Pacifica Forum topic getting hot again.
Here’s a thread of comments on Lauren Fox’s recent Emerald article the Pacifica Forum’s designation by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group. It involves ASUO President Sam Dotters-Katz and ASUO Sen. Deborah Bloom.
The comments thread began with protests from forum members or sympathizers. “Pacifica Forum is not a hate group,” a poster identifying himself only as “Viva!” said, “Rather the SPLC is a hate group worth over $200 million that stifles free speech, which is what Pacifica is all about…” A poster calling himself RKeefe then accused the SPLC of inventing non-existent hate groups to get money from donors in a lengthy post. Dotters-Katz then responded with this message:
My name is Sam Dotters-Katz, and I am the student body President of the University of Oregon. I want to first state that I respect free speech and understand that the academic environment requires the free movement of ideas. However, this does not mean we should give a platform or a stage to ‘Hate Groups’ such as the Pacifica Forum. The EMU is a building which houses our institutions of tolerance, student unions, the multi-cultural center, and many more. I do not think that it is a violation of our nation’s constitution or of this institutions conscience that we no longer allow the Pacifica Forum to meet in the EMU. In fact, the ASUO is charged with facilitating the cultural, educational, and physical development of students. Not only do I think that the Pacifica Forum doesn’t accomplish those goals, I believe they undermine them, and in fact work against the mission of the ASUO and the University of Oregon.
No more David Irving, no more Valdas Anelauskas, no more Pacifica Forum in our EMU!
So, is Dotters-Katz going to take action against the Pacifica Forum? He said over the phone that he was not ready to disclose any plans. But I would advise you to watch this story.
Addendum: Here’s an R-G article in which you can read more.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
What about this version?
***************************
My name is Abdool El Raimi, -…-. I want to first state that I respect free speech and understand that the academic environment requires the free movement of ideas. However, this does not mean we should give a platform or a stage to ‘Hate Groups’ such as the Jewish whatever group. The EMU is a building which houses our institutions of tolerance, student unions, the multi-cultural center, and many more. I do not think that it is a violation of our nation’s constitution or of this institutions conscience that we no longer allow the Pacifica Forum to meet in the EMU. In fact, the ASUO is charged with facilitating the cultural, educational, and physical development of students. Not only do I think that the Pacifica Forum doesn’t accomplish those goals, I believe they undermine them, and in fact work against the mission of the ASUO and the University of Oregon.
Commemorations by Jewish groups offend the sensibility of my group’s constituency, namely Arab, Hispanic, Black and Native American students who hurt deep inside when the historical sufferings of their people, one of the best documented facts in history, seems to be minimized, relativized or deemed unworthy of all attention Jewish issues attract.
I am for free speech, but our lawyer is preparing a brief to have Jewish groups indicted in order to stunt their activities
***************************
See anything wrong with the above?
I’m the only one in this world. Can please someone join me in this life? Or maybe death…