NUS vote - just out of interest

[HocusLotus]

Has or in in the near future anyone else's DC having (I say "having" - of course you do not "have" to ) to vote on disaffiliating or not from the NUS - or do most not really mind? Some have opted out - some in - DS's vote is next week. Simply of interest - Ds mentioned it. (I do realise it is only the universities who voted to have the choice - e.g. Hull, Exeter , Cambridge - who voted) and AFAIK a spread so far.

[horsemadmom]

DS will be voting OUT. He really shouldn't have to pass security to go to dinner on Friday nights at JSoc. They shouldn't need security (Christian, Hindu and Muslim societies don't) but sadly, they do. His union reps were told not to vote for Malia but did anyway. The NUS is broken beyond repair and so is the Labour Party in general.
If DD's perspective uni votes to stay, she's hoping that the individual colleges will follow the lead of Camb. and disaffiliate one by one from OUSU.
We'll never see the Royall Report. Corbyn will make sure of it. The Chakrabarti commission is doomed from the start. We in the Jewish community are super grateful to have these nominated non-Jews telling us what is and isn't anti-semitism....that bit was bitter sarcasm for those too stupid to infer.

Yesterday, my 14 year old DD was walking through our local park with a friend and a man screamed 'F*cking Jew' at her.

Just think how you would feel as a 14 yr old, as a parent, if this sort of hate was directed at your child. That is what happened every day to Jewish students at our universities.

[bojorojo]

On a very general point, it seems to me that some universities are very Student Union minded and it is a big social hub and in others it is of little interest to many students. Where my DDs have been, no-one took any notice of it, participated in it, or went into it. Not sure DD2 would have known what it was! All their socialising was via other clubs and privately with other students. When DH was at university he lived in the SU Bar! That was a university with a very active SU. Therefore the students and universities appear to be different. At DD1s university I cannot imagine any student passing security to go to anywhere based on religion. Although DD1 left university 2 years ago, she never mentioned any arrangements such as security for Jewish students, or anyone else for that matter.

However, DD2 was invited to attend Synagogues with school friends and I was truly astounded at the security guards surrounding them. Presumably they are paid for by the Jewish members of the Synagogue just as parents pay for security at Jewish schools. This is not a recent thing either.

We do seem to have hate whipped up in our society now. The rhetoric about foreigners, immigrants and religions is being stoked up all the time and plenty of people are going along with it. Just look at all the political hissing going on at the moment about immigration.

The NUS has, down the years, been of certain political persuasions. It is student politics. Few people, actually, take much notice of it and most activists move on and are forgotten about. Who remembers what student politicians have said after they move into the real world? The problem at the moment appears to be that people like Malia are emboldened due to JC and the far left being far more in the limelight than they have been for 30 years. It is now seen as OK to espouse anti-Semitic views without any thought for the consequences.

[horsemadmom]

bojorojo, unless DD1 went to a (or any) Jewish student event, she wouldn't have encountered security personnel. But they are there and necessary . Just like at the synagogue DD2 went to. Most are highly trained volunteers just like the man who was murdered outside the synagogue in Copenhagen. They work with the Community Security Trust and have constant contact with the police and Special Branch. Sadly, credible threats are a constant feature in our lives.
If you think that NUS politics and politicians are forgotten about or irrelevant
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Presidents_of_the_National_Union_of_Students_(United_Kingdom)

It's a training ground for Labour MPs and journalists and national opinion formers. These anti-semitic, no platforming, far-left thugs will be running the country in 10 years. This very much matters.

[HocusLotus]

According to Horsemadmom's link, my time at university came somewhere between David Aaronovitch and Phil Woolas - so, a long time ago. I mentioned it because like Bojo's Dh - the SU, in my day, at my college, was a cheap night out to me and my friends. IIRC we all boycotted Barclay's bank as a thing, and there was a discount card, but I cannot remember us knowing any of the NUS policies, really. Of course others will have been more aware than that.

[HocusLotus]

Of course the particular Student Union is not the NUS but - it sort of shows how little I and a lot of my friends thought about it.

[RedHelenB]

Supporting Palestinians rights does not equate to anti semitism.

[Orac]

DS happened to be home for the weekend and told me his uni voted to stay in the NUS but he didn't vote as he has never had anything to do with the NUS. I was annoyed with him as he hadn't bothered to find out what it was all about. He was a bit sheepish when I finished lecturing explaining the issues. In his defense he is working 12 hours a day for exams and it just hadn't crossed his radar.

horsemadmom I am at that but sadly not surprised. I only recently became aware of how anti antisemitism has crept in to a whole generation, not least from reading some opinions on here and obviously from Corbyn et al.

[user1464519881]

When I went we Thatcherites needed protection from stones and eggs when we put on events. Not fun and not on.

Students of all views should be allowed to express any view they like. We need utterly free debate and allowing everyone to speak without fear or favour and to fight for the rights of everyone to express any views.Anti Semitism and Anti Islam must not be tolerated ever.

Nor should any university ban things like "Jesus and Mo" T shirts mocking religion. We should be allowed to mock and lampoon whoever we like .

Our local synagogoes all have security outside and have had for at least 15 years . No other religious groups locally have them and we have just about every religion there is within 2 or 3 miles here - one of the most mixed London boroughs there are. There is never any trouble caused between any groups locally at places of worship. In my view the synagogues don't need it and it's very provocative to have it and pointless and does them more harm than good but I respect their right to put on security if they choose to. They are shooting themselves in the foot by doing it however.

[bojorojo]

I do not think many students are politically minded. My DH wasn't. Still isn't. NUS just means a discount card to many students. I think the bigger problem is not student politics, but the far left espousing hatred, and indeed the far right, in mainstream politics. I also think the Jewish people have an elevated fear of others, with good reason, but also have a very good platform to inform others of their views via the meadia.

[Orac]

I do not think many students are politically minded
I think you are right bojorojo. I think it's a shame, DS says none of his student friends seem much interested in politics, including the upcoming referendum.