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The connection question:
What does Corrigan mean when he tells students, faculty and staff, "None are protected unless all are protected"? How is he defining the university's "universe of obligation"? What is he suggesting about the impact of hate speech on the University as a whole? On society as a whole?What is the role f a leader in creating a community where everyone feels safe? Have we had similar situations in Lexington?
38 comments:
He means that if one group isn't protected, then none are. If it is okay to create and promote hate for one race, ethnicity, or religion, then it is essentially okay to do that for all. A university should accept and help all types of people and their beliefs, and especially not allow a group on their campus to destroy that. In Lexington there have been some instances where people have spray painted or drew swastikas in various places around the school. They usually are immediatley taken down, and someone talks to everyone about how it is wrong. I would say Lexington is very welcoming of various ethnicities and religions/beliefs.
Corrigan defines the university's universe of obligation to include all the students attending the university, without regard to their religious beliefs. When he said "none are protected unless all are protected", he meant that he offers unbias protection to all of his students. The hate flier that was posted disrupted the university's safe environment and exposed the ramifications of early anti semitism. No matter how much we'd like to believe that as a society we are unprejudiced as a whole, the flier put up at San Fransisco State proves that anti semitic attitudes prevalent in as early as the 1200's are still an issue today.
Corrigan recognizes the danger just one flyer can cause to his university. When he says, "none are protected unless all are protected," he means that all people of different groups, may it be religious groups, should be treated equally. He immediately takes action and condemns the flyer's message because when one group is being attacked, it poses opportunity for more attacks on other groups. Students want to feel safe in their every day environment. There have been incidents at LHS where anti semitist images and attacks on specific people have been written on the walls. Like Corrigan, the staff at school acted quickly to get rid of the remarks, to create a safe environment for everyone.
When Corrigan says that "none are protected unless all are protected," he is emphasizing that it is important that the school not set a precedent of inaction against injustice. Even though the entire student body is not being targeted, it is still important to protect anyone who is being persecuted, no matter if it is a single student or an ethnic group or a gender. This establishes a system of support for the student body as a whole, the "universe of obligation." It is the role of the leader to set an example for how he or she would expect those they are leading to act. By showing no tolerance for the libelous posters, Corrigan reinforced the values that he expects from the professors and students at San Francisco State.
The only similar incident that I can think of at LHS was the graffiti situation last spring. I did notice that an effort was made to hide and remove the offensive writing before students arrived at school. In general, my experience has been that Lexington is a very tolerant place, and that people are generally committed to standing up against injustice and wrongdoing. This is evident the widespread participation the the Day of Silence, and also in the number of students who are active in protesting the genocide in Darfur.
By saying this, Corrigan is pointing out how if one group(race, ethnicity, or religion) is singled out for a negative reason it opens up more opportunities for all other groups to be persecuted for any reason. In this instance of the flier at the diverse college one group is being singled out and it is publicly displayed. I think it was handled in the best way possible because the fact that it was a flier means that it was seen across campus. And whether it was people of the persecuted group or others, it could offend a large number of people creating an uneasyness in the school community. Lexington's actions against the offending incidents are in the right direction. Especially the graffiti attacks at school, where although there were other offensive things written on the wall, the swastikas where some of the first things to be covered up. I think our town has a high tolerance for all different races, religions, and ethnicities and it makes it a welcoming place to live.
He means that the school can't just select a group of students to protect. If that was so, they would team up on the non-protected ones, and then those without protection would have to fight back. The university's universe of obligation must include everyone at the same level, and defend everyone equally, because hate speech against any group effects tham all, in a way. It commands by fear and bullying. A leader has to make sure that rules are enforced so that everyone is treated equally.
We haven't really had stuff like that happen in lexington. Well, there was the graffiti incident last year, and the whole "swastica in the girls bathroom" thing, but I don't think those were really so much /threats/, as they were just foolish. I guess some kids still get picked on, but that's just normal.
Corrigan is suggesting that the impact of one hate group is that it makes everyone feel uncomfortable and unsafe. If one group is allowed to hate another group then no one is safe from being hated because it is not fair to say who is allowed to hate. I think that hate is not necessarily very strong within Lexington itself, but the impact from other hate acts or hate groups can definitely be felt. There have been instances where groups from other parts of the country protested in our town, as well as people within our town acting upon their hate, most notable the swastikas in the bathroom. I think that Corrigan is correct to condemn the group's anti-semitic actions, because any action made out of hate ends up hurting everyone, not only the people they are trying to target
Corrigan means that if students and faculty at San Francisco State or for that matter anywhere, need protection, then equality between all ethnicities should be practiced. It is the obligation of everyone in a university to respect every race and ethinicity on campus and not harass anyone. If one group is dealt with inequality, then many other groups would face the same trauma later on. We have had such experiences in LHS this year itself when some people had spray painted grafiti on our school walls. But I think that the situation was dealt with pretty well and everyone was made aware that we have a safe campus and an action would be taken against the ones would wrote the grafiti which is basically what Corrigan is getting at.
In one sense, Corrigan means that a University, or a country, or any society of people can not attack each other, because if they do they are hurting the whole, and therefor hurting themselves. But he also means that you can't pick and choose which groups of people are okay to protect, and which are not, because if you do, then the ones who are not protected will become angry, and more racism will be created, because that group that was not protected will resent the groups that were. Where there is racism, everyone gets hurt, either by hurting their own morals and committing acts of discrimination, or by being discriminated against personally. A leader had to create a community where everyone feels safe, because when even one person feels unsafe, the entire attitude of the group shifts, and other people may begin to feel unsafe because that other person has reason to fear. I know that in the grand scheme of things, Lexington is a fairly accepting town, however we have had our own issues. There have been instances of swastikas spray painted around the schools, and more prominently, the cases of homophobia and consequential actions. There was a man who refused to let his kindergarten or first grade son read a book about two princes who fell in love, there was the graffiti last year, and there have been people who have protested the Day of Silence that we have every year. I love that Lexington is more accepting than many places, but we still have a long way to go.
When Corrigan says that "none are protected unless all are protected" he means that if one group is protected while the other is discriminated against, the one that is protected is now unprotected because of the resentment from the group being discriminated against. The university's "universe of obligation" is the obligation to protect everyone in the university, no matter what their race is. The impact of hate speech on the university as well as on society as a whole is one of great outrage and insult that disrupts everyone's way of life and can lead to more conflicts in the future. It is the role of a leader to make sure that this does not happen. I would say that in the very liberal state of Massachusetts, Lexington is one of the most liberal and accepting states within it. However, there was the instance last year when swastikas and homophobic graffiti were painted on the walls of the school.
Corrigan recognizes that all students must feel welcome at his university. When he says "none are protected unless all are protected," he means that all groups, religious or cultural, should be treaded equal. He is saying that if hatred is targeted toward one group then it can spread to all groups. The university's "universe of obligation" is to make sure that everyone is accepted regardless of their religion or cultural background. He suggests that hate speech can tear apart a university or society. There have been multiple incidents in Lexington with graffiti and anti- Semitic remarks, but the administration is usually able to remove the graffiti before it can be seen by the students. Lexington is a very welcoming community of different ethnicities and religions and makes sure everyone feels welcome and safe.
Corrigan is saying that he is responsible for the protection of everyone at the university. If one person does not feel protected then the entire university isn't safe. Corrigan's universe of obligations is to everyone at the university. If a student doesn't feel safe because of a hateful poster than he is not fulfilling his obligations to the university. In Lexington we have had some incidents of hate crimes. Yet they were handled reasonably well. We were notified of them right away and they were cleaned up as soon as possible, just like at the university. Even though we have had some hate crimes, lexington is overall a diverse town, that is accepting of most religions, races, and faiths.
“None are protected unless all are protected” implies that part of the meaning of protection is equal protection for everyone. That if there is anyone who is attacked that the safety for everyone is insecure. Within the school he means that if one group does not feel protected then protection has failed that because of the anti-Semitism they have not really protected the students. In that way, any form of crime, hate or attack on a person or group threatens the protection of everyone as a whole. By saying this he is also saying that the obligation to protect is world wide. That if there is anyone who is not protected then everyone is not protected and if there is hate or attacks that protection is failing. For a leader to keep a sense of safety in a community he must try to uphold the sense of protection for every individual and try to make the community an actual safe place. In the past at LHS we have had graffiti involving anti-Semitic homophobic remarks, and also the people who protest the day of silence. In comparison these seem more minor than the events at San Francisco State, and remain nonviolent and with out such a degree of hate.
Corrigan's statement, "none are protected unless all are protected" refers to the idea that unless everyone accepts everyone elses beliefs, there is no way that all races will equally be safe. Racism is highly contangous when there is one group of people being targeted because people outside that group dont want to draw attention to themselves as a non-supporter of the hainous acts taking place. At the University,"universe of obligation" refers to the idea that everyone is to be accepted, regardless of race, religion or ethnicity. Even if they were purple, at the university, it is crucial that everyone is seen as equal and to work as a whole, and not split up according to backgrounds. Showing such strong beliefs that one race is not as worthy as the others at a University, where people come to attend from all over the world, shows that racism is still occuring, even among young adults. This is looked upon poorly by society because it looks like this school supports racism and that authorities let it take place. In Lexington, there are signs of hatred written on school walls, usually of offence towards Jews, such as swastika symbols. Lexington, being the welcoming town it is, seems to accept all people, all religions, ethnicities and races, as apart of the community. Yet there are still some who don't believe in equality among all.
When stating that "none are protected unless all are protected", Corrigan is expressing that every group of people, no matter what race, religion, or beliefs define them, should be equally protected and have the right to a safe, supported, and happy career at his college. It is unacceptable to defame and torture one specific group of people for your own satisfaction. The "universe of obligation" is an expression used to indicate that everyone needs to contribute to make SFSU a safe and comfortable place for all its students. Showing hatred and anger for one another won't help anyone. Everyone can be a leader in creating a safe community by showing respect for those around them and, if they have issues with a certain person or group, leaving them alone. The Day of Silence at LHS has proven to be a day where some people show hatred and others feel unsafe, but in general i think that our school has a safe and comfortable environment with a diverse and understanding student body.
Corrigan means that we are all vulnerable to discrimination and false accusations if such ridiculous, baseless claims are condoned. The university's obligation is to justice and equality for each student. Fairness for all people means that ethnic backgrounds must be forgotten and prejudices released and dismissed. If any are remiss and support the claims of anti-semitism than similar claims can be made, destroying the community and the well-being of students. The university's reputation can be easily tarnished as well, future students would no doubt be influenced by racial hatred when considering applying. Society, if it allows such charges to be spread without consequence, is susceptable to any charges of that sort and a functioning system would be encumbered. An example of a parallel occurence in Lexington is the conflicts on the day of silence. The hating of one group based on prejudice and blind hate, completely indifferent to individuals, hurts the community.
When Corrigan says, "None are protected unless all are protected", he means that if one group of people(separated by race, religion, ethnicity, etc.) are not protected by laws/rules than none of the other groups are protected. It is unjust to create rules for some groups of people but not others. If you create rules for one group of people, then you are saying that all groups of people should follow the same rules. The university's 'universe of obligation' is that they should not allow anti-semetic and prejudice remarks to be said/posted at the school. When he finds out about this poster, Corrigan immediately comments about why it is wrong to post these types of messages and says that he will not allow this to happen. On the university, the hate speech creates violence and turmoil. By talking about it and saying why these remarks aren't allowed, Corrigan suggests that the hate speech touched many people in negative ways. By having the president of the university come out, it invites other people to talk about prejudice and anti-semetism in the today's world. He suggests that the hate speech impacts society by allowing people to talk and support each other. This is important because if people didn't talk about the hatred in the world, then there would be even more hatred. The leader's role is to encourage people to talk about what is going on(both bad and good) and to set a precedence for how to act around different situations. The only similar situation I can think of in Lexington is the graffiti on the sides of buildings and in the bathrooms. The swasticas and other drawings were hurtful, but the school community came together and offered support to those who felt unsafe.
When Corrigan tells students, faculty and staff, “None are protected unless all are protected,” he means that unless every group (whether of different race, religion, gender, etc) is protected by the same precedents, then not one other group is completely protected. “All for one,” comes to mind. He is defining the university’s “universe of obligation” by expressing that every single person/group must have fair protection, and while it’s okay to not agree with someone (free speech) it is not okay to propose openly hateful/vicious remarks, etc about another group. He is suggesting that hate speech affects everyone on campus, no matter whether a person is involved with spreading the hate speech or receiving the hate speech. The role of a leader in creating a community where everyone feels safe is to be un-biased in his or her discipline. No matter which side the leader actually agrees with, he or she must discipline them both in the same ways and protect them in the same ways. We have had similar situations in Lexington, such as the anti-Semitic graffiti spray painted on the school buildings last year. Dr. Ash took the same position as Corrigan in that hate speech is not free speech. There is also a lot of hate surrounding the Day of Silence, but as long as the demonstrations on either side are peaceful, non-violent, and non-malicious towards other students, they are all tolerated.
Corrigan means that no one can feel safe in an enviroment unless everybody has that same feeling. If one group is being tortured, why not another, and another, and eventually another. No groups are protected unless there are no groups that are promoting hate. That is the university's obligation because a university or institute of learning should be a safe haven, especially at a univeristy level, since many students live there. No matter how small the act of hatrid is, it can spiral into something much bigger and much more hurtful than intended. A leader should be tolerant of every type of religion and race, because as a leader he or she is setting an example for the people. Lexinton has had some cases of antisemitism as well as racism, but the administration has talked to us about it and explained the situation.
Corrigan means that if one group of people isn't equally protected like every other group of people than no one is actually protected. When the hate flier went out about anti semmitism, the school saw it as a threat to the safety of one of the groups within their student body. They had to put a stop to it right away so that they could uphold the standard that if one group isn't safe then no group is safe. If the school did nothing to stop the flier than it would go against what corrigan said and make it seem okay to send out remarks against certain groups of people. If the school didn't take action to protect people that would have been offended by the flier then there could have been another remark in retaliation which could escalate the situation and make it unsafe for all groups.
Although, lexington is very welcoming of various ethnicities and relgions i'm sure there are a few people here and there that look down upon other cultures or view their own as better. And usually racism isn't outwardly shown out into the open because nowadays it is "Frowned" upon. Even if Lexington is accepting I think that behind closed doors there are still some racist people out there but it's comforting that it is not looked upon as socially acceptable. The anti-semitism today dates back to the medieval times and something that widespread back then can't immediately stop which is why things like the uproar at sanfrancisco state happen.
Corrigan is stating that the actions of one person have a way of affecting everyone, no matter how small the connection. By protecting each person in a community, the security of everyone is being protected. If a single individual is allowed to be harmed, then people will think that it is okay to harm other people if it benefits them. Soon entire groups would be persecuted one at a time until there are not groups and only chaos. It is the University’s responsibility to protect each person so that there will not be an entire breakdown of society. It is the responsibility of a leader to know the beliefs and values of every group in a community. This way, it will be easier for the leader to identify when the line has been crossed between free speech and hateful speech. Lexington is a very tolerant and welcoming community compared to many other areas in the country. I feel that even though we have a few incidents (graffiti last year) the administration and community respond correctly by discouraging such behavior in the future.
Corrigan means that if one student in a group is not protectected none of the students at the college is protected when Corrigan says "None are protected unless all are protected." Corrigan is defining the universites "universe of obligation" by saying that all the students no matter what gender, race, or beliefs will have the same rights. He suggesting that the hate speech was offensive to the university as a whole by offending a group of students. The role of a leader in creating a community where everyone feels safe is to keep everyone unprejediced towards each other and to treat everyone with the same respect and same way as everyone else. We have had similar situation especially when the Day of Silence comes around a lot of the supporters don't feel safe because some of their classmates are not supporting them and their are protesters that are protesting in the center and outside of school properties.
Corrigan is saying that he feels responsible to make sure that everyone feels safe at the University. If there is one person who feels unprotected in any way, nobody at the school is protected. Lexington is an extremely welcoming community and is extremely diverse in many ways. There have been incidents in the past with grafiti, however the administration handled it and the grafiti was immediatly removed from the school building. Overall Lexington as a whole is a very welcoming community.
The anti-semitic flier signifies how little things have changed regarding these matters since Medieval times. Corrigan does well when saying that "none are protected unless all are protected." The college is considered a safe and neutral place, unbiased in every way. Allowing some groups to be protected while leaving others unprotected is unacceptable. Unless everyone can be protected, nobody can protected. Corrigan states that "hate speech is not free speech", by this I believe he means to say that the right of free speech is not in place so that some can attack specific groups and openly hate them on a public spectacle, especially when it is based on faulty rumors and slander.
When Corrigan states "None are protected unless all are protected," he is talking about how if one group of students do not feel safe and protected, the student body as a whole is not protected either. He defines the university's "universe of obligation" by making it so that every group of students regardless of race, gender, religion etc. have equal rights and are not targeted in a harmful way. Corrigan talks about how free speech is different than hate speech, and how hate speech is intolerable in the University as well as in society. Even though Lexington is very racially and religiously diversed, I am sure that there have been situations of hate speech. However, I don't think that there have been many situations that were outwardly negative towards a specific group of people.
Corrigan is saying that in order for one group to be protected, everyone must be. You can't pick and choose who to protect on campus and who not too. It has to be known that if one group is targeted, there will be consequences, no matter what that group is. It is the universitys "universe of obligation" to be welcoming to whoever chooses to attend, and everyone is entitled to their own opinions. If even just once, hate speech is allowed somewhere, it will spread like wildfire. Lexington has had a situation somehwhat similar to the universities in that specific groups of people were targeted in a negative way, and the administration and student body quickly made it clear that doing such a thing is not acceptable at all, just like the people at the university.
Corrigan tells the students, staff, and faculty that "none are protected unless all are protected." By this, he means that every single person, regardless of race, religion, or views, must be treated equally and tolerated by others. If a group of people began to make racial comments towards another group, more and more outbursts of hate would most likely occur. No one would be protected in this situation. Through his speech, Corrigan is definining the university's "universe of obligation" as every person on the campus, not just a few selective people. In a community, a leader must make sure that everyone has equal treatment and does not feel any fear in the way they are treated. Fear in a community is dangerous as it can spark fear in others, leading to chaos and no safety. In Lexington, a kind of similar situation occurred with graffiti that attacked others. It was taken down immediately, just as Corrigan got rid of the flyers immediately. This is the best way to prevent more fear in a community and to keep everyone protected.
By saying "none are protected unless all are protected", Corrigan means that if one group organization isn't protected from discrimination, then essentially all groups are vulnerable to discrimination. However, he doesn't only mean the group organizations. His idea also applies to races, religions, ethnicities, and students on campus. Corrigan wants to protect the University as he thinks the world and society should be protected. This is the way all communities should be lead. It should be treated as the world should be treated, because individual pieces are just as important as the whole picture. I think Lexington is good at accepting other beliefs, to a certain extent. If we are discriminatory, it is in a somewhat discrete way such as vandalism and gossip but not forms as blunt as fliers. On the other hand, students are very accepting of Day of Silence.
At San Francisco State a healthy environment is trying to stay obtained. With posters not supporting equality it makes an uncomfortable situation for all. If Corrigan had not stepped up to say that the poster was wrong it would show toleration of the hate act. Making a negative reference toward another religion, ethnic group or race will not be tolerated by the school. Last year our own school was spray painted with attacks on certain people. It was handled quickly by sending out letters to parents and making announcements over the loud speaker. By handling the situation quickly it was taken seriously and showed that any attack will not be tolerated.
When Corrigan said, "None are protected unless all are protected" he was emphasizing that unless every instance of open hate and intolerance is confronted the perpetrators of the crimes will continue to seek out victims and potential scapegoats. Once we allow one group to be persecuted, we leave everyone open for attack. It is similar to the Holocaust. The population stepped aside and allowed the Nazis to direct their hatred toward the Jews. However, the Nazis were not content with only one group of victims and soon began imprisoning polish people, gays, gypsies, and political opponents.
He defines the university's "universe of obligation" as the entire school population. No one person shall be exempt from proper punishment or targeted for their identity. It is everyone in the university's responsibility to maintain that. Students or staff members can not assume that someone else will stand up to anti-semitism, as the majority of the population in Germany did during the Holocaust. People must take the initiative and never assume being part of the bystanders relieves you of individual responsibility.
The impact of the hate speech on the University and society would have been much greater if the poster had gone unnoticed. Since many students reported the poster and then the staff immediately reacted and took it down (fulfilling their universe of obligation) the impact was minimum. But if it was overlooked, it would have presented an opportunity to the bigots to take it a step further, just as Hitler did when he noticed the League of Nations was reluctant to spring into action.
Part of the role of a leader is to create a safe community, and to do that, he/she must do just as Corrigan did. Whenever a situation arises that causes people to question their "universe of obligation", to remind them of their duty as fellow human beings. In Lexington, we have had similar situations in which racist or anti-semitic comments have been written in the bathrooms and on the buildings. Most people acted accordingly and reported the incident and treated it as seriously as it deserved.
Corrigan means that if one group is vulnerable to hateful speech and slander, then everyone is vulnerable to it. Even moreso, however, he means that hate speech against one group affects all groups, it creates a less functional and less safe society for everyone who lives in it. When people are allowed to use such hateful and untrue language it forces everybody to choose a "side" in society: they can either stand up to the libelous attackers, and become the hated group, or do nothing, and become part of the problem. A leader's job is to keep one group from making such statements, so no one is forced to take sides, and no one is viciously attacked. Overall, in any society, citizen's freedom of speech is unarguably the second most important thing to protect. However, citizens' safety is the most important thing, and when speech threatens someone's safety, it is on the leader of the community to stop the hateful speech.
A few years ago a small church came to lexington and protested the day of silence at our school. They then preceded to protest at many of the churches around town that supported gay rights. Unknowingly, my family and I, went to church we they were protesting there. As I walked up the steps to my church they bombarded me with hurtful signs and said my parents didn't love me for allowing to go to this church. This deeply angered, and frustrated me, since how could they claim that my parents didn't love me? I think this situation would connect to Corrigan's statement that "None are protected unless all are protected." I had thought that only people who were gay in our town were being attacked, but in the end they also attacked me. If one person isn't protected, then it sets the example that anyone else can be attacked. This is what happened in the holocaust, first the jews weren't protected, but then everyone else became vulnerable to attack. Hate speech and hate crimes should effect a whole community, not just the group that is attacked. If everyone binds together hate crimes can't be tolerated and won't be. But once someone in this human shield allows something bad to pass by, then the shield crumbles.
Corrigan means that if there is one person or a group who does not feel protected, then there is the chance that no person or group is. The University has the responsibility of making everyone feel accepted and welcome. It is extremely hard for a place to exist with absolutely no prejudice or racism. Even though some of that still goes on at Lexington High School, I feel that our community is welcoming and accepting of diversity.
When Corrigan says "None are protected unless all are protected" he means that if one group shows hate against one religion/group then no one is protected, even though only one group is attacked. Just one group causing hatred towards just one group causes danger for everyone. He's defining the university’s obligation as a duty to protect every group, and cause tolerance of everyone and eliminate the hatred towards other groups. A leader creates an environment where everyone is excepting of one another. He suggests that the impact of the hate speech as a whole fails the university's duty and affects everyone in the society and the university. To stand up for is right, and to educate people on stereotypes and lies causing hatred towards other groups is the role of a leader in creating a community where everyone feels safe. To reveal where hatred has come from and why, and show how ignorance has played a crucial role in our history, and reveal the truth is what a true leader does .I find that Lexington is an excepting community though hatred still is shown towards other groups, such as people protesting the day of silence, and hateful graffiti such as swastikas on the school. Though there is still hate many people in Lexington stand up for what is right and try to eliminate the hatred as best as they can.
Amm...every one have rights to speak out what they are thinking, their standpoint. But no one have rights to taking away other's life, freedom. And no one are supposed to make people to accept their standpoint or thinking. I think that Lexington is reallly accept different standpoint but not the way that make people feel scared...etc.
When Corrigan says that "none are protected unless all are protected" he is saying that if some people are susceptible to prejudice then all the people are in a bad environment. he is saying that if one person is not protected then who is to say that the rest are any more protected. At Lexington High School there have been instances in the past of anti-semitic and other hateful attacks. last year there was a swastika painted on the side of the building and every year there is a lot of hate on the day of silence. The school does fairly will in dealing with the problem in a fast and manner so as to not offend many people and keep the school as safe of an environment as possible.
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