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?

You can take principles too far,.you know!

2 flag wavers at our child’s graduation ceremony. As it was the one for politics students I was slightly disappointed! Tbh it’s about being young and having strong opinions that you feel deeply.

Protests have to be inconvenient, controversial and public to be effective.

Except evidence shows, with Stop Oil or whatever the name is, that inconvenience pisses people off so much that it turns people off the message. It's counterproductive. Effective protests don't inconvenience people, while still drawing attention. This is a basic accepted fact.

As this thread so amply proves, a graduation ceremony ticks these boxes.

As this thread shows, the majority are turned off by it being at a graduation ceremony.

I don’t need to twist anything to make you sound unreasonable. I’m not sure why you felt the need to bring up the fact that none of the flags were Ukrainian? What is your point?

It is incredibly naive to think that waving a flag, wearing a badge or throwing avocados on the floor in Waitrose is going to change anything. I get the conviction of youth, but what do you think is actually going to change? Do you think Starmer et al are going to ditch our allies and forego the military intelligence we gain from them because Audrey has been on a march in Kiddiminster? Is Hamas going to cancel all future plans to destroy Israel because some earnest young things wave a Palestinian flag at their graduation? Or is Netanyahu going to withdraw from Gaza & the West Bank because a small number start boycotting a really weird range of businesses?

I enjoy the contrast between anti-war activists and former members of the military. These guys are actually out their dodging bullets (sometimes metaphorically) because there is always someone trying to kill us. Saying all war should stop is basically saying we aren’t allowed to defend ourselves. War is an inevitable fact of life that has been around for as long as there have been people. Do I agree with it? No. Do I want civilians to die? No. Do I understand how war works (or doesn’t)? Yes.

The only thing protesting really does is demonstrate you have a port understanding of how the world actually works these days. The ME is never going to be peaceful in the way we in the west envisage it because there are massive cultural differences between us and them. There will never be a 2 state solution until Palestinians change there strongly held view that the only good Jew is a dead Jew. Us westerners sit here wringing our hands and calling for peace and deescalation as Israelis spend decades running to their shelters to try and survive another barrage of missiles sent by their neighbours who want them dead and who we expect to sit down and discuss how they’re going to live in peace and harmony. They are literally on the front line and know fine well that if they don’t defend themselves they will all be dead. We don’t have conscription or the Iron Dome because we’re not under constant attack. Israel wouldn’t have them either if they didn’t need them for basic survival. The entire region is soaked in blood and it’s not going to get better until both sides are made to make unpalatable concessions. My fear is that Hamas is not going to give up it’s genocidal yearning to destroy Israel and will sacrifice every last man, woman and child to do so.

We don’t count. Politicians don’t care what we think. Did the marches stop Blair going to war? Politicians are going to do what they think is right (hopefully) or what suits them best (probably). Remember, we never have the full picture of what goes on and what is published is not even half of what is happening. I see it as the quickest way for this current war to end is for Hamas to release the hostages. Beyond that, Hamas has to be removed from power which then leaves an impossible power vacuum that will probably lead to even more unrest. The neighbouring Arab countries could intervene but they dont want to (which should be telling in itself). Israel can’t control it and neither can Hamas. PA isn’t much better so what happens? UN? UNRWA has been a disaster that hasn’t served the people to was created for well. Egypt? Syria? Lebanon? Ha! Just let Iran take over, give them their nukes then let’s see them really destroy Israel because that’s what’s down that path. you want Hamas gone, you have to take out Iran too. None of us (should) want Iran to have nukes but there were people out protesting against Israel’s attack on them. Iran. People were out on the streets of the UK supporting the IRGC. Disgraceful and yet another example of the complete lack of understanding some of these people have.

Have your opinions, have your convictions but my God have some understanding of the complexities of the world.

Err, hello....! Who said none of the other flags were Ukrainian?
I said up thread there were 3 different causes. I haven't specified what they are as , believe it or not, that's not what this AIBU is about.

To be honest, the situation is so nuanced that I would somewhat judge anyone who presumed to have an opinion on it as arrogant and not very Intelligent, unless they had studied the issue on depth. And I don't mean a quick google and reading articles in the media, I mean proper academic study. For anyone else to spout forth is just virtue signalling. If you don't know all the facts, your opinion is worthless and will just upset people to no gain.
Of course, my opinion is equally worthless.

Literally the most sensible and rational post on this entire thread

Literally not true. Majority of Israelis (see polls) want the war to end. NO-ONE wants innocent people to die. Get the facts not the narrative.

Was just reading about the Baader Meinhof gang in the 70s. Many students in Germany were all for them; posters on their walls, solidarity badges etc etc. Soon passed.

There is a huge difference between wanting a war (a very long, long, long) war to stop, and supporting Hamas - a lot of “activists” don’t understand what they are cheer-leading for. Young women need their heads examined - unless they think it looks like a barrel of laughs for them under those regimes.

Economic, sports and cultural boycotts played a crucial role in isolating the apartheid regime in South Africa, raising awareness about the injustices of the system, and ultimately contributing to its downfall.

It’s just part of the narcissistic instagram culture to get a bit of attention, they’ll grow up.

If you want peace, then you ought to want a stable political situation, because that’s what produces peace.

afaict most of the noisy people aren’t thinking like that. They want the outcome, but if they’re giving any thought as to how to get there, I’m not seeing it.

This times 1000. Get a grip people. Students trying to make a stand against kids being slaughtered? I'd be more concerned if graduates had the same apathy as a lot of people on this thread. Truly shameful.

The problem with the Palestinian flag is that it has been hijacked by people like Hamas who quote from the river to the sea. It's a bigger issue . It's akin to someone using a Nazi flag. It has connotations and certain extreme beliefs.

The union flag and St George flags have been hijacked by right wing extremst groups n England. Are you against such flags being displayed, or do you accept that not everyone who wishes to display one is a supporter of far right groups?

I agree that has happened and it is a shame when this happens - however there is nothing in the constitution of the UK that refers to taking land from others . There is with the Palestine one.

I think this comment says more about you than any activists students.