Impressive young woman

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/19/us/usc-graduation-commencement-guests.html


Jon M. Chu, the director of “Crazy Rich Asians,” and Billie Jean King also uninvited.

I’m guessing he withdrew and said he wants nothing to do with this dumpster fire. And USC is trying to save face by saying he was uninvited. Why would he be uninvited?

USC uninvited all external speakers to minimize the risk of the valedictorian successfully suing under California’s Leonard Law, which guarantees the 1st Amendment rights of students on private high school and college campuses. Very difficult for USC to say with a straight face that the security risk only applied to her when speaking and no one else.

The way you’re imagining the intentions of USC leadership, it actually sounds like they disinvited the other graduation speakers to shield the individuals and groups who forced their hand on the Valedictorian.

We have all lost our way if the terrorists in the Trojans for Israel and Chabad @ USC organizations are not investigated and held accountable for their threats of violence (leading to the security risks). If the tables were turned (and a Jewish student was subject to the same treatment), the palpable pressure in the media and behind the scenes would be unbearable right now.

[Anonymous]

So is USC not going to have any speakers at all? That sucks. I hope students boycott graduation

[Anonymous]

I rabbit-holed last night. I do have friends on both side, and have been able to discuss events but I'm cautious, probably more cautious with my Orthodox Jewish friends--who detest the Israeli right but are feeling existential threat). Spent hours reading Haaretz article and comments and same with Jerusalem Post. I don't know where all the commenters are writing from (some clearly weak in English and not using AI to help out) but range of opinions is broad, there's some viciousness towards Israel (like bloodthirsty viciousness) while some pro-Israel write racist filth about Palestinians and Arabs that that matches up with a 1920 KKK meeting. (I've read and heard racism on par with that from settlers in the past. I think the rw in Israel likes using them as proxies to slowly destroy Palestinian existence.

All this stuff is complex (as is always the case) and I am definitely a centrist type person. I think Israel leadership and military has f-ed up, and that Biden's efforts have been more significant than credited by pro-Palestine groups--the very fact that Israeli leaders fume over those efforts is clear evidence of that. I'm just working hard on learning more.

I do want to leave this:
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-797602

[Anonymous]

I just hope young people on both sides are better than their predecessors and able to see past and through biases taught to them. Jews are being manipulated into giving Israeli government's genocidal actions unconditional support in the name of "NEVER AGAIN." and Palestinians are being manipulated into seeing Hamas as their only hope in the name of "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.".

[Anonymous]

USC grads should quietly and peacefully walk out of the ceremony to support free speech.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:USC grads should quietly and peacefully walk out of the ceremony to support free speech.

This

[Anonymous]

USC leadership has always been and still is pathetic. All they care about is money.

[Anonymous]

Isn't it the same school where staff takes bribes to admit celebrity kids who can't qualify and deny kids who work hard in their courses and sports?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:USC leadership has always been and still is pathetic. All they care about is money.

It’s the NYU of the west coast. Will always be a school where a mediocre rich kid can get in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a student at USC and a I am glad that she is not being allowed to speak. This is neither the time or place to politicize a speech that is meant to be a celebration of 4 years of hard work by ALL the students. The pro-Palestinian protests are all over the place and there are many forums in which to make your voice heard. Just the other day, roads were blocked to O'Hare and the Golden Gate bridge. Columbia University has on-going protests. Or you can just take your sentiments where they belong and vote for people who share your common views.

Let's no kid ourselves here that this would not make Jewish students uncomfortable. Can't they all just be students for a day and celebrate their common achievements or do we need to continue down this road where everything is a political sh!!!tshow?

The presence of a Muslim woman makes Jewish students uncomfortable? That’s literally what you’re saying, as she had not even written her remarks yet. You’ve jumped to so many conclusions on her based on what? Her ethnicity and religion. Do you want to go down this road?

We do no favors for our kids when we try to keep them in a bubble of likeminded sycophants.

I actually would give this woman the benefit of the doubt that she would give a speech that is uplifting and uniting, as she has promised.

-Father of Jewish children

Dear Father of Jewish Children

When a student of this caliber has a link on a social media site calling for the destruction of Israel, I have jumped to no conclusions. Over 200,000 people signed a petition calling for her to be removed. You may have all the free speech you want and you may expose your children to as many hateful messages as you would like, but Jewish students are being harrassed and bullied on a daily basis at these schools and made to feel unsafe. It has absolutely happened at USC and my daughter has seen it first hand. Have you forgotten the images of students banging on the door at a college trying to get inside a room that Jewish students were held up in?

This is not meant to shield them but to provide them ONE DAY, a respectful environment in which to celebrate their accomplishments.

They see harrassment every day. Have you not seen the congressional hearings wth these so called presidents that finally admitted that anti-semitism absolutely has been very present on their campuses?

I have no ill will toward this young woman, but free speech has consequences and unfortunately she shared an inciteful link and that message matters.

Signed a Catholic Mom

I am not going to respond anymore - I said what I said.

There are some bad actors on all sides. That is reality. But they are a minority. We should encourage our kids to be strong enough to allow all voices to be heard. Silencing the opposition never works well in the long run. We are not Russia. Dialogue is always the way forward even if it is uncomfortable for some people

You are not understanding the purpose of the day, it is graduation day.No one is stopping this young woman for speaking out about uncomfortable subjects. You see what is happening at Columbia now, where they have allowed students to take over the campus. That certainly does not look like a minority stance.

This young woman had not written her speech yet and neither you nor I can control what is said or what other people decide to do
on this day should they decide to make this a part of their right to protest. Either way, this graduaton is now screwed because it will be overshadowed by political unrest. Do you think there is a chance now that highways will be blocked so parents cannot get to graduation or some other retaliatory response? I would not be happy to have my child's achievements minimized because of protests and nonsense that has nothing to do with the class of 2024 and their accomplishments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So is USC not going to have any speakers at all? That sucks. I hope students boycott graduation

Nobody cares about the speeches anyway, especially the invariably stupid speeches that students give.

[Anonymous]

“We will not move past the crisis of the moment by silencing those with whom we disagree. The university is exactly the sort of place where such views must be heard. Otherwise, it is not a university.”

- David N. Myers and Salam Al-Marayati (LA Times op-ed)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn't it the same school where staff takes bribes to admit celebrity kids who can't qualify and deny kids who work hard in their courses and sports?

USC = University of Spoiled Children

People may be confusing it with the University of California. It's not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“We will not move past the crisis of the moment by silencing those with whom we disagree. The university is exactly the sort of place where such views must be heard. Otherwise, it is not a university.”

- David N. Myers and Salam Al-Marayati (LA Times op-ed)

The Forward has an excellent op-ed that absolutely tears apart the USC administration for not only their weak-spined censorship, but also their inadvertent contribution to stoking an anti-Jewish atmosphere right now. USC majorly f#cked up. I expect heads to roll for the debacle around the graduation:

Imagine for a moment that the University of Southern California let Asna Tabassum speak.
...
What would have happened? The pro-Israel groups that opposed her appearance would have continued to criticize the invitation. Students and alumni on different sides of the issues would have challenged or supported the decision. Then, on graduation day, Tabassum would have spoken. Some students would cheer, others might have gotten up and walked out, or chosen a different way to protest whatever she might have said.

In other words: Life would have gone on.

Once USC decided to offer Tabassum the top student speaking spot, the university needed to stand by its decision.

Instead, it did something that compounded the shortsightedness and stoked even more anger: It blamed Jews.

They are so terrible at their jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“We will not move past the crisis of the moment by silencing those with whom we disagree. The university is exactly the sort of place where such views must be heard. Otherwise, it is not a university.”

- David N. Myers and Salam Al-Marayati (LA Times op-ed)

The Forward has an excellent op-ed that absolutely tears apart the USC administration for not only their weak-spined censorship, but also their inadvertent contribution to stoking an anti-Jewish atmosphere right now. USC majorly f#cked up. I expect heads to roll for the debacle around the graduation:

Imagine for a moment that the University of Southern California let Asna Tabassum speak.
...
What would have happened? The pro-Israel groups that opposed her appearance would have continued to criticize the invitation. Students and alumni on different sides of the issues would have challenged or supported the decision. Then, on graduation day, Tabassum would have spoken. Some students would cheer, others might have gotten up and walked out, or chosen a different way to protest whatever she might have said.

In other words: Life would have gone on.

Once USC decided to offer Tabassum the top student speaking spot, the university needed to stand by its decision.

Instead, it did something that compounded the shortsightedness and stoked even more anger: It blamed Jews.

They are so terrible at their jobs.

Link: https://forward.com/opinion/columnists/603640/usc-valedictorian-cancelled-dont-blame-jews-asna-tabassum/