Harbaugh & American Sniper
There is some controversy on campus about the University showing American Sniper. It was cancelled after some protest, but it has since been rescheduled. I know that politics aren't supposed to be talked about on the board, but it involves our beloved coach.
Harbaugh weighed in on the matter via twitter:
"Michigan Football will watch "American Sniper"! Proud of Chris Kyle & Proud to be an American & if that offends anybody then so be it!"
Apologies for not being sure how to embed twitter posts.
http://www.si.com/college-football/2015/04/08/michigan-football-jim-harbaugh-american-sniper-screening
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/04/08/after-university-canceled-american-sniper-showing-football-coach-harbaugh-made-this-announcement/
Harbaugh has stirred a bit of controversy on campus with this tweet- a minority of students have complained about this.
My personal opinion on this is that I like Harbaugh more because of it. He is not afraid to step on people's toes, and voice his opinion. He is unapologetic. That's exactly how a coach should be.
As far as the film goes, I would prefer the University show it. Although I am not a big fan of Chris Kyle, I can understand why people would be. There are a lot of inspirational things about him, but also some negatives. I think the film addresses the negatives of war adequately, and makes a nuanced argument- Kyle is a controversial figure.
[ED-Seth: Aaaaand we're locked. Handed out one ban. Leaving because it's news that Harbaugh waded into it. This is why we don't talk about politics. But see Comment 14 for a good example of why I wish we could sometimes.]
No one should always be unapologetic. That's caveman thinking.
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Obviously there's a time and place for apologies- some people apologize too much, others apologize too little. Good coaches tend to apologize less- especially for innocuous shit like this.
Who is the caveman now?
What about intellectual dishonesty?
they showed Debbie Does Dallas every year in Angel Hall. I'm not sure they do that anymore. I'm a little surprised that the University would cater to a group like this.
gustave, they didn't even have talkies back in your day. that said, dialogue likely wasn't an important feature in that film.
This has to be the dumbest story of all time. People are acting like the University of Michigan is piling up copies of this movie and burning them in the Diag. UMix is an event for any and all students to get together and have a good time, and choosing a movie that takes a very one sided look on an ongoing war where real human beings are dying is ridiculous. People reacting to a change in the movie shown like US flags are being burned is even more ridiculous. Glossing over the effect this conflict has had on some student's lives is just stupid.
"The opinion of a minority shouldn't guide the direction of the group" is exactly the opinion someone who has no idea what UMix is would have on this story.
Do you even know what "this forum" is? You fundamentally misunderstand what went wrong here.
I saw American Sniper, good movie. I also saw Roots, a great mini series. That also would be an unacceptable choice for "this forum." Django Unchained? Another poor choice. Trail of Tears? You guessed it, another poor choice.
You act like you've presented me with some philosophical trump card. I bet you're a national hero inside of your head arguing against whatever shit narrative it is you've drummed up to frame this sanctimonious post within.
I absolutely hate that mindset, and think it's a major problem in our society today.
Think of the children!
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It is his story. Does not glorify killing nor anything close to it. The movie was well done. Those of you who grew up watching Cowboy Shows and John Wayne Westerns -- Come on! The University should have never allowed itself to be bullied by a few!
I personally dislike Eastwood. I strongly disagree with his politics. And I think Chris Kyle is a at best a fabricator who made up some stories (not all mind you) about himself in an effort to sell books. So I'm not a fan of the movie at all.
But IT'S A MOVIE. You don't like it? DON'T GO SEE IT. No one is forcing anyone to go see it. I have no problem with students wanting to educate others about what they perceive as inaccuracies in the movie--that is fine. But shutting down a showing of it? Ridiculous.
If you really care that much, then don't go--and tell your friends why you aren't going and why you think they shouldn't go either. In the end, having the movie censored is a dick move IMO and a rather un-American thing to do.
As NOLA Wolverine said above, it was probably a bad choice period for the type of event hosted. It wasn't like this was a screening designed for serious discussion and thinking about the movie, it'd be akin to showing it at Top of the Park during the summer festival. It's not so much censoring a viewpoint as realizing it's not really an appropriate choice.
I mean I think I'd be pretty disappointed with Apocalypse Now or something like that as well, just a strange choice. I liked Sniper FWIW.
But the people that tried to stop the showing didn't try to stop it on the grounds that it wasn't the right kind of movie for the event. They tried to shut it down essentially for political reasons. And I don't think that's the right reason to shut down a movie.
If they had said that they wanted a different movie because this was supposed to be a casual, fun affair and American Sniper was simply too violent, then maybe they could have fought that battle, strictly on violence alone. But they didn't make it just about violence, they made it very political.
I think people are just addicted to the rush of being offended nowadays.
Harbaugh runs that town. Still surprised he only came in 4th for Student Body President.
OP that was a smart way to write a topic that could of resulted into a poop throwing competition. Well done.
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Movie I don't care about. People argue. It doesn't matter.
Harbaugh.
Coach.
Good.
Football.
CSG should track down every student who signed either petition, lock them in the League basement, force them to watch the movie together, then discuss it in an open forum for 2 hours. That would give us about 4 and a half blessed hours in Ann Arbor minus 400 college students of the type who GAF what movie they play on campus movie night.
Also if anyone would like to sign a petition or a counter-petition regarding the head coach of the football team and whether he should GAF about what movie they play on campus movie night, you may also participate in the screening and after-chat.
CSG could sponsor this event, which I am calling "A Night of Softball Without Annoying Students Who GAF What Movie They Play on Campus Movie Night." We will watch softball and speak of pleasant things together, like how nice it is that we finally have an insane person coaching our football team.
no sodas over 16 oz allowed
Next home game is a week from friday v Indiana. Grass seats are $3, bleachers $8, seatbacks $10.
I recommend bleachers for 2 reasons:
- if it has rained at all that week the "grass" isn't really grass so much as the gucky stuff the grass grows in
- the football and basketball players often come to games and sit in CF together.
Though regarding #2, if you're like me you might want to brush up on the faces of the players before you go, else find yourself in the embarassing situation of meeting a guy you could pump out 900 words about but don't recognize.
I'm also against censorship.
So I applaud Harbaugh's tweet and UofM's reversal of its earlier decision not to show the film.
Universities have become extremely hostile to certain ideas, free expression and open debate. They have become the exact opposite of what they are supposed to be.. centers of higher learning which welcome different opinions and healthy debate. So this is a refreshing change of heart.
And this shouldn't be a partisan or political issue in a free and tolerant society.
Chris Kyle was a fabricator and a liar. There's quite a bit of evidence to back that up. I'm not a liberal or a conservative but it just seems like people line up behind whatever viewpoint the media tells you without fact checking. Then there are the people who don't care if a U.S. soldier kills innocent civilians because they aren't white or Americans. With that being said however, nothing should be censored and it should have been shown as an educational experience.
that make Iraq and Nam look like child's play.
Please look up Dresden and Hamburg. Mass destruction on a level that no war since has matched. Then there are the post-war relocations that killed over 1,000,000 Germans. Were Americans concerned then? Nope.
Being white has nothing to do with a lack of concern.However, hatred of an perceived enemy does.
and certainly was not perfect. However what is true is he was a decorated combat veteran who risked his life for his country. Censoring this movie isn't the right thing to do here even if you don't like parts or all of it. You have a choice, don't go to watch it.
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Dude, just google it if you actually want to see the thousands of sources out there. This is mgoblog, not a paper in Nature.
my comment just pulled a harry houdini
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I'm an immigrant from Baghdad and have lived 90% of my life in America, thankfully. All the people on here that are insulting Kyle sure do appreciate the freedom to talk shit on a blog and bag on a guy who risked his life for his fellow soldier.
He killed people who were trying to hurt American Soldiers and Iraqi Citizens, innocent ones, he sure in the hell was no coward.
I've been on the amphibious base on Coronado Island, which is a very tough base to get on, I've been on many of the bases, Pendleton, Miramar, North Island, etc. and the amphibious base where the Seals train was the most intimidating one I've experienced. Those guys are some serious mothers, let me tell you, it takes a special breed and an extremely high level soldier to be a Seal.
Have more respect while talking shit about a hero, I'm not Republican nor Democrat but damn if some liberals think the 1st ammendment only applies for them.
I want the U of M to be a fair place, not a biased place where a few ruin it for the majority.
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neither is oil, apparently
Wading into a debate about a highly controversial film as a football coach will only cause him headaches.
The debate itself says more about Americans and their ignorance of war then anything else. Kyle is a liar and he is a killer. I don't know if he is someone we ought to be admiring. However, war makes beasts of men a fact those protesting the movie don't quite understand. His animosity of Iraqis and Muslims is a natural outgrowth of the conflict being the US and Islamic terrorism. That doesn't justify the hate, but it explains it.
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Stuff happens on campus all the time that individual students do not personally agree with. You shouldn't be able to just shut stuff down because you don't like it personally.
I thought American Sniper was a pretty terrible movie anyway.
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It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfil the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offence, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the majesty of heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.
- Patrick Henry
Harbaugh cuts through the noise to insert sensibility. Leadership is all about having a moral compass and following it without fail. Harbaugh calls it like he sees it. On Sarah Thomas being hired by the NFL too. Harbaugh for President!
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