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Students posing as terrorists, and threatening to decapitate a rubber ducky, have been fired by the University from their jobs as student employees.
Jeez, political correctness has gone way overboard. Watch the video. I did, and laughed like hell.
Article is here.
We've really lost our sense of humor in this country. First the mooninites gets labeled as bombs by incompetent city officials, and now making fun of terrorists apparently gets you in trouble as well. Wish people would quit QQing and just get on with it.
Liberalism at its best.......
Are you implying that only liberals have a sense of humor? :doh
No I was stating that only on a liberal campus would this be a issue......but again....not many colleges are not liberal.....
Liberals here lately seem to always tend to side or defend those who hate this country.....maybe because they have something in common.....
Oh God NO!
People can’t offend the Muslims...Cant show them in a bad light......:roll:
Even if they are the ones who make the tapes like these showing the hostages hm..what was that thing they do?..hmmm I cant think of it right now...hmm.
Oh I remember Yell “God is great” as they kill the person..
Some found the video to be culturally insensitive. College Provost Joeseph Shenker says, "I think the tape was an insult to the victims and families involved in hostage situations."
QQing? Huh?
They're not insulting terrorists. They're insulting the families of hostages that have been taken by terrorists. If I had a civilian family member(I have 5 cousins(soldiers) over there) in a situation like the one portrayed by these students. I'd feel offended on the basis that these kids are making fun of situations where people are in a place, blind folded, tied up and not knowing wether or not their next breath might be followed by massive amounts of blood flowing from his neck.
They're not insulting terrorists. They're insulting the families of hostages that have been taken by terrorists. If I had a civilian family member(I have 5 cousins(soldiers) over there) in a situation like the one portrayed by these students. I'd feel offended on the basis that these kids are making fun of situations where people are in a place, blind folded, tied up and not knowing wether or not their next breath might be followed by massive amounts of blood flowing from his neck.
Oh come on now.. You know that’s not the point.
If it were true then any movie or TV program showing car crashes, stabbings, War Movies, shootings or anything like that has the same ability to offend someone..........
Lets call this for what it really is. Offending ISLAM.
Now one group is extremely pi$$ed off and thats the URDA
United Rubber Duck Association. They want to know why members of the URDA are always cast as victims.
BUT then you have PETA who is demanding to know if any rubber ducks were harmed in the making of the video.
So because someone somewhere might conceivably find something offensive, its a good reason to fire 5 people from their jobs? At a university that praises and reportedly values free speech?
So because someone somewhere might conceivably find something offensive, its a good reason to fire 5 people from their jobs? At a university that praises and reportedly values free speech?
I agree in theory here. I think the problem is the university using off the clock behavior to dismiss them from their jobs, which in my opinion is equally in bad taste. I also see a lack of humor starting to creep into america, people are becoming afraid to express themselves for fear of offending someone, being socially ostracized, or legally punished. I think while this is a minor occurance it is a symptom of a growing social problem, that being the political correctness movement.Free speech is not freedom of consequences. Anything you say can and may be held against you regardless of your right to say whatever you want.
Your examples as noted would certainly be in poor taste as well. I think that people need to understand however that there is no right to be unoffended in this country, thus this expression, no matter which side you are on, should be protected. I don't know as much about your examples, it would have to fall under the SLAPS(serious Literary Artistic Political or Scientific value) test as defined by the supreme court, otherwise they could be considered obscenity.Some things are in poor taste. Personally I think this is making a mountain of a molehill but I can see where others might take high offense. Had they gotten a replica of a female and pretended to be rapists raping her that might piss me off. Had they gotten a doll and pretended to be child molesters I'd certainly question whether they were fit to be advisors.
True, some people may take it the wrong way, but that could pertain to any expression. For example, it might offend me if someone said "nice day isn't it?" after I just got served divorce papers, or fired, sued, etc. It may offend me that this person is having a great day while mine is going straight to hell. While I realize that that was an extreme and very silly example I have seen people react like that(seriously) and it is merely to demonstrate that offense is an intensely personal thing so to punish people for this personal displeasure sends a dangerous message in my opinion. Personally, I think people need to laugh more and be offended less, but to each their own.These kids pretended to be terrorists who behead. Since they used a rubber duck I personally am inclined to laugh it off but not everyone draws the same conclusions when deciding exactly where the offensive line is drawn. Certainly what they did was in poor taste and if their employer feels they should be fired that is well within the rights of the employer. Had they pretended to be KKK members and the rubber duckie was black instead of yellow would that be worse? I do think there are levels of poor taste and most likely I'm not too offended by this because it is highly unlikely I would be beheaded by a terrorist but I imagine if I personally knew someone who was beheaded my tolerance for such immature displays would be much lower.
I agree in theory here. I think the problem is the university using off the clock behavior to dismiss them from their jobs, which in my opinion is equally in bad taste.
That's a very good point. Unfortunately I think resident hall/dorm advisors ect. are sort of on call all the time. In other words they are representatives of the dorm and the go to people for the hall's residents in exchange for benefits. Since the video was made at the hall/dorm and used the hall/dorm's mascot as the "captive" it's very hard to make the case that they were fired for off duty activity.
Yea, those poor students--it's about money. What religion and race were these spoofers?The students have filed a $2.5 million lawsuit against the college and 3 staff members.
There is a difference between using freedom of speech and being outright insensitive to what the families of these hostages are going through. They should be treated the same way the victims of 9/11 are treated. With respect and the situation these people went through should never be made fun of.
Free speech is not freedom of consequences. Anything you say can and may be held against you regardless of your right to say whatever you want.
Some things are in poor taste. Personally I think this is making a mountain of a molehill but I can see where others might take high offense. Had they gotten a replica of a female and pretended to be rapists raping her that might piss me off. Had they gotten a doll and pretended to be child molesters I'd certainly question whether they were fit to be advisors.
These kids pretended to be terrorists who behead. Since they used a rubber duck I personally am inclined to laugh it off but not everyone draws the same conclusions when deciding exactly where the offensive line is drawn. Certainly what they did was in poor taste and if their employer feels they should be fired that is well within the rights of the employer. Had they pretended to be KKK members and the rubber duckie was black instead of yellow would that be worse? I do think there are levels of poor taste and most likely I'm not too offended by this because it is highly unlikely I would be beheaded by a terrorist but I imagine if I personally knew someone who was beheaded my tolerance for such immature displays would be much lower.
I see. Well if that is the case then the University would be justified, as long as the rules of employment are known ahead of time. Whether or not the University did this in the name of political correctness is still the question, if that is the case I am of the opinion that the retaliatory action is in bad taste, but that's just an opinion.That's a very good point. Unfortunately I think resident hall/dorm advisors ect. are sort of on call all the time. In other words they are representatives of the dorm and the go to people for the hall's residents in exchange for benefits. Since the video was made at the hall/dorm and used the hall/dorm's mascot as the "captive" it's very hard to make the case that they were fired for off duty activity.
I see. Well if that is the case then the University would be justified, as long as the rules of employment are known ahead of time. Whether or not the University did this in the name of political correctness is still the question, if that is the case I am of the opinion that the retaliatory action is in bad taste, but that's just an opinion.
I agree. The retaliatory action WAS in bad taste, and shows just how much this university really supports freedom of speech. Too many institutions talk about upholding free speech, until the free speech hits a nerve. Then they don't like it. "Do as I say, not as I do" should be their new motto.
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