The University of Southern California canceled the main May commencement after it canceled the speech by the valedictorian who expressed eliminating Israel.
USC explained it had to take the steps due to new safety measures:
With the new safety measures in place this year, the time needed to process the large number of guests coming to campus will increase substantially. As a result, we will not be able to host the main stage ceremony that traditionally brings 65,000 students, families, and friends to our campus all at the same time and during a short window from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.We understand that this is disappointing; however, we are adding many new activities and celebrations to make this commencement academically meaningful, memorable, and uniquely USC, including places to gather with family, friends, faculty, and staff, the celebratory releasing of the doves, and performances by the Trojan Marching Band.
It all started when people exposed valedictorian Asna Tabassum’s anti-Israel social media posts.
These weren’t critical of Israel. The posts called for the elimination of the Jewish state:
A Muslim University of Southern California (USC) valedictorian who was barred from giving a graduation speech said on Tuesday she is “not apologetic” for the anti-Israel views she expressed online, including calls to abolish the Jewish state.USC student Asna Tabassum told CNN she’s not sorry about promoting “unequivocal and unconditional right to life for all people, including Palestinians,” which she claimed was the point of her anti-Israel social media posts that resulted in the school canceling her speech.
“The abolishment of the state of Israel, I‘d like to clarify, is the abolishment of an apartheid system,” Tabassum said. “It inherently is a system that subjugates Palestinians as dehumanized. And it subjugates Palestinian life as not worth the same as other human life.”
USC said it didn’t cancel Tabassum’s speech because of her views but for her and everyone’s safety:
“After careful consideration, we have decided that our student valedictorian will not deliver a speech at commencement. While this is disappointing, tradition must give way to safety,” Andrew Guzman, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, wrote in the statement.Guzman stated that the decision was necessary in order to maintain the school and its students’ safety.”To be clear: this decision has nothing to do with freedom of speech. There is no free-speech entitlement to speak at a commencement. The issue here is how best to maintain campus security and safety, period,” Guzman wrote.
Well, the rabid mobs went after USC with encampments and protests.
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