AIBU to say that graduation ceremonies are not the place to make political statements?

[anythingbutlillies]

Hard hat on.

DC's graduation today. Fabulous day, but it did not sit well with me that a few chose to unfurl a flag / raise a scarf while they were on the stage.
Just no! So very selfish.

Interested to hear if I am being precious?

I'm afraid I totally disagree with Nn9011 . Education is actually not political and there is enough trouble without demanding people see things your way or you are then derided as (insert some euphemism for evil). This event is the celebration of hard work in your subject and your care givers hard work in paying for you to achieve that. Students have done enough with all the pro-Palestinian camps and intimidation. They can march in the streets of the UK. It's an arrogant and self-righteous attitude. Actually, most Jews ARE Zionists in that they just want a Jewish State to feel secure in (That's actually all 'Zionism' means). Your view that the Israelis are 'occupying' is controversial and is disputed passionately and with a great deal of logic.

What a shame this thread has taken this turn.

Nice straw man, well done

Agreed.

I have my answer though.
Thanks to all.
,60/40

Why would you say something like that? Unless there's something seriously the matter with you, you must know that nobody finds the death of children funny. So you're just posturing and in fact, using the death of those children to do so. I find that despicable.

Please stop the gaslighting. That poster used a laughing face emoji to someone who talked about the deaths of thousands of children.

I find your wilful blindness despicable.

It happens all the time I'm afraid....it's impossible to have a nuanced sensible discussion when the are you happy about children dying is trotted out? Obviously no one thinks children dying is a good thing....like we should even have to say it

It's not gaslighting. The performative nature of what people laughably call activism is disgusting. It's clearly meant to send out a signal about them and it's so easy to do. What on earth good do you think you're doing shouting in the street and spreading misinformation on social media? It makes me sick to see people pretending they have no choice but to see live streams of other people's deaths on their "Insta", let alone the faux grieving and utter refusal to see the conflict as anything other than binary right/wrong. I'm tired of being harangued by people who have no knowledge or understanding of anything that's ever happened in the middle east, so much so that they openly cheer on the most appalling human rights abusers, as long as they're sticking it to the "Zionists".

I'm not a gas lighter. You are a grief tourist and it's repulsive. I have nothing more to say to you. I think you're pond life.

The idea that your grandkids are going to be asking you about this is laughable. Look down the list of genocides on Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_genocides
What have you done about the rest of them?

And some pro-Palestinians should be answering this fictional question with "well, I chanted support for terrorists on the streets of London, told Jews to shut up about antisemitism, and argued that Iran should be allowed to have nuclear weapons." Well done them.

Oh but we're Jews and we eat children's blood in our matzos. 🙄

You're right. There's no point trying to have a rational debate with people who are willing to let themselves be brainwashed rather than do a tiny bit of reading and thinking for themselves. It's on TikTok so it must be true, right?

Why? That's assuming their Jewish friend was a Zionist. Many Jews are appalled at what is happening politically.

Do you know what Zionism is? Your post suggests otherwise.

Are you Jewish yourself?

80% of Jewish people are Zionists.

The word 'Zionist' has been pretended to mean 'supporter of Netanyahu' by people who don't know what Zionist means and clearly have no idea that Zionist is well established as a code word for Jew by antisemites.

Or don't mind that it's been co-opted because they think it's "secret code" dog whistling.

So antisemites who switched the old "Jews control the media, Jews are secretly controlling your government, Jews are blood thirsty" for "Zionists control the media, Zionists are secretly controlling your government, Zionists are blood thirsty" must be delighted by those slogans being trotted out by people who will strenuously claim that they're not antisemitic.

I’m Jewish and I would applaud it.

You shouldn’t assume all Jews are in favour of innocent people being massacred on a daily basis!

It was the same when I graduated in the 80s. If you can’t be a bit radical when you’re at Uni, when can you?

Only some of us, is that the subtext?

Populist nonsense?! Mumsnent is so pro Israeli it's actually galling. Is Baroness Kennedy, a leading human rights lawyer populist too? Because on radio 4 she literally said she believes we are witnessing a genocide taking place before our eyes. Imagine young people making clear their stand on this 🙄

Our government is complicit in war crimes and history look back and judge those who did nothing

So at a graduation, what and how many political opinions is it appropriate for the students to show what their stance is...

Their views on Russia?
their views on Sudan
Their views on public sector strikes
Their views on the UK immigration policies
Their views on the trans debate
Their views on benefit cuts

How arrogant to think others give a shit what they think... especially at an event like that

Some are certainly happy to turn a blind eye, because they don’t see Palestinians as equal to us. And a minority are indeed applauding it, including people in my family.

I am Jewish, I have family in Israel, and I am disgusted by Israel’s actions, not only in the past 2 years, but over many decades. Holding a Palestinian flag doesn’t mean you support Hamas, it means you want Israel to stop killing innocent people on a daily basis and treating them like animals.

You didn't say turning a blind eye, you said "in favour of innocent people being massacred on a daily basis".

Lots of people are in favour of it, especially in Israel. Are you not paying attention?