To think this is chilling?

[Gorgeouslilgirl]

Students in an Oxford college did what students do - questioned the status quo and decided to replace a picture that is political, ie a head of state. A measured and inclusive message accompanied this.

And the education secretary has waded in to criticise a student body for actions within their own space? And DM is publishing the student’s photo and family home and much his dad earns! Wtf?!

It reminds me of the Middle East or North Korea or perhaps Thailand where people have a photo of their beloved unelected leader as a sign of patriotism or else they are viewed unfavourably.

I mean, really?!!!

The government have rightly highlighted the importance of free speech in universities. These students have exercised that right and agreed to take down a picture of the queen. The government should be proud it has created the conditions to enable the students to do that.

Somebody on the first page said this government loves to stoke the culture war, which is very true, and a quick skim of the thread shows they do a great job of it.

to take down a cheap modern picture from a private space.

oh dear 🤣

ohforarainyday not sure what you're going on about

Dearie me, some poor people do struggle with reading comprehension don't they? Have you - per your username - been on the gin?

You said that removing a picture from a wall in a private room you're paying to use is the equivalent of trashing a bar. I said no, it's more like removing a bedspread from a hotel room. Since both are rooms that are owned by other people, but which you are paying to have exclusive usage of, and have freedom to make very minor temporary changes to.

Hope that clears it up for you.

Not sure why other posters have started to talk about Meghan!

Not sure why other posters have started to talk about Meghan!

I think she took it down!

I can’t see how the postgrads could have had a reasonable expectation of anyone knowing about this

Are you serious? We have no idea how events unravelled or who came up with this idea (and to what end). I doubt everything was civilised and uneventful if it it reached the Education Secretary. The whole reasoning is incredibly naive

I doubt everything was civilised and uneventful if it it reached the Education Secretary.

😂

I believe the tabloids got access to the minutes of the meeting. Then the Education Secretary jumped with unseemly haste at a (ridiculous) opportunity to try and deflect from his own and the government’s incompetence,

The worst thing is that the hard of thinking fell for it.

I believe the tabloids got access to the minutes of the meeting

Well, who tipped them off then? People who were offended by this bad idea perhaps?

Do you go into a bar and start to trash it because you have paid for your beer?

I don't do that sort of thing. None of the graduate students described here seems to have done that sort of thing either.

Our own dear Prime Minister in his student days, on the other hand....

People who were offended by this bad idea perhaps?

Oh yes, all the people offended by taking pictures off the wall 😂

I think someone’s gradually realising they’ve been played by the tabloids and is becoming a bit embarrassed.

@mustlovegin - I doubt everything was civilised and uneventful if it it reached the Education Secretary. The whole reasoning is incredibly naive

You don't really think that someone actually contacted the education secretary to complain that some students voted to remove a photo that a previous group of students voted to put on a wall 8 years ago?

That has to be one of the most hilarious posts on this thread.

The worst thing is that the hard of thinking fell for it.

This is what's really chilling!

Well, who tipped them off then? People who were offended by this bad idea perhaps?

For crying out loud, do people not know how to bloody read?

One single person emailed the minutes of the meeting to Guido Fawkes, a far right wing blogger who has weaponised and makes money from promoting the idea there's a "culture war."

Right wing papers took the article from Guido Fawkes' website, because those papers have an agenda to whip up fake outrage and division.

I doubt everything was civilised and uneventful if it it reached the Education Secretary.

But Gavin Williamson only knows what he read in the newspaper article, which only had some select quotes from the minutes. Williamson is getting all his information third hand and highly edited. It's not like he's spoken to any of the people involved or even read the full minutes.

The reason Gavin Williamson made a statement is because the Tories were trying desperately to create a distraction from the fact that on the same day, Michael Gove was found in court to have acted unlawfully. Whipping up froth about "woke students at posh uni attacking the Queen!!!111" is exactly the kind of manufactured outrage distraction tactic the Tories specialise in.

The fact one student decided to leak a private document to a right wing blogger does not mean the results of a democratic vote should be ignored. We don't even know if the person who sent the email was genuinely angry at losing the vote, just wanted to shit stir, or perhaps had a private grudge against the American student and doesn't care about the poster. The fact is the students took a vote. Democracy is one of the key tenets of British culture. The posters objecting to democracy are the ones "attacking British culture." Also it's pretty fucking rich that people are using the fact a single whiny student was "offended" as proof it was a bad idea. When 99% of the time the right wingers on Mumsnet squawks about how we shouldn't pander to "over-sensitive special snowflakes" getting offended. One single student may or may not have been offended at the fact he lost a vote, and suddenly it's extremely important to put not offending people over democracy? That's a pretty massive 180 from the normal opinions here.

I think that's a fair account of what went on @ohforarainyday, and it certainly reflects how such things went down when I was a member of another Oxford MCR, only that was before social media meant you could stir up a storm in a teacup in about ten minutes using only your phone.

I doubt everything was civilised and uneventful if it it reached the Education Secretary.

The Education Secretary got the info from the tabloids, who in turn got it from Guido Fawkes. It's not as though an official complaint was made to him!

@ddl1

I doubt everything was civilised and uneventful if it it reached the Education Secretary.

The Education Secretary got the info from the tabloids, who in turn got it from Guido Fawkes. It's not as though an official complaint was made to him!

Imagine if you could. It could become the new mumsnet phrase! Never mind “report to OFSTED” - we could “report to Gav”. It would be brilliant!

“Hi Gav, It’s Lexie’s Mum here - that’s Lexie in 9G - not 9F. Lexie got put in isolation for her shoes being brown not black but Olivia in 9H has brown shoes and she doesn’t get put in isolation.”

Gav could storm into the school, break poor Lexie out of isolation and perhaps take her flying like Mildred out of The Worst Witch. All the other kids would be so jealous!

I think he needs an outfit. Maybe with a cape (to help him fly).

The thread reminds me of Asimov

“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'

@ohforarainyday thank you for saying so eloquently exactly what I would like to say!

I dread to think what some of the people requiring the fainting couch over a pic of Brenda being taken down would make of the hammer and sickle being up for years.

That whole post made me snicker like Muttley. I especially applaud 'the people requiring the fainting couch'

@IntermittentParps

I dread to think what some of the people requiring the fainting couch over a pic of Brenda being taken down would make of the hammer and sickle being up for years.

That whole post made me snicker like Muttley. I especially applaud 'the people requiring the fainting couch'

Our common room had a snuff bequest, which could perhaps have been used to revive the faint on their fainting couch. Or just annoy them by making them sneeze.

a snuff bequest?
Jesus, it is another world isn't it? (I went to a red-brick)

magine if you could. It could become the new mumsnet phrase! Never mind “report to OFSTED” - we could “report to Gav”. It would be brilliant!

*“Hi Gav, It’s Lexie’s Mum here - that’s Lexie in 9G - not 9F. Lexie got put in isolation for her shoes being brown not black but Olivia in 9H has brown shoes and she doesn’t get put in isolation.”

Gav could storm into the school, break poor Lexie out of isolation and perhaps take her flying like Mildred out of The Worst Witch. All the other kids would be so jealous!*

SNORT! ROTFL!

@IntermittentParps

a snuff bequest? Jesus, it is another world isn't it? (I went to a red-brick)

I did always find Jesus College another world as well.

Yes Jesus Cantab has gone radical and not unnoticed as it recently ticked a few boxes for the current Master? I always assumed it would be Kings that likes to be different with political statements and posturing.