Posted on 10/29/2001 8:11:55 PM PST by Shermy
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, SANDIEGO UNION TRIBUNE
October 23, 2001
An act of patriotism at SDSU draws warning
Re: "Student defending America is admonished" (B-1, Oct. 20):
The incident at San Diego State University in which Ethiopian student Zewdalem Kebede confronted four Arab students he overheard speaking in praise of the Sept. 11 terrorists simply illustrates how completely values have been stood on their head on campuses.
SDSU administrators' cautioning Kebede against further acts supporting America was outrageous, but not uncharacteristic.
How credible are the Arab students' denials? Does anyone really believe Kebede would, out of the blue, seek a confrontation with people he did not know? If he had not overheard what he claimed, why would he have confronted the Arab students at all? And if he was simply seeking notoriety, as some have suggested, why would he have done so in Arabic, not English?
To the Muslim Student Association, which suggested that the Arab students' love of America is evidenced by the fact that they are here, I can only point out that the identified terrorists were here, too.
The Saudi students should immediately be brought up for charges for hate speech in accordance with campus rules. If found guilty, they should be expelled and sent home. And the campus police officers and administrators responsible for this outrage should be fired, or, at a minimum, have their crayons taken away from them until they learn to use them responsibly.
JOHN W. HOWARD
San Diego
Kebede is a naturalized American citizen who has the First Amendment right to speak out against objectionable speech. The Arab students he admonished are guests in this country. Regardless of what language they were using, they were involved in hate speech.
The situation is no different than that of a German Jewish student in America overhearing German students talk of the efficiencies of Auschwitz in late 1945. Yet the "thought police" of SDSU's Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities have the gall to admonish Kebede.
Three things need to happen: Kebede needs a good lawyer to defend him against these "thought police; SDSU should apologize to him; and the Arab students who have demonstrated their hatred of and thereby a threat to our citizens should be deported.
VINCE SHAHAYDA
San Diego
SDSU, my alma mater, should reconsider its code of conduct rules if a student is considered in violation just because other students say they "felt threatened." Perhaps some students feel "threatened" merely by other students speaking Arabic.
JOHN NEAL
San Diego
The denials and rush of SDSU's spin doctors to rescue the reputations of the Arab students is disgusting. That the university would turn Kebede's act of patriotism into a reprimand makes me livid. If similar remarks were overheard in a predominantly Islamic country against Osama bin Laden, whoever uttered them probably would not see the next sunrise.
JOSEPH M. DAITZ
San Diego
Kebede was a victim of the absurd, spineless mindset and political correctness of contemporary academia. I can't accept the nonsensical legal argument that he can't prove his case because the Arab students were "misunderstood." Kebede would not have been moved to act had he not known, clearly, what was going on. Add one more hero to our list of many.
TOM SHINE
Coronado
Zewdalem Kebede Thread Catalog
If you are unfamiliar with Mr. Kebede's plight, or for a refresher, please go to this link.
The above are letters to the editor of the San Diego Union Tribune, published October 23 (sorry I missed them before). I think it is wonderful that the paper published these letters. Also, I think I recognize some FreeRepublic posters.
JOHN W. HOWARD Hate speech, my ass! Deport the pukes without further notice and register them so they never get back into this country again! Give that young man a thank you and let's get on with killing terrorists and the people that harbor them.
Deport the Saudis who said these things and then complained to police. The university officials who made this decision should be fired. How do you think Al Quaida people recruit others, they get them into such conversations. For all we know an Al Queada person is among this group of Saudis. What difference does it make, get em out for the sake of respect.
Also, the taxpayers should not be paying the salaris of the SDSU officials who made this decision. They should be fired immediately, the governor's office should see to it.
If the university officials feel that this is harsh, then ask these individuals to consider the American men who will go into the caves in Afghanistan to avenge the deaths of the Americans who died on September 11.
This is a war. Our nation should not tolerate the division that occurred in the last war. Let everyone at least show respect if they are not the Americans who will now sacrifice their lives. If you wish to speak against the war, then do so, but do not celebrate it, or show any lack of respect for those who have died or who will die.
The Saudis unquestionably exhibited "hate speech" --- AND they should be summarily DEPORTED!
But before we deport them we should execute them, or at least cut off their hands, un-man them, blind them, give them the option of slowly burning to death or being dropped from a 130 story height, and cut out their tongues.
Oops, I forgot my prozac...
They were criminally insensitve and treasonous.
Mega-kudos & mega-dittos!
Right on target!
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