University of British Columbia Political Correctness Gone "Friggin Insane"

by Barry Artiste | August 16, 2007 at 04:35 am
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UBC Political Correctness gone Friggin "Insane"

UBC Political Correctness gone Friggin "Insane"

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uploaded by Barry Artiste

Opinion

Barry Artiste, Now Public Contributor

The Tofu Wheat Grass set at the University of British Columbia (UBC) for a better word have lost their friggin mind.  Using public funds for renovating 391 public washrooms for what seems to be a washroom dedicated to every Tom, Sheila and  "Sexually Ambiguous Pats" seems to be Political Correctness gone insane.  So if Transgendered feel uncomfortable being identified as they say, then how friggin comfortable will they feel when a Big honking Transgender symbol is on their own personal washroom door for all the see as they enter this washroom? What's next on their "Navel Staring Agenda"? With UBC's blessing, the sky is the limit!  Perhaps safety glasses and rubber aprons with Burn Trauma Kits for Starbucks customers in case they spill their soy lattes on themselves.

Unfairly, the losers in all this will be the Muslims and other Religious groups who it seems are now grouped by the media with the rest of these PC Wackos getting unwanted attention in what seems was simple request for a few simple foot baths on campus.

My Final Thought

They say University students are our leaders of tomorrow, "God Friggin Help us" if these PC idiots ever get into Public office with access to unlimited Public Money.  It seems UBC Students Environmental Stewardship takes a turn for the worse  when  "Hypocrisy Rules on Campus".  I am certain Donors may think twice before handing over millions of dollars in donations to their Alma Mater when PC idiocy seems to be the rule.

url="http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Columnists/Cockburn_Lyn/2007/08/16/4422123.html"]From Dearborn, Mich., to Vancouver, foot baths are starting to appear on university campuses.

No, it's not because September's crop of students are expected to display especially dirty feet.

Yes, it's because the baths will permit Muslim students to bathe their feet five times a day as required before they pray.

Over the past few years, more than a dozen U.S. campuses and several in Canada have quietly installed these simple little areas in a corner of some of their washrooms. Without any fuss.

But now at the University of Michigan, there is fuss as it plans to renovate existing bathrooms as well as create new ones.

And at UBC, there is a lot of publicity about campus plans to renovate 391 single-stall units to accommodate nursing moms who need a private space, Muslims who require washing facilities to perform religious rituals and transgendered individuals who may feel uncomfortable in traditional bathrooms. These neutral loos will sport signs indicating toilet rather than gender.

The university is also planning to install custom-constructed ablution (or wudu) facilities for Muslim students.

It seems the publicity around what some are calling "porta mosques" got started when a Muslim student at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College slipped and injured herself as she was bathing her feet in a sink.

Soon word got out that the college was considering installing a foot bath. A fuss ensued and quickly turned to furor over the fact that a coffee cart had been banned from playing carols last Christmas.

"Double standard," said some, insisting that the college was displaying an unseemly accommodating attitude towards Islam while discriminating against Christianity.

Nonsense. Those coffee carts had no business being out in the open annoying other students. Carts, people or trained seals playing Christmas music ought to be left alone as long as they do it in private ... say in an enclosed foot bath.

Meanwhile, back in Dearborn, Debbie Schlussel, a conservative lawyer and blogger in Southfield, Mich., posted, "Forget about the Constitutionally mandated separation of church and state ... at least when it comes to mosque and state."

Forget it altogether, Debbie, foot baths do not proselytize, they do not call down hellfire and damnation, they do not instill guilt and best of all, they do not sing.

The university foot baths are as far as I can tell, open to everyone, not just Muslims. In other words, they are ecumenical foot baths.And dare I say, Jesus would have liked that fact since He seemed to enjoy bathing feet, feeling no doubt that it is an act of humility.

And those of us who were brought up as Christians would do well to be satisfied that we own most of the holidays in Canada. We do not recognize the High Holy Days of Judaism, we do not celebrate the religious holidays of our Buddhist friends, our Sikh or Hindu populations.

Surely it ought to be considered merely a gesture of goodwill and safety to provide a little corner of our universities so that Muslim students can wash their feet before praying.

"It is a very small and minor requirement," said Hesham Alsalman, with UBC's Muslim Student Association.

Yes, it is. So small in fact, that hopefully UBC can get it done without anyone making a fuss or creating a furor.

In fact, if there's anything to get irate about here, it is the suggestion that nursing mothers ought to feed their babies in bathrooms. Really dumb. [/q]

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PEP

Barry Artiste, the clip is a valid news story. However, the headline doesn't tell us what the actual story is about at all, and that and your lead-in resort to unnecessary profanity. The presentation you have here is more like that of a "forums" discussion board rather than a news site.  (You might want to check out our J-Tips for more help.)

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Barry Artiste

Granted I will remove the profanity, but the headline stays, as it is relevant, we hare encouraged to use our own catchy words in headlines, Marks (ANG) suggestion, I hope you reconsider, especially if you as I work at UBC and see the waste of money being used there.

I have removed the profanity, though thinly disguised I felt it relevant, but it is not up to me to questions I suppose, so please remove the wrench please,. 

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PEP

Barry, thank you for your consideration in removing the profanity. Another suggestion: people outside your area don't know what UCB is. Also, I don't know what "insane" means, and nothing in that headline tells me that the story is about spending money to refurb bathrooms basically to make footbaths (which seems to be the major point in the actualy story) to accommodate Muslims. I think I'm looking for something to guide our readers more, like Education: Millions Spent on New Religious Footbaths. Do you see the difference? I so agree with you re: creativity in headlines, but remember that the headline is the hook to grab the reader to pay attention, and it should tell the reader what they're going to pay attention to.

I'll be glad to remove the flag after you update.  

 

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PEP

Barry, there may be some sort of caching problem as I can't get anything excep the old headline. So I'm going to switch browsers.

I think this is a very important story and needs to be widely read. 

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Barry Artiste

Now Public Readers can read the actual news reports to get a better sense of the story, all I am doing is expressing an opinion of Political Correctness gone awry regardless which country Now Public Readers are from.   I am all for diversity in some respects and within reason, but when self serving groups wish to attain a PhD in Diversity using public funds for non sensical stupidity, I certainly take exception to it. 

This story is certainly not about accommodating Muslims or Religious Groups as I previously stated, it is about private Nursing rooms of which they already have and transgendered washrooms which is utter nonsense.  As a UBC LEEDS Environmental Consultant, Industrial Hygienist and UBC Advisor I know what I am talking about. I do not report for the sake of filling up space in my Column. Some in Now Public know If I state it, it is a fact, period.

Here is another tidbit from this idiotic group, there is an unwritten rule that if a male holds his gaze at any female student on campus for more than 30 seconds, that this could be grounds for sexual harrassment, real or imagined, and for UBC employees disciplinary action including dismissal?  

By the way have you personally witnessed the mode of provacative dress worn by the majority of students?

Certainly not an excuse to leer at these ladies, but come one, let's be real, guys are guys. Young and old. 

These same women scope out guys and giggle, so whats good for the goose.... 

But for the most part, people watching is something that goes on the world over, only at UBC it can get you fired. 

Anyways, I have said my piece. 

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PEP

Barry Artiste, thanks for improving your story.  I've removed the flag and now more readers can see it. Thanks for your contribution.

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