If you've ever been to a rugby party, you've probably been "offended." Rugby songs, to say nothing of drunk ruggers themselves, have a way with words. Each verse of "Jesus Can't Play Rugby," for example, offers a blasphemous addendum: "because he only had 12 friends," "his Dad would rig the game," and "he doesn't f***ing exist," to name a few.But when a black Luther student was "offended" by a recent "gangsta" Luther women's rugby party, he sought vengeance. He sent a letter to the administration and circulated it to students. He later said, "This is a countrywide problem, this stereotype of what black men are. But I wanted to eradicate it at my college."
Luther summoned the girls for an inquisition and forced them to admit their "ignorance." They confessed their sins in a humiliating campus-wide email and will be punished with community service next year. Most importantly, Luther's Diversity Center has a refreshed mandate for preventing offensiveness.
I sent a letter to the Star Tribune, which strangely carried this story:
Dear Star Tribune,
The Star Tribune reports that Luther College is taking action to address an offensive “gangster” themed rugby party (“Luther College to change diversity program over rugby party flap,” 26 May 2009). Perhaps even more disappointing than the Star Tribune’s sense of what is newsworthy is Luther College’s sense of what is offensive.
In 2007, Luther saw fit to host a traveling anti-Iraq War art exhibit in its student library. It featured a six by six foot swastika made up of little George W. Bush faces. Another piece displayed pictures of President Bush with the captions, “hates blacks,” “hates gays,” and “hates women.”
As a supporter of President Bush, I was "offended." But as a proponent of free expression, rather than demand changes in our “diversity” program (Bush-backers bring rare “diversity of opinion” to colleges like Luther), I sent a critique of the exhibit to the Star Tribune and the Des Moines Register. Only the Register felt it was newsworthy enough to print.
The “gangster” party was not as offensive or newsworthy as the Bush swastika, but perhaps when it comes to diversity, conservatives need not apply.
In 2007, Luther saw fit to host a traveling anti-Iraq War art exhibit in its student library. It featured a six by six foot swastika made up of little George W. Bush faces. Another piece displayed pictures of President Bush with the captions, “hates blacks,” “hates gays,” and “hates women.”
As a supporter of President Bush, I was "offended." But as a proponent of free expression, rather than demand changes in our “diversity” program (Bush-backers bring rare “diversity of opinion” to colleges like Luther), I sent a critique of the exhibit to the Star Tribune and the Des Moines Register. Only the Register felt it was newsworthy enough to print.
The “gangster” party was not as offensive or newsworthy as the Bush swastika, but perhaps when it comes to diversity, conservatives need not apply.
Pat Knapp
2 comments:
Pretty good Pat. My question is what is the Tribune's response to that? The only plausable one I could imagine is that they didn't know about the Bush swasticas or didn't get your previous letter or something. It's this incredible hipocracy that is only mentioned off-handedly by the conservative commentators in the media that really leaves me aghast. I mean, this blatent willful ignorance or straight intellectual dishonesty should be reserved for Nazi groups or the Black Panthers, not the hometown newspaper. Either quit the double standard or admit the agenda: you don't actually believe in true diversity, you just want to promote certain groups and don't have any interest in other groups.
Well at least they published the letter:
http://www.startribune.com/opinion/letters/46497362.html?elr=KArksUUUU
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