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'Irvine 11' jury finds all 10 students guilty of censorship against Michael Oren

Johnathan

Member
From the LA Times:
'Irvine 11' jury finds all 10 students guilty - latimes.com

an Orange County jury on Friday found 10 Muslim students guilty of two misdemeanors to conspire and then disrupt a February 2010 speech at UC Irvine last year by the Israeli ambassador to the United States.

Prosecutors argued that Ambassador Michael Oren was “shut down” when his speech was interrupted by students who took turns shouting preplanned phrases in a crowded UC Irvine ballroom.

Do you think the sanctions were enough for a disruptive and arguably violent and pre-planned act of this nature?

Do you think the judge went easy on them because they were Muslim?

40 hours in a soup kitchen seems remarkably easy seeing as they interrupted an invited speaker and assaulted the ears of the people that wanted to listen to Oren with unwanted words.
 
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YmirGF

Bodhisattva in Recovery
Do you think the sanctions were enough for a disruptive and arguably violent and pre-planned act of this nature?
Violent? Disruptive, for sure, but violent? C'mon.

Do you think the judge went easy on them because they were Muslim?
Beats me. What would you prefer? 60 days in jail for being obnoxious and rude?

40 hours in a soup kitchen seems remarkably easy seeing as they interrupted an invited speaker and assaulted the ears of the people that wanted to listen to Oren with unwanted words.
If is somewhat fascinating that they thought shouting out at an invited guest was reasonable. Oddly, they wanted their voice heard, but not his. Fascinating logic at play, to be sure. It certainly doesn't do much to alter people's image of some Muslims as being raving fanatics who are intolerant of any view but their own.
 

Johnathan

Member
Violent? Disruptive, for sure, but violent? C'mon.
Violence doesn't have to be physical, it can also take the form of insults, harassment, libel, slander, or what have you.

Beats me. What would you prefer? 60 days in jail for being obnoxious and rude?

These muslim extremists needed to learn a lesson. Free speech means you let people talk in a forum, and you don't shout them down. Somehow I doubt that some community service is going to be impressionable enough on these students or the rest of the muslim community.

And for the record, yes, I would want fundie xtians or teabaggers to be punished if they interrupted a speech by, say, Joe Biden.

If is somewhat fascinating that they thought shouting out at an invited guest was reasonable. Oddly, they wanted their voice heard, but not his. Fascinating logic at play, to be sure. It certainly doesn't do much to alter people's image of some Muslims as being raving fanatics who are intolerant of any view but their own.

Hypocrisy. It's what a lot of religionists are good at.

Attempting to convert the world to your faith by force, then going into a hissy-fit when people tell you to stop it.

Beating up your daughter or sister for not wanting to wear a tent over her head, then watching porn on the internet.

Calling homosexuals child rapists, then sticking your hand down a little boy's pants during mass.

And so on and so forth.
 

Faxecura

Member
Do you think the sanctions were enough for a disruptive and arguably violent and pre-planned act of this nature?

Do you think the judge went easy on them because they were Muslim?
I think the discipline of the University should have been enough, and the judge gave them an appropriate punishment.

Hypocrisy is also when you treat actions differently depending on who did the action and who it was done to.

George Bush was repeatedly interrupted by protestors when he spoke as President of the United States, and such news was rarely heard, far less prosecuted. I cannot imagine that if these were a bunch of leftist/marxist students who protested, say Sarah Palin in a similar manner, that they would have been prosecuted. At most they would get a slap on the wrist and at best a commendation in the school papers.
 
Personally I don't understand why this ended up in court. It was a matter for the university to deal with and shouldn't have gone any further than whatever proportional action the university deemed appropriate. All that needed to be done was for the students to be escorted out of the venue and given a verbal slap on the wrist with possibly a temporary curtailment of privilages as punishment, something which any student coul expect.

If they were atheists shouting down a Muslims speaker and they had ended up in court I suspect that Jonathan would saying that the response was too harsh and that they were supressing the students freedom of speech due in order to protect the religious and Muslim 'extremists' in particular.
 

Storm

ThrUU the Looking Glass
Personally I don't understand why this ended up in court. It was a matter for the university to deal with and shouldn't have gone any further than whatever proportional action the university deemed appropriate. All that needed to be done was for the students to be escorted out of the venue and given a verbal slap on the wrist with possibly a temporary curtailment of privilages as punishment, something which any student coul expect.

If they were atheists shouting down a Muslims speaker and they had ended up in court I suspect that Jonathan would saying that the response was too harsh and that they were supressing the students freedom of speech due in order to protect the religious and Muslim 'extremists' in particular.
I was just thinking that....
 

Terrywoodenpic

Oldest Heretic
I find it strange it ever got to court.
Most such venues have staff available to remove hecklers who exceed their welcome.
Most controversial speakers expect and welcome a degree of heckling and turn it to their advantage.
continuous barracking on the other hand is usually dealt with calmly and very swiftly. ( as would bodily violence)
 

Johnathan

Member
Hypocrisy is also when you treat actions differently depending on who did the action and who it was done to.

George Bush was repeatedly interrupted by protestors when he spoke as President of the United States, and such news was rarely heard, far less prosecuted. I cannot imagine that if these were a bunch of leftist/marxist students who protested, say Sarah Palin in a similar manner, that they would have been prosecuted. At most they would get a slap on the wrist and at best a commendation in the school papers.

George W. Bush is an elected official in the federal executive gov't and was thus liable to criticism, public appraisal, commentary, and the like. Offering a spontaneous, short criticism before he spoke does not disrupt what he is saying, but instead promotes a healthier society by allowing us to speak when our leaders misp-represent us.

"Leftist" students would be an entirely different matter. More often than not, the individuals protested by students with progressive views are racist and hold fringe views, while the speaker the arab students interrupted was an elected official of a democratic state. Therefore exposing or confronting these views is within the scope of free speech.

Moreover the students WERE hypocritical; would they have acted the same way if the guest speaker was 'one of them': an Arab Muslim? I think not and I think you know that they wouldn't have, either.
 

Badran

Veteran Member
Premium Member
George W. Bush is an elected official in the federal executive gov't and was thus liable to criticism, public appraisal, commentary, and the like. Offering a spontaneous, short criticism before he spoke does not disrupt what he is saying, but instead promotes a healthier society by allowing us to speak when our leaders misp-represent us.

"Leftist" students would be an entirely different matter. More often than not, the individuals protested by students with progressive views are racist and hold fringe views, while the speaker the arab students interrupted was an elected official of a democratic state. Therefore exposing or confronting these views is within the scope of free speech.

Moreover the students WERE hypocritical; would they have acted the same way if the guest speaker was 'one of them': an Arab Muslim? I think not and I think you know that they wouldn't have, either.

So in other words you're reaffirming what has already been said. You're basing your position on whether or not you like the views of the people who interrupted the speech.

And you still failed to show where has their actions warranted legal action against them. I hope it wasn't the "they were hypocritical" part.
 

Johnathan

Member
So in other words you're reaffirming what has already been said. You're basing your position on whether or not you like the views of the people who interrupted the speech.

And you still failed to show where has their actions warranted legal action against them. I hope it wasn't the "they were hypocritical" part.

There are limits to free speech. Hate speech is not free speech and even free speech is not absolute. It depends on time, place and context.

They denied the Israeli ambassador's free speech and thus had violated the constitution. They did not have the right to express their views in the manner in which they did.

If they wanted to express it, they could have done so in the privacy of their own homes, but once you are in public your rights end at the tip of other people's noses, or at within an earshot. But to assault public ears with speech which was unwanted is an illegal act. By doing so they showed they are actually opposed to free speech, not falsely claimed supporters of free speech. Democracy and free speech live, not die, by the correct verdict, and this was the correct verdict to protect democracy. They were seeking to oppress rights of others that they disagree with. It is called hypocrisy and is anti-American.

Another thing to remember is that the First Amendment applies only to the FEDERAL government. The First Amendment does not apply to speech that can be deemed hateful. Remember, the students were able to communicate their ideas, albeit sick and perverted ones which consisted of maligning and libel that are obviously untrue upon a short introspection.

Also the 1st amendment says "right of the people peaceably to assemble". The key word in this context is "peaceably". We all know what they did was not peaceful, and they were not calm and when confronted with the facts. Thus the right to defamatory and uncivil blabbering is a nonexistent right.

There rights were not abridged, and an opposing party, the plantiffs, merely engaged in a legal right to bring legal action against it, as whould be done when confronted with the most venomous of evils upon Earth. Why should one sit quietly and meekly when spat on by the flames of intolerance?

[youtube]XDk208v1LNo[/youtube]
 
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Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
There are limits to free speech. Hate speech is not free speech and even free speech is not absolute.
If you're speaking of the US, hate speech is protected.

They denied the Israeli ambassador's free speech and thus had violated the constitution. They did not have the right to express their views in the manner in which they did.
This is a murky area. To shout down speakers is regularly done without prosecution.
But they wouldn't be charged with violating the 1st Amendment, but rather under some local ordinance.

If they wanted to express it, they could have done so in the privacy of their own homes, but once you are in public your rights end at the tip of other people's noses, or at within an earshot. But to assault public ears with speech which was unwanted is an illegal act.
Nah...unwanted speech is generally quite legal.

Another thing to remember is that the First Amendment applies only to the FEDERAL government.
This hasn't been true for over a century.....
Incorporation of the Bill of Rights - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

....the right to defamatory and uncivil blabbering is a nonexistent right.
Au contraire! It's our most important right. If gov't could ban this, then they'd brand all dissenting speech as such.
 

Badran

Veteran Member
Premium Member
There are limits to free speech. Hate speech is not free speech and even free speech is not absolute. It depends on time, place and context.

They denied the Israeli ambassador's free speech and thus had violated the constitution. They did not have the right to express their views in the manner in which they did.

If they wanted to express it, they could have done so in the privacy of their own homes, but once you are in public your rights end at the tip of other people's noses, or at within an earshot. But to assault public ears with speech which was unwanted is an illegal act. By doing so they showed they are actually opposed to free speech, not falsely claimed supporters of free speech. Democracy and free speech live, not die, by the correct verdict, and this was the correct verdict to protect democracy. They were seeking to oppress rights of others that they disagree with. It is called hypocrisy and is anti-American.

Another thing to remember is that the First Amendment applies only to the FEDERAL government. The First Amendment does not apply to speech that can be deemed hateful. Remember, the students were able to communicate their ideas, albeit sick and perverted ones which consisted of maligning and libel that are obviously untrue upon a short introspection.

Also the 1st amendment says "right of the people peaceably to assemble". The key word in this context is "peaceably". We all know what they did was not peaceful, and they were not calm and when confronted with the facts. Thus the right to defamatory and uncivil blabbering is a nonexistent right.

There rights were not abridged, and an opposing party, the plantiffs, merely engaged in a legal right to bring legal action against it, as whould be done when confronted with the most venomous of evils upon Earth. Why should one sit quietly and meekly when spat on by the flames of intolerance?

Do you honestly fail to see the contradiction contained within your post here?
 

DreadFish

Cosmic Vagabond
It may have been rude, but it was in no way a crime. I think it's pathetic that this was taken to court. If anything they could have just been reprimanded by the school administration. But they were protesting, and have every right to do so as long as they are being physically violent or threatening people. There is no logical reason that the law should have gotten involved unless they were making threats of harm or something like that.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
So the WBC can be as loud, vulgar, and disruptive as they want to be and no actions can be taken against them except for making them move to a location x-amount of feet away from a funeral, a several Muslim students get slapped in the face by the long arm of the law for protesting.
Really I have no doubts the only reason any legal action was taken is because they are Muslim.
 

YmirGF

Bodhisattva in Recovery
Really I have no doubts the only reason any legal action was taken is because they are Muslim.
You comparison might fly if the group in question was a bunch of law students with a long history of using the courts to attack anyone who stood in their way. Remember, the Phelps and his daughter are both lawyers, who relish the thought of bringing a lawsuit at the faintest scent of any infringements on their rights.

In my view, it would depend how things went when the police were brought in. If they continued to rant at that point, the police may have been completely justified in taking them into custody. As far as I am aware, once a police officer tells you to cool it, you are on pretty thin ice.

That said, I haven't heard anything about what happened outside the hall. Anyone know? Did they continue being disruptive? Did they try to go back to their dorms or cars?
 

gnomon

Well-Known Member
From the LA Times:
'Irvine 11' jury finds all 10 students guilty - latimes.com



Do you think the sanctions were enough for a disruptive and arguably violent and pre-planned act of this nature?

Do you think the judge went easy on them because they were Muslim?

40 hours in a soup kitchen seems remarkably easy seeing as they interrupted an invited speaker and assaulted the ears of the people that wanted to listen to Oren with unwanted words.

First off, I don't think their free speech rights were violated.

Second, unless they resisted attempts by security of law enforcement to remove them from the building I don't understand why they would be charged with any crime.

Third, if they did resist, passively, I don't understand why they would be charged with something as ridiculous as "conspiracy to disrupt". Nor do I agree with the sentence even though it's not particularly horrible. 40 hours of community service, usually to be done in a year's or six months time, is not a big deal.
 
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