Echoes of tactlessness
Most days, students at UVic expect to see words scrawled in chalk all over campus advertising parties, events, politics and other campus-related issues. On Tuesday, Oct. 12, when UVic students and professors were making their way across campus after the long weekend, they may not have paid much attention to the new event being advertised via chalk: “Echoes of the Holocaust” presented by Youth Protecting Youth (YPY).
Upon first reading this, most people would probably expect a historical lecture on the Holocaust and the Second World War or perhaps a memorial to respectfully remember those lost almost 60 years ago. However, for those of us who know about YPY, this seemingly straightforward title — “Echoes of the Holocaust” — takes on a whole new meaning.
YPY is UVic’s anti-choice club. YPY’s past has been rocky; up until this past summer the club had been denied club status and/or funding due to infringements of the UVic Students’ Society’s (UVSS) clubs harassment policy. However, after launching into a legal battle with the UVSS (settled out of court), YPY has their status and funding back.
With their newly reinstated club funding (which every UVic undergraduate student contributes to), YPY has decided to host Jose Ruba, a speaker from the Canadian Centre for Bioethical Reform (CCBR), to give a presentation on campus that directly compares abortion to the Holocaust (and other historical genocides, including the Rwandan genocide, the Wounded Knee massacre and brutality carried out by the KKK during the American Civil Rights movement).
CCBR is a conservative anti-abortion lobbying organization that seeks to “make abortion unthinkable” by using graphic images of so-called “aborted” fetuses juxtaposed with graphic images of those murdered in historical genocides. Not only is the comparison between abortion and genocide insulting to women who have had an abortion (or may be considering having one in the present or future), but it is also utterly disrespectful to survivors and family members of victims of actual genocide, such as the Holocaust.
By enacting a dialogue of genocide — defined as “the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group” — to push a conservative, right-wing, anti-choice agenda, both CCBR and YPY show a lack of understanding of what actually constitutes genocide, as well as a blatant lack of respect for female students, Jewish students and students from other marginalized groups that have experienced real discrimination, prejudice and violence.
Students for Reproductive Justice, The Women’s Centre and the Jewish Students’ Association have decided to speak out against “Echoes of the Holocaust” and expose this presentation for what it truly is: indefensibly misleading, deeply offensive and utterly tactless.
Written in collaboration with the Women’s Centre and the Jewish
Students’ Association
15 Comments
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Laura Oct. 21, 2010, 3:15 p.m.
I have seen the phrase "as a woman" bantered about quite a bit in this debate. Brandy and Shantelle, you claim to speak for women in the generalized statements you make in your piece: "insulting to women who ... may be considering having one in the present or future" and "blatant lack of respect for female students."
I am personally pro-choice, but am happy to have YPY offend my sensibilities because it is their right to do so. Please don't claim to speak for all women because you definitely don't speak for me.
CP Oct. 21, 2010, 7:35 p.m.
Laura,
I am glad that, as a woman, you don't feel unsafe or insulted by YPY's campaigns and tactics, but try to put your privilege aside and realize that a lot of other women do.
As a woman, Shantelle and Brandy, as well as Students for Reproductive Justice, The Women's Center and The Jewish Students' Association, certainly do speak for me.
Let's get the whole story first Oct. 21, 2010, 7:50 p.m.
These students claim the presentation is “indefensibly misleading, deeply offensive and utterly tactless,” but I wander if any of these students have been to an “Echoes of the Holocaust” presentation before? If so, maybe their accusations hold weight. However, seeing as the presentation has never been to campus, I question the accuracy of these accusations.
Being university students we are told time and time again to support our work with reliable research and references. An organization such as CCBR who gives such lectures on university campuses is surely to have done their research, know the implications of their comparisons, and have a solid basis to back up their presentation. Have these offended students heard CCBR’s explanations?
These students are accusing YPY of delegitimizing past genocide by bringing this presentation to campus. However, it seems that a solid understanding of injustice is the very reason why this presentation is necessary. In all CCBR does, they clearly state that ALL these genocides have resulted in horrible injustices against the victims. In fact, their presentation provides information on genocides in order to educate people and prevent such atrocities from occurring in the future. Isn’t this what we all want? If some people define abortion as one such atrocity, why can’t they be allowed to support this belief by hosting a presentation? Might some people disagree with the presentation? Of course, but give them a chance to defend their beliefs, and listen to their defense before coming to conclusions.
I would recommend visiting YPY’s blog for a response to these accusations. Let’s hear both sides of the story before conclusions are made.
http://youthprotectingyouth.com/
anon Oct. 21, 2010, 9:12 p.m.
So wait, just because Laura isn't offended by YPY, or she accepts the offence because it's their right to do so, mean she's in a position of privilege? Get off your f***ing high horse, CP.
Brandy Oct. 21, 2010, 9:12 p.m.
To the author of the comment titled 'Let's get the whole story first':
The 'Echoes of the Holocaust' presentation is available on youtube in 9 parts. It's Stephanie Gray and not Jose Ruba giving the presentation, but it's the 'Echoes of the Holocaust' presentation none the less.
So yes, I have watched the presentation and know what it entails and thus can claim that the presentation is "indefensibly misleading, deeply offensive, and utterly tactless."
Laura Oct. 21, 2010, 10:07 p.m.
CP, I am happy to disagree with you as to whether Shantelle, Brandy et al speak for women in general. I realize that some women feel like they represent their views; I disagree with their claim to speak on behalf of all women.
However, it's not fair to discount my view by perceived notions about my identity and/or m place in society. Do you know me? If not, don't make assumptions about my "privilege" - you don't know my personal history, age, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, degree of able-bodiedness, sexual orientation etc.
Rayleen Oct. 22, 2010, 4:36 a.m.
I do not think that in using the phrase "as a woman", a woman is claiming to speak for all women. I think maybe she's just identifying herself as a woman. It's kind of like how I identify myself as "Rayleen", and yet I don't assume I'm speaking for all Rayleens.
That being said, as the owner of my very own womb, I am concerned that a group like YPY exists on this campus. I am a supporter of free speech, but the speech that hatefully targets women who choose to do what is they feel is right within their situation infringes upon their right to feel safe on campus, and this is not something I will support, or even tolerate, on my campus.
Brandy and Shantelle can speak for me any day, they are obviously on the right track.
Let's get the whole story first Oct. 22, 2010, 8:29 p.m.
I have also watched the videos online and looked at the CCBR website, but I do not see anything as being ant-Semitic, racist, or hateful to women. So where does this leave us? Some of us are deeply offended by the presentation, and others see CCBR as having valid points to make.
YPY realizes this, and has compassion for all women, regardless of their experience with abortion. YPY recognizes many of the reasons behind these decisions, and that it’s not easy. Society needs to work to better support women who are experiencing crisis pregnancies, and to provide them with the resources they need to keep their child.
The presentation is not meant to single out women who have had or who are considering having an abortion. It is mean to educate everyone on the abortion issue in order to protect the unborn and also to prevent women from experiencing the pain that so many experience after abortion (see http://www.silentnomoreawareness.org/).
Do all women feel this pain after an abortion? No. But for those who do, and for those who will, they have a right to be shown the reality of abortion, to see an alternative perspective on the issue, and to be helped.
J Oct. 23, 2010, 7:56 p.m.
I take no issue with YPY exercising their right to freedom of speech. But, then, I want to know when the protest starts because I plan to exercise mine, as well.
Ryan Oct. 24, 2010, 11:39 a.m.
"I am a supporter of free speech, but the speech that hatefully targets women who choose to do what is they feel is right within their situation infringes upon their right to feel safe on campus, and this is not something I will support, or even tolerate, on my campus."
You say you are a supporter of free speech, but it is clear you are not.
I have never seen anything hateful in what YPY has done. Having a difference of opinion is not hate.
Derek Oct. 26, 2010, 11:54 p.m.
Just a reminder to SRJ that chalk does not come with spellcheck. No one is offended to be called anti-semetic, though anti-semitic is quite an accusation. I think my dog was anti-semetic.
Your immature misrepresentation of YPY's position to confuse people shows your inability to honestly dialogue with this club, indicating the weakness of your debating position. You encourage people to cause "ruckus" and "acts of resistance", instead of bringing academically competent questions because your own position lacks credibility.
If YPY has no credibility, let them bring their speakers in and let everyone decide for themselves if they are a bunch of idiots or not by their own words. Then we all know by their own efforts. Then you should have no worries. Your immature response only gives them publicity.
If I don't believe in UFOs, and the pro-UFO club brings in speakers, I would love to go and watch the entertainment of their conspiracy theories. But would I go out of my way to prove that UFOs don't exist with posters and booing? No, because I don't believe it.
Just the same, if SJR don't think that YPY's arguments have merit, then why all the fuss and ridiculous misinformation campaign? In the end, your actions show that you don't want debate because you are hiding something.
Has university become the new high school?
Kristen Oct. 28, 2010, 1:17 a.m.
I see your point Derek, and that is actually the reason I attend those presentations (YPY had Stephanie Gray come last year too).
On the other hand, the difference between UFO believers vs non believers and prolife vs prochoice is that if a charismatic and convincing speaker, however unfounded his arguments, comes in and argues for the 'reality' of UFOs and sways a number of people, nothing happens. If a charismatic and convincing speaker, however unfounded his arguments, comes in and argues for the 'reality' that abortion is murder (which was said outright several times in the presentation) and sways a number of people, and does this in enough places, we could actually of a law change on our hands. One that would affect women across the country. The other difference being that if you do not believe in UFOs, the other side just says you're wrong. If you do not buy the pro-life views, the other side (at least in the case of these presentations) calls you a murderer and a perpetrator of genocide. This is why it bothers me that these presentations keep happening, and I do personally find them rather offensive. (And yes, I am also a woman).
Sarah Oct. 28, 2010, 5:42 a.m.
@Kristen
Who are you to say what is fact and what is reality? Are you really that worried about the persuasiveness of Ruba's presentation? Maybe the Pro-Choice club on campus should start hosting presentations advocating it's point rather than just responding to what YPY does.
@ Derek Oct. 28, 2010, 6:27 p.m.
YPY thinks they can use the Holocaust as a tool for their political ends. During their presentation on Tuesday, they accused Israeli Jews of carrying out a "second Holocaust in Israel". Sounds anti-Semitic to me.
You and I as men, don't have anything to fear from people trying to exert control over our uteruses... we don't have them. Try to put yourself in the shoes of the many women on campus who find YPY calling them Nazis and murderers to be an act of intimidation and harassment. During the presentation, the speaker said that they consider the morning after pill to be murder, and IUDs to be murder. How many women do you know might be serial killers in the eyes of YPY and CCBR?
Generally, if someone is calling you a murderer, that means that society can "punish" you. Pro-life groups regularly go from harassing women and doctors to actually assaulting or murdering them. Do women on campus have a right to feel harassed and intimidated by YPY and CCBR? You bet. This kind of rhetoric that YPY uses is only a splinter away from violence, because it is the exact kind of rhetoric that justifies violence against women.
Not on our campus.
Nick Cohea Nov. 5, 2010, 7:44 a.m.
I have been watching the progress of YPY, and it is clearly an organization with a specific political goal: the criminalization of abortion. I, unlike many of you, don't begin from the position that women's bodies are up for debate. Autonomy consists precisely in not having your rights up for debate, and the very existence of the debate shows how regressive this campus is.
To call abortion murder is to call women who have abortions murderers, and it's a callous thing to say. It demonstrates evil, and a complete lack of perspective of what's going on in the lives of women who have had or are considering abortions. If you think along these lines, by all means move to the United States. Alabama would love to have you.