UMichigan cancels screening of American Sniper

Apr 8, 2015, 5:29 PM

http://www.michigandaily.com/news/umix-film-removed

Lulz:

"“Student reactions have clearly articulated that this is neither the venue nor the time to show this movie,” the statement read. “We deeply regret causing harm to members of our community, and appreciate the thoughtful feedback provided to us by students.”

...

“As a student who identifies as an Arab and Middle Eastern student, I feel that ‘American Sniper’ condones a lot of anti-Middle Eastern and North African propaganda,” Mekkaoui said.

She added that she felt the film was released at a time when negative attitudes toward Middle Eastern and Northern African groups were at a peak.

“It was released at a time when these anti-Arab, anti-Muslim and anti-Middle Eastern (and) North African hate crimes were already skyrocketing and this movie only contributed to that,” he said.

...

“Although we respect the right to freedom of speech, we believe that with this right comes responsibility: responsibility of action, intention, and outcome,” the letter read. “The movie ‘American Sniper’ not only tolerates but promotes anti-Muslim and anti-MENA rhetoric and sympathizes with a mass killer.”

...

“We in the Center for Campus Involvement and the UMix Late Night program did not intend to exclude any students or communities on campus through showing this film,” they wrote. “Nevertheless, as we know, intent and impact can be very different things.”

Mekkaoui said she appreciated CCI’s quick response to student concerns.

“I just want to say thank you to the Center for Campus Involvement for listening to student feedback, and for taking quick action to make sure (that) once they found that they had done something that made students on campus feel uncomfortable, they took immediate action to change that,” she said."

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A closer analogy to this situation is when liberal (really, we should say "leftist") students have tried to prevent people from speaking that they disagree with, and when they can't keep them from coming to campus they end up getting the administration to approve alternative commencements so that students can have a "safe space" where they don't have to feel uncomfortable hearing different ideas.

There was nothing preventing anybody from talking about whatever controversies they wanted to talk about with "Sniper" (although the ones cited by the students at UM are particularly ridiculous). But the staff caved to the demands of people who claimed that "Sniper" shouldn't be shown because it made them "uncomfortable," and now the only way the film can be shown is with an asterisk in a "safe space."

This is the event where "Sniper" was going to be shown: http://campusinvolvement.umich.edu/article/umix-late-night-returns. Was it really inappropriate to show it in that venue? Was it really necessary to basically apply an asterisk to the showing, which now won't be part of "UMix?"

*** And here's UMix's updated statement, which is closer to what the original reaction should've been, but is still pretty laughable (they're showing an alternative at another location, and it's... Paddington- which was apparently what they were going to replace 'Sniper' with in the first place): http://publicaffairs.vpcomm.umich.edu/statement-regarding-american-sniper-movie/

Message was edited by: camcgee®

Message was edited by: camcgee®

UMichigan cancels screening of American Sniper

Re: UMichigan cancels screening of American Sniper

One really special comment on the article...

Your topic is a little misleading

It's a series hosted by their center for campus involvement

Still

If the Hendrix Center cancelled a screeing of "Sniper"...

Does anyone mention the lives that were saved because of the

Their twitter responds:

this is almost worse than not showing it

I don't get it

Do you need that at every movie?

We've discussed American Sniper ad nauseum in here

that is worse. most just want.to go to

Eh. it's the opposite of your example...

No

hope their updated statement settle people down

The problem is censorship on college campuses

Honestly, that's ridiculous

No, because I'm not saying any of that.

People like Mekkaoui should be laughed at and ridiculed

kids having reality dysfunction***

Apparently now they're going to show it in a "safe space"

I hope it has play-doh and coloring books

Good for her.

After this and many other bs I have read

TigerBoard POTD