Why does this guy still get speaking engagements?

[burk48237]

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a strong advocate for free speech. But should a student organizations in American colleges still be giving this guy an invitation to show up? And what does it say about them? And what does it say about double standards in our society? Could a public figure say the same kinds of things about African Americans or Muslims and get an invitation to a public college from a school sponsored student group to spout off his hate?

I see no difference between this guy and David Duke or Fred Phelps, and yet he seems to still carry a lot of respect from a large portion of his community. I suspect that anti-semitism, the worlds oldest hatred, is still a bit more acceptable in public than it should be.

"(He said) that Jews control the government and that you need to be their friends in order to be successful, that Jews control the media. To me, that was just so hateful and horrible," said Noah Ickowitz, a UC Berkelely ASUC Senator.

"Louis Farrakhan is a provocative, divisive figure with a long history of racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic speech," Yudof said. "It was distressing in the extreme that a student organization invited him to speak on the UC Berkeley campus."

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[sandmangeck]

You censor one, you've got to censor them all.

 

[bjabass]

Bezerkly?

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

You censor one, you've got to censor them all.

There's censoring someone, and there's not inviting someone to present a talk. Which aren't really the same thing.

Must admit, never heard of this bloke before now.

 

[burk48237]

You censor one, you've got to censor them all.

Well first I'm not suggesting he be "censored", only that the groups have the decency not to invite him in the first place. I'm also not suggesting that any private group be barred from having him show up for a speech. Although I do think it says an awful lot about that private group. Really what does a man who calls Judaism "a gutter religion" have to contribute to public dialog anyway?

There are plenty of forums for these guys to speak, but should a known hater be invited to a public college by a student organization to speak? And keep in mind, his subject is not really political speech which seems to get extra protections from the Bill of Rights. In other words if you don't invite him you're not denying a political candidate the opportunity to present his platform.

His subject matter is for the most part cultural. Does he really contribute anything of such value to the culture that one can tolerate his obvious venomous anti-Semitism?

 

[Deleted member 92857]

There is something you can do, and that's write the organization that invited him to speak. You can also write to their sponsors and let them know you disapprove and will not be purchasing, contributing, or otherwise supporting them. Hit them in the pocketbook where they'll feel it.

As an aside, I don't understanding the need to classify anti-Semitism as the worlds oldest hatred. I'm sure that man and his ancestors hated long before ethnic groups as we know them today existed. Primeval pre-humans probably discriminated and hated based on fur color, fur placement, eyebrow ridge, or other Pre-homosapien characteristics.

I don't understand the "hooray for us, we're the number #1 persecuted race/religion/ethnic group" that many race/religion/ethnic groups seem to want to claim. It doesn't matter if your group is #1 or last place, or oldest or newest, because it's not a competition.

 

[burk48237]

There is something you can do, and that's write the organization that invited him to speak. You can also write to their sponsors and let them know you disapprove and will not be purchasing, contributing, or otherwise supporting them. Hit them in the pocketbook where they'll feel it.

As an aside, I don't understanding the need to classify anti-Semitism as the worlds oldest hatred. I'm sure that man and his ancestors hated long before ethnic groups as we know them today existed. Primeval pre-humans probably discriminated and hated based on fur color, fur placement, eyebrow ridge, or other Pre-homosapien characteristics.

I don't understand the "hooray for us, we're the number #1 persecuted race/religion/ethnic group" that many race/religion/ethnic groups seem to want to claim. It doesn't matter if your group is #1 or last place, or oldest or newest, because it's not a competition.

While you're correct about the idea of "hitting them in the pocketbook" and I think boycotts and letters are a great protest tool. This situation is different, these are students that are part of a student organization at a public college. Odds are the group is supported by student activity fees and taxpayer funding. So even the Jewish students paid for the Rev Farakhans hate speech.

How would you feel as a gay student if some campus group invited Fred Phelps to speak? There really is very little that a private citizen can do in response to public indiscretion. I do think it speaks volumes about the education or lack of it that UC Berkley students receive, and the values of the organization that invited him.

 

[smperry]

I don't know why he still gets speaking engagements. I'm not a fan of him at all.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I don't know why he still gets speaking engagements. I'm not a fan of him at all.

I get it. Farrakhan gets invited by groups of young people who feel that they are being pushed around by authority figures who want to tell them what to think. It's kind of like the outspoken militant thing is something that many young blacks go through on the way to politcal awareness. The problem is that in this Youtube culture, it might come back and bite some people as they settle into maturity.

The fact of the matter is that Farrakhan's heyday is past. The great majority of mature African Americans understand that there is far more to be gained from cooperative relationship with liberal to moderate Jews than there is to be gained from any sort of Black Muslim or even immigrant Muslim groups in US politics. In fact, most American Muslims have trended pretty conservative prior to 9/11.

I think the majority of Jews and African Americans, who trend liberal to moderate have learned to ignore their respective racial rabble rousers, although many Jews who are hostile to African Americans have simply toned down their language and allowed themselves to be absorbed into mainstream conservative movements.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I want to say that I am not attacking Muslims. Millions of African Americans have converted to Islam, but the notion that African Americans, Muslim or not, automatically have a community of interest with Muslims around the world is kind of a Sixties notion that has seen its day. I think the recent biography of Malcolm X by Manning Marable can put this whole phenomenon in a historical perspective.

 

[LiquidMidnight]

I suspect that anti-semitism, the worlds oldest hatred, is still a bit more acceptable in public than it should be.

It certaintly always seems that way to me. At least when I hear someone going on about a Zionist NWO conspirarcy and how the holocaust didn't happen, I can safely disregard anything else that person has to say on grounds that they're an idiot.

 

[totallyfrozen]

There's censoring someone, and there's not inviting someone to present a talk. Which aren't really the same thing...

+1

I agree with the OP's sense that Farrakhan stirs up trouble--even where there wasn't any to begin with. What good can come from giving hate speakers a platform?

 

[Stinsok]

Anti Semitism is pretty popular these days.

 

[nortonrider]

 

[odin70]

I dont know the man, but to my knowledge he has a point when it comes to media

Today, seven Jewish Americans run the vast majority of US television networks, the printed press, the Hollywood movie industry, the book publishing industry, and the recording industry. Most of these industries are bundled into huge media conglomerates run by the following seven individuals:

Gerald Levin, CEO and Director of AOL Time Warner

Michael Eisner, Chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Company

Edgar Bronfman, Sr., Chairman of Seagram Company Ltd

Edgar Bronfman, Jr, President and CEO of Seagram Company Ltd and head of Universal Studios

Sumner Redstone, Chairman and CEO of Viacom, Inc

Dennis Dammerman, Vice Chairman of General Electric

Peter Chernin, President and Co-COO of News Corporation Limited

Those seven Jewish men collectively control ABC, NBC, CBS, the Turner Broadcasting System, CNN, MTV, Universal Studios, MCA Records, Geffen Records, DGC Records, GRP Records, Rising Tide Records, Curb/Universal Records, and Interscope Records

 

[ksandvik]

I dont know the man, but to my knowledge he has a point when it comes to media

Today, seven Jewish Americans run the vast majority of US television networks, the printed press, the Hollywood movie industry, the book publishing industry, and the recording industry. Most of these industries are bundled into huge media conglomerates run by the following seven individuals:

Gerald Levin, CEO and Director of AOL Time Warner

Michael Eisner, Chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Company

Edgar Bronfman, Sr., Chairman of Seagram Company Ltd

Edgar Bronfman, Jr, President and CEO of Seagram Company Ltd and head of Universal Studios

Sumner Redstone, Chairman and CEO of Viacom, Inc

Dennis Dammerman, Vice Chairman of General Electric

Peter Chernin, President and Co-COO of News Corporation Limited

Those seven Jewish men collectively control ABC, NBC, CBS, the Turner Broadcasting System, CNN, MTV, Universal Studios, MCA Records, Geffen Records, DGC Records, GRP Records, Rising Tide Records, Curb/Universal Records, and Interscope Records

For me it looks like there's a vast conspiracy by men to control the media excluding any women....

 

[odin70]

For me it looks like there's a vast conspiracy by men to control the media excluding any women....

Good point!

 

[GregC]

I dont know the man, but to my knowledge he has a point when it comes to media

Today, seven Jewish Americans run the vast majority of US television networks, the printed press, the Hollywood movie industry, the book publishing industry, and the recording industry. Most of these industries are bundled into huge media conglomerates run by the following seven individuals:

Gerald Levin, CEO and Director of AOL Time Warner

Michael Eisner, Chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Company

Edgar Bronfman, Sr., Chairman of Seagram Company Ltd

Edgar Bronfman, Jr, President and CEO of Seagram Company Ltd and head of Universal Studios

Sumner Redstone, Chairman and CEO of Viacom, Inc

Dennis Dammerman, Vice Chairman of General Electric

Peter Chernin, President and Co-COO of News Corporation Limited

Those seven Jewish men collectively control ABC, NBC, CBS, the Turner Broadcasting System, CNN, MTV, Universal Studios, MCA Records, Geffen Records, DGC Records, GRP Records, Rising Tide Records, Curb/Universal Records, and Interscope Records

Is this some outdated copy & paste? (From what kind of website, I don't want to know.)

AOL and Time Warner have been separate entities for over two years. Levin was ousted as CEO ten years ago. Levin's Legacy At AOL Time Warner - Forbes.com

Eisner resigned as CEO of Disney in 2005.

Why "count" both Bronfmans when they're at the same company?

Why cite the vice chairman of GE? Does he have special control of GE's media arm? Or is he singled out because GE's CEO is not Jewish? Smells like cherrypicking to me.

Peter Chernin? LOL, he's not even one of the company's top six executives. More cherrypicking.News Corporation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
ETA: Chernin left Fox three years ago.

I guess if you're looking for something with a certain viewpoint, you'll "find" it.:scowl:

 

[odin70]

Eisner resigned as CEO of Disney in 2005.

Michael Eisner could depart Disney tomorrow but the company will remain in the hands of Shamrock Holdings, whose principal office is now located in Israel".

 

[onosson]

For me it looks like there's a vast conspiracy by men to control the media excluding any women....

Or a conspiracy of Americans ... or of Anglophones ... or - I wonder what their blood type is? Or personality type?

People see the patterns they want to see.