"Anti-Racist" Student Sports Nazi Gear
Inside Higher Ed reports,
A choice by a self-proclaimed student supporter of some Nazi ideas to wear a “Blood & Honour” armband both on and off the Bellarmine University campus this semester has led to fierce debate over freedom of expression at the Roman Catholic institution in Louisville. Administrators have created a committee to study what to do, while professors and students cope with what some are calling blatant intimidation left unchecked — and that others see as free expression.
Meanwhile, Andrei Chira, a freshman, continues to wear the armband, which he says is part of standing up for what he believes in.
Chira said Wednesday that the band – which depicts a symbol similar to a swastika — is his way of showing support for National Socialism. Believers in the “Blood & Honour” philosophy have traditionally been associated with “white pride and white power,” according to the Web site of the American National Socialist Party.
However, Chira said that racial and ethnic issues are not the reason he wears the band and that he doesn’t support anti-Semitism and racism. Rather, he ascribes to the philosophy that it’s important to “think about what you believe in,” and he said he favors the concept of nationalism over party affiliation.
Nationalism is not Racism as long as the borders stay open. true?
zionism MIGHT NOT be racism, but is it nationalism? we’d have to say yes, right?
is it still a master race if anyone can join? what if the nazis allowed anyone to become Aryan as long as they studied for a year first?
related article: http://www.cannabischassidis.b logspot.com
He might be a bad guy. He might be a good guy, I don’t know him, so I don’t know. But I defend his right to free speech no matter how distasteful that speech may be. If he wore a freakin’ SS uniform around town that would be fine by me. If he’s not hurting anyone or encouraging anyone else to hurt people then he, or anyone else, can express themselves in any way they like. You may not like it, but it’s the price you pay for living in a theoretically free society.
If you want to take away the freedom of speech that’s fine. Just remember that freedome of religious expression is in the same amendment.
No one is saying he shouldn’t have the theoretical right to wear whatever he wants to wear. But you cannot ignore the fact that he is promoting an ideology that led directly to the worst atrocities in human history (matched only by IDF checkpoints at Israel’s borders).
If the guy is willing to own that, he has to live with the consequences of that decision. You may not know the guy and, (oh so progressively,) refuse to pass judgement on his moral position, but your comment shows where morality starts and ends.
Just because someone has the theoretical right to do something does not make it morally right to do it. If you can’t see that, I suggest you join the ACLU.
“But you cannot ignore the fact that he is promoting an ideology that led directly to the worst atrocities in human history (matched only by IDF checkpoints at Israel’s borders).”
Ugh. From one person very critical of Israel to another, there’s a time and place for Nazi analogies (maybe), but this isn’t one of them. Israel has committed many oppressive acts, but it is not running death camps. And any country has the right to border checkpoints; I think you’ll find that many of them are quite a bit worse.
“Just because someone has the theoretical right to do something does not make it morally right to do it. If you can’t see that, I suggest you join the ACLU.”
You’re fighting a strawman here. No one was arguing that this guy was morally right (and your contention that the ACLU would is rather baffling), merely that he has the right to walk around in whatever ridiculously offensive stuff he wants. Personally, I believe that if someone wants to completely alienate themselves and risk physical assault on their persons for no good reason, they should be able to do so.
“…(matched only by IDF checkpoints at Israel’s borders).”
Ben, I’m pretty sure The Tuna was being facetious.
I don’t know how I could have more ironic.
Um, Ben. I’d like to hear what those times and places are where and when Nazi analogies are appropriate (maybe).
The ACLU line was a joke as well.
Loser.