A. An Exchange
The prez of U. Penn—Any Gutmann—Jewish I’m sure—stands smiling for the camera, hands folded in the archetypical pose of the pansy airhead female–next to a Syrian student dressed as a jihadi killer, during the annual Halloween party that she gives.
Other photos at the scene show the kid and his pal enacted killing rituals with willing victims.
No one grabs him …. and bashes him through the wall.
No one throws him out the second floor window.
It’s just a performance, a costume, a joke.
What would happen if he enacted rape, or wore the garb of a plantation owner and called everyone darkies?
Somehow, the display of jihadi murder has become no more an outrage than the sign for Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Just another cultural object to contemplate.
Nothing happening here. Move along.
I wrote to Prez Guttman….
By posing with the moron in the jihadi costume–while wearing a smile that revealed utter ignorance of what you were doing—you placed yourself at the very top of the list of living idiots.
Did you think the costume was ever so clever?
Was the mock execution cute?
Were you offended even a little bit?
I infer from your name that you are Jewish. If so, did he frighten you?
The next time, Amy, show some Hasmonean guts. Tell the fake jihadi that you are pretending to be a mother whose children were just blown up, and then throw him out a second floor window.
Lance de Boyle
Jew and Professor
She wrote back…
Dear Professor de Boyle:
Thank you for taking the time to share with me your concerns /[It’s just concern, you see In Amy’s world there is no outrage.]/ about the photographs taken at this week’s Halloween costume party.
Each year, the President/ [Not her. A president.] /hosts a Halloween party for Penn students. More than 700 students attend. They all crowd around to have their picture taken with me. This year, one student /[just a student. Not an Arab student] /who had a toy gun /[just a toy gun. Not an AK 47 toy gun.]/ in hand had his picture taken with me before it was obvious to me that he was dressed as a suicide bomber. /[To become obvious to her, Amy needs to be hit with a brick.] /He posted the photo on a website /[a website. NOT HIS website.] /and it was picked up on several other websites.
The costume is clearly offensive and I was offended by it. /[Well, she’s consistent!]/ As soon as I realized what his costume was, I refused to take any more pictures with him, as he requested./ The student had the right to wear the costume just as I, and others, have a right to criticize his wearing of it. /[Yes, use the first amendment when convenient]/
Sincerely,
Amy Gutmann….
I wrote again in reply…
Indeed he has a right to wear a costume and to perform actions that depict islamic killing rituals.
[Just as I have a right to punch him the mouth—for which I would be perfectly happy to go to jail.]
But your labeling these acts offensive, refusing to take any more pictures with him, and criticizing him (which we both know you have not done and will never do), are cowardly responses.
Do you consider all offensive actions equally offensive, and therefore meriting the same kind of (lame) response?
Do you really think that refusing to take more pictures with a man who depicts murder and calls it a joke, or a right, is the proper response?
If I were at your party, young Amy, wearing the costume of an IDF soldier, displayed a sign that read, “Allah is an ass,” ripped a koran to shreds and pointed a fake rifle at the head of the jihad-garbed student, and said, “Just kidding,” would you merely find that offensive and turn away, or would you call the cops?
No, Amy, you are not using the magnitude of the offense (and it’s possible effects) as a criterion for choosing the proper response. You are using the political fall out as the criterion. The fact that no other students realized what the jihadi-impersonator was doing (which speaks volumes), played along with him, and did NOT grab that rifle and throw him out the window—-THAT is why you did nothing. No trouble, no offense.
If you threw me out, you would be praised. If you threw out the jihadi, you would be condemned for violating his rights.
What are you going to do when your muslim students dress as terrorists and walk around the campus pretending to shoot Jews? Still free speech?
Amy. We aren’t in Kansas any more.
And start lifting weights. Your arms and pecs need work.
Lance de Boyle
Jew and Professor
La Gutmann is alleged to be a theorist of democracy. I read one of her books, It is soc 101. She has developed a new concept, she thinks—-identity groups.
Never heard of Merton or Shibutani, Mead or Cooley.
She also seems to think that democracy is no more than discourse among these identity groups.
She must have forgotten what it was to the Greeks.
Stupid ….. idiot.
B. and this:-
Reported by Rachel Feintzeig, the Daily Pennsylvanian
A student says it was just a joke, but his Halloween costume has resulted in serious criticism for University [of Pennsylvania] President Amy Gutmann.
Engineering senior Saad Saadi dressed as a suicide bomber for Gutmann’s annual Halloween party Tuesday night, and photos were taken of him with Gutmann and other school officials.
Now, the picturesare popping up on the Web and alumni and others around the country are contacting the University to voice their distaste.
Saadi told The Daily Pennsylvanian that Gutmann did not seem to take his costume too seriously. He said when he approached her for to the photo, she joked, “‘How did they let you through security?’”
Gutmann released a statement yesterday, saying that she did not realize what Saadi was dressed up as until after she had taken the photo. She said that after she realized he was dressed as a suicide bomber, she refused to take any more pictures with him.
“The costume is clearly offensive and I was offended by it,” she said.
However, she acknowledged that “the student had the right to wear the costume just as I, and others, have a right to criticize his wearing of it.”
Saadi, who is also a DP photographer, initially posted the photo with President Gutmann on his Facebook profile, but sites including democracy-project.com and ivygateblog.com have since posted that picture, along with others. They show Saadi holding a fake rifle and explosives, mock-executing students and imitating other jihadist activity.
Saadi added that while some party guests expressed disapproval at the costume, more people were complimentary.
In addition to Gutmann, Saadi posed with University Chaplain William Gipson.
(Kippah tip: Israpundit)
C. And here's a member of the League of Trembling Israelites:-
It is ironic to call Saadi an anti-Semite, as his costume inadvertently imitated an Israeli tradition. On Purim - which is sometimes considered the Jewish equivalent of Halloween - some Israelis dress up as terrorists and attend street parades. The tradition is based on the common-sense belief that the point of a costume is to mock someone.
Saadi's critics have forgotten that people who dress in Halloween costumes usually don't aspire to actually be whom they masquerade as. That's why they wear such outfits on Halloween, instead of every day.
Saadi's Halloween photo gallery features him posing with students, faculty and University Chaplain William Gibson. But it's the photo with President Gutmann that seems to be riling people the most.
"I really feel bad for her because she's getting the worst out of this whole situation," Saadi said. "I just stood next to her, and I asked if I could pose for a picture with [her]. As I took the picture, she asked 'how did they let you through security?' Like as a joke."
Clearly, most people at the President's Halloween party got the joke.
While shocking things can make people forget, free expression is important. Saadi's Halloween costume is just as valid of an expression as last year's Danish cartoons. And so is being able to laugh a bit.
I didn't laugh when I saw the photos of Saadi's satirical terrorist costume. But just because there are some at Penn - including our President - who can take the joke doesn't make them terrible people.
D. A bit of face-saving:-
Student groups, like Hillel and the Muslim Student Association, have responded with disapproval for Saadi's actions.
"Something like this not only affects the Muslim community ? but this is something that is distasteful to the community at Penn," said Wharton junior and MSA president Khalid Usmani.
The Penn Hillel Student Executive Committee released a statement on Friday similarly condemning Saadi's actions.
"While some may dismiss these actions as straightforward Halloween amusement, many perceive this student to have displayed a disturbing disregard for the sensitivities of others," it said.
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