An anteater can flick its tongue up to 160 times per minute. It rapidly flaps its long, syrupy saliva stick in hopes of drawing in termites and ants ““ sometimes to the tune of 30,000 little critters a day. It should be noted, however, that the anteater has no teeth.
There is a fierce debate going on about the actions of UCI students, namely those Anteaters who spent the evening of Feb. 8 heckling Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren (invited to speak about the Israel-US relationship).
The tongue-flapping students who repeatedly interrupted Oren’s speech failed to realize that disruption is not constructive. YouTube footage of the incident makes sympathizing with the 10 students who got up and yelled (admittedly yelling solid talking points) difficult. If anything, it makes Oren seem like a calm, patient figure facing an onslaught of uncivilized taunts.
Oren even appealed to the predominantly Middle-Eastern protestors by trying to complement their culture: “I’ve spent most of my life living in and studying the Middle East, and one of the great and eternal cultural facets of the Middle East is hospitality … even if you do not agree with them, even if they’re ostensibly your enemy.”
The ambassador further added, “I’m your guest here, and I’m asking for the Middle Eastern hospitality for your guest, I’ve come into your house.”
Oren admittedly has a troubled history, serving as the spokesman for the Israeli Defense Force’s brutal 2006 campaign against Lebanon, in which Israeli forces bombed civilian airports in Beirut. But consider the hyper-annoying young lady holding her BlackBerry in one hand and cradling the straps of her huge purse in the nook of her other elbow while being walked out. She yelled, “I don’t even go here ““ God, like, tell me what these people are,” on her way out. She goes on to say, “I am an American citizen, but I believe in the right to not be treated like crap.” Situations like these ““ where students attempt political action but end up coming across as bratty rabble-rousers ““ are hard to judge because there is a very real void when it comes to political consciousness among students of this generation. But at the same time, relying on extremely divisive issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to jump into the political arena by disturbing a public event is lazy and ultimately just adds to stereotypes.
To be clear, this is an ill that affects both sides ““ often we see the provocation of Muslim or Middle-Eastern students and speakers by those who ardently support Israel.
Of course, that it happens on both sides does not make it right. The actions of these students were thus deplorable, not on account of their intentions, but rather for their immaturity. They failed to understand that subtlety and moderation can often win over far more than angry mobs can. Had one or perhaps even two students stood up and heckled Oren, a point would have been made with far less of the anti-Muslim backlash that is now sweeping the comments sections of articles covering this event.
Laura Moeini, a second-year global studies student, cites this very problem in her examination of the events: “If they really wanted to make a statement, they should have done so in a decent manner. Acting that way just shows they want to start conflict, and it’s only going to fuel and bolster the argument of the opposition.”
Moeini gets to the root of the problem ““ disrespectful hollering is a toothless, gutless way of going about civil protest. Think of the great masters of civil disobedience ““ the Thoreaus, the Kings. They spent hours writing and rewriting manifestos and creeds, penning speeches that struck the hearts of those they wished to convince. They did not assault the ears of their audiences with jeers and ceaseless disruptions.
Far too often, campuses, including UCLA, play host to effected demonstrations of political intrigue that are really just pathetic flare-ups of our collective guilt as a politically disengaged student body. It is not so much that there aren’t students who are engaged in politics or with social mores but that there is a sentiment of a lost vigor through the generations. Studying Berkeley and UCLA protests in decades past makes one feel as though the campuses have calmed a bit.
The “Islamofascism” awareness weeks and the anti-Israel propagandist events can be seen as reactionary compulsions set to counter this feeling of listlessness ““ and that’s why they are hardly ever described as providing great dialogue or progress.
Michael Oren, on the other hand, holds a doctorate from Princeton in Near Eastern Studies. He has written books, contributed extensively to The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, and won the L.A. Times award for “Best History Book of the Year.” He knows how to engage in a scholarly discussion.
Whether or not his politics or the nation he speaks for are legitimate, Oren demonstrated that a persona of dialogue and calm will always win out in the face of rash hollering and hooting.
E-mail Makarechi at kmakarechi@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.