A private rant complaining about "hordes of Asians" chatting on cell phones in the University Library yielded a huge outcry by the political correctness police in press and University politics. The Alexandra Wallace was threatened with disciplinary action, and received death threats. The political correctness hordes are dangerous! Everyone has to step on eggshells and think carefully before uttering a sentence. Free speech be damned.
One lone blog defends the right to think and speak (UCLA Vilifies White Student For Thought Crime | Vdare)
- In the politically correct outrage, nobody cares about what she said.
- Do Asians have a tendency to talk in the college library? Why do library officials not interfere? After all, she is not complaining about breach of a formality (like wearing a turban) but rather about noise that objectively disturbs the ability to study. Is the library at fault not to take up disciplinary action for distubance of peace in library? Any sociologist or political scientist up to watching behavior at the library and doing an unbiased test of her contention? And even her observations are wrong, so what?
- Do Asians tend to have the entire large family visit them on the weekends to cook and wash their laundry? This is an interesting observation. Again, even if she is wrong, why disciplinary threats and threats of violence against her.
- Hate laws are problemetic restrictions to constitutionally guaranteed free speech. Initially they served a fairly noble cause, they were meant to prevent incitement of violence, lynching mob incitation and Adolf Hitler style rhetoric to beat up and kill Jews. But being extended to any harmless uttering of a blonde student. failing to carefully select politically correct wording is troubling.
- She was actually pretty careful to hedge what she said. But still not enough.
- If she were an official of government, police or the University, maybe there would be a justification for using carefully selected wording. But an average citizen being vilified for some personal opinion which most likely is factually correct?
- Human Stupidity has examples where political correctness has serious consequences. From not scanning people at airports (body scans are "child porn") to searching old white ladies in equal frequency as young muslim men, to restriction of academic research about child sexuality and racial differences.
U.C.L.A. Student’s Video Rant Against Asians Fuels Firestorm
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[…] In the video, Ms. Wallace complains about Asian students in the school library using their cellphones to call family members after the tsunami in Japan. At one point, she mimics people speaking an Asian language. “The problem is these hordes of Asian people that U.C.L.A. accepts into our school every single year, which is fine,” Ms. Wallace said in the video. “But if you’re going to come to U.C.L.A., then use American manners.” (NY Times) |
Alexandra Wallace: Asians in the Library | Youtube movie |
On Monday, U.C.L.A.’s chancellor, Gene Block, released a statement that deemed the video “thoughtless and hurtful” and called for a more civil discourse. Officials said the university was looking into possible disciplinary action against Ms. Wallace.
(NY Times)
Ms. Alexandra Wallace withdraws from University after being ostracised and threatened
Alexandra Wallace apologizes, announces she will no longer attend UCLA | Daily Bruin
The letter comes the day UCLA announced that it will not take action against Wallace for the video.
Below is Wallace’s full letter:
In an attempt to produce a humorous YouTube video, I have offended the UCLA community and the entire Asian culture. I am truly sorry for the hurtful words I said and the pain it caused to anyone who watched the video. Especially in the wake of the ongoing disaster in Japan, I would do anything to take back my insensitive words. I could write apology letters all day and night, but I know they wouldn’t erase the video from your memory, nor would they act to reverse my inappropriate action.
I made a mistake. My mistake, however, has lead to the harassment of my family, the publishing of my personal information, death threats, and being ostracized from an entire community. Accordingly, for personal safety reasons, I have chosen to no longer attend classes at UCLA.
Alexandra Wallace
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Michael Moore wrote a book called ‘Stupid White Men’ without any consequences whatsoever, except that it was a best seller. What hypocrisy and abject cowardice to ignore such a ludicrous double standard.
Sometimes people speak without thinking. Especially in public. I think it is a lesson for us all.
I am surprised at death threats, but there you go, people over reacting. It is one of the reasons to be careful what you say.
“I made a mistake. My mistake, however, has lead to the harassment of my family, the publishing of my personal information, death threats, and being ostracized from an entire community. Accordingly, for personal safety reasons, I have chosen to no longer attend classes at UCLA.”
More of us do need to think about what we say and do and the consequences it might have.
But wow, she had pretty stiff consequences.