of the late '60's. Example: the people responsible for the theft of school-provide dorm TV sets from Scobell/Boss/Hammershlag Halls the first week of school in 1973 were driving the car that belonged to the individual who ran CMU's "minority program" at the time. There were eyewitnesses to the theft. It was reported to campus security. Nothing was ever done about it.
One wonders how the CMU administration would have reacted if a student group had tried to have William Schockley speak on campus. That would have been interesting. Personally, I'd have liked it if they had both the Black Panthers and Schockley there at the same time.
Calm down; it isn't.
I am becoming more convinced everyday they should all be private. They they can compete for money and we will see if they are still as open to hosting commie love fests and various other undesireable like Churchill.
They'd tolerate a Klucker, but bringing a Republican would cause riots.
That works for me....
ping
"... and that those who were uncomfortable identifying themselves as Jewish would "just not respond."
Murphy, you're a disgrace to Irish Americans."
Yeah, that bit jumped out at me, too. The only thing the article lacks is a picture of this guy bending over.
February 22, 2005
Dear Members of the Campus Community:
Recent and planned speakers on the campus have created due debate on the rights and responsibilities within the university community. Specifically, the University Lecture Series sponsorship of Ali Aubunimah's lecture, planned sponsorship of Norman Finkelstein's lecture, and the Spirit Organization's sponsorship of Malik Shabazz's lecture have raised important questions for anyone who cares about this university.
There are several critical, and at times seemingly competing, values central to this discussion. Freedom of expression is certainly a core value of our community. That freedom carries with it a burden of responsibility for those who make the weighty decision to sponsor events on the campus. Ultimately, we value the understanding that comes from engagement of the campus community in constructive discourse.
With respect to freedom of expression, the university's policy on controversial speakers is an important foundation:
"If men and women are to value freedom, they must experience it. If they are to learn to choose wisely, they must know what the choices are; and they must learn in an environment where no idea is unthinkable and where no alternative is withheld from their consideration.
The assumptions of freedom are that men and women will more often than not choose wisely from among the alternatives available to them and that the range of alternatives and their implications can be known fully only if men and women can express their thoughts freely.
When, as they will, speakers from within or from outside the campus challenge the moral, spiritual, economic or political consensus of the community, people are uneasy, disturbed and at times outraged. In times of crisis, this is particularly true. But freedom of thought and freedom of expression cannot be influenced by circumstances. They exist only if they are inviolable. They are not matters of convenience but of necessity. This is a part of the price of freedom.
For their part, colleges and universities must hold vital the students' right to know. When so-called controversial speakers are invited to the campus by a recognized campus organization, they speak not because they have a right to be heard but because the students have a right to hear. It is the students' right to hear that the university must defend if it is to serve its high function in society."
With this freedom certainly comes a responsibility, and we have seen this manifest itself in various ways with the speakers this semester. In the decision by the University Lecture Series to sponsor the Ali Abunimah talk, it was the sentiment that this was an important perspective for students to hear, without respect to any agreement or support of the content by the sponsors. The lecture and the protest prior to it were, in spite of the contentious issues under discussion, civil and engaged. The planned sponsorship of the Norman Finkelstein talk was viewed in the same light, though the lecture was deferred to March 14th because of a concern that the compression of speakers was such that we should allow time for more balance and discussion. This balance has been an important aspect of the University Lecture Series, as well as of lectures hosted by the Activities Board and others. In a similar vein, open forums and discussion before and after controversial speakers allow for the educational value to emerge from these experiences.
The Malik Shabazz lecture was distinct from these, not in the issue of freedom of expression, but in the judgment about the willingness to sponsor the event. The administration was not willing to sponsor this event, nor ultimately was the student senate, in large part because of the inflammatory nature of the past rhetoric of the speaker. Under our policy, however, and following past practice, we do permit controversial speakers that we do not sponsor or support. Allowing activity that one has vigorously discouraged may strike some as hypocritical, though it is at the core of the intersection of freedom and responsibility.
After considerable debate and discussion, and with clear counsel from many members of the university community, the Spirit Organization chose to sponsor the event because of the speaker's stated focus on education and the roles and responsibilities of African American students. We allowed the event to proceed on this basis. The speech itself was filled with hateful and hurtful rhetoric, condemnable outright and not consistent with our values of mutual respect and tolerance. Importantly, it was also not in keeping with the history of the Spirit Organization nor, we firmly believe, of the values of its collective membership, nor its intent in sponsoring the speaker.
It would be naive to suggest that there is or should be unanimity of opinion on this event. Our position is clear, both in our condemnation of it and in our obligation to allow it to occur. It is our collective hope that all will agree that expressing one's views and expressing opposition to another's views need not carry with it hurtful expressions of bias, racism, ethnicism, homophobia or personal animus which, even when allowable under our Controversial Speakers Policy, have no productive place in our campus climate.
As always, the thoughtfulness of our students emerges as our greatest strength. Members of the university community--from all backgrounds and orientations, representing the full diversity of our family--continue to engage in productive discussion. The Unity Rally, the protest prior to the Abunimah lecture, the engagement between student groups, and the general discussion on the campus, if at times contentious, is critical to the fabric of our community. It is important that we not shy away from our differences or disagreements, but that we learn and grow from them to mutual benefit.
Sincerely,
Jared L. Cohon
President
Indira Nair
Vice Provost for Education
Michael C. Murphy
Dean of Student Affairs
But the university copped out.
Remember - Johnny the Bellhop from 50's TV who intoned:
"Call for Phillip Morrr--rray--is".
;-)
Oh, gosh, we are old...........LOL.
One hundred years ago, on November 15, 1900, Andrew Carnegie founded Carnegie Technical Schools with the pledge, "My heart is in the work.'' In 1912, those schools became a degree-granting institution, Carnegie Institute of Technology. In 1967, Carnegie Tech merged with the Mellon Institute of Research to form Carnegie Mellon University.
I'm here in Pittsburgh. Carnegie Mellon, even though they caved to allow this trash Shabazz on campus, is still a great university. I wish they would have said no to this egotistical rat, though.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.