JOHNSON: 'Just move on' won't work for offended CU students
By Bill Johnson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published February 27, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.
To understand any of this fully - and I mean fully - the opinion piece entitled "If It's War the Asians Want" by Max Karson is absolutely required reading. My jaw is still in my lap.
It isn't because Karson, an assistant opinion editor at the Campus Press, the University of Colorado's online newspaper, believes such stuff, but because there clearly was no adult in the room last week to tell him he couldn't publish it.
It makes David McSwane's "(Really Bad Word) Bush" editorial in the Rocky Mountain Collegian last September seem downright sober, well-reasoned and Pulitzer-eligible.
"They hate us all," Max Karson wrote in his essay eight days ago of Asian students on the CU campus, after reporting that he'd had an "epiphany."
"I say it's time we start hating them back," he wrote. "That's right, no more 'tolerance.' No more 'cultural sensitivity.' No more 'Mr.-Pretend-I'm-Not-Racist.'
"It's time for war. But we won't attack their bodies or minds," he continued. "We will attack their souls."
He then actually calls for "volunteers" willing to join him in the butterfly net-hunting-down of Asian students in the math, engineering and other buildings on campus, of hog-tying them, forcing them to eat bad sushi, before awakening them after four hours of sleep with megaphone shouts of "Why didn't you make enough Wiis?"
Incredibly, it gets even worse.
And someone at the publication, which bills itself as "for everything CU," actually let this kid publish this nonsense.
The university has publicly apologized and vowed to make changes, but the hair shirt may not be enough this time.
Last Saturday, more than 60 Asian students from CU and other metro universities gathered at the Daniels School of Business at the University of Denver to commiserate and formulate a response to the essay.
"Traditionally, such a thing was left up to the older generations to do such things, to make things right," said Mary Lee Chin, 58, of Denver, an Asian-American activist who attended the gathering. "Not this time. To see this younger generation take things into their own hands, to demand change, that to me was pretty significant and gratifying."
Chris Choe, 21, a CU senior majoring in international studies, was a leader of the gathering. Its purpose, he said, was for students to share their feelings about the blatant racism in the essay, and to formulate a response that the CU administration cannot this time simply apologize away.
"This is not what I came to (CU) for," he said in an interview Tuesday. "Not to be held up as something to hate, to become the target of a newspaper-inspired hunt.
"One day it is the Latinos. The next day it is the blacks. Meetings get held - this is not isolated. The administration apologizes, promises more and more diversity training, brushes it all aside and tells us to get over it.
"No, enough is enough."
The Campus Press on Tuesday ran explainer stories written by editors who, while also vowing diversity training, said they had somehow concluded the essay was appropriate to publish as "satire."
This can happen at a university where a faculty adviser not only did not read the essay prior to publication, but by the rules is forbidden to do so at the student- run publication.
"There was such a raw outpouring of pain and emotion expressed last Saturday," Mary Lee Chin said of the DU meeting. "It was important to get those emotions out. But it was so gratifying to see such young students move to strategy, of how they will present their concerns to the administration."
It isn't enough for the university, she said, to hide behind the First Amendment.
"Free speech rights, we all agree, are to be cherished," she said. "But with that comes responsibility. It is particularly so when such an insulting use of stereotype is published by a university school of journalism."
Student leaders from Latino, black and other school groups have joined Asian-American student leaders to press the administration for "concrete" change this time, Chris Choe said.
A meeting attended by members of each group was held Monday night, he said. Demands were drawn up, he added, including the resignation of Max Karson.
"We are so tired of this," he said. "We want the university to do its job. They will tell us to just move on, but I'm not accepting that anymore. To do that will only mean it can happen again.
"Where is the zero-tolerance?" Chris Choe said, spitting that he must wage this fight in the middle of studying for midterms.
"He singled us out as targets," he repeated, wondering whether such solicitation on the already racially charged campus qualifies somehow as a crime.
"We are going to go to the administration seeking very specific guarantees, clear action and effort. This will not be like every other time," he said, "when months down the road, you talk to your buddy and say, 'Remember that?'
"We are going to stay with this."
Way past time to do so.
johnsonw@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2763.
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February 27, 2008
4:24 a.m.
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fatdog writes:
Mr. Johnson has done it just right with this one. Max Karson has a history of farting in elevators as he is getting off. I hope it ends here. What I don't understand is how he can do this sort of thing at college after college. Who hires these fools? Where will he go next? fat dog
February 27, 2008
7:56 a.m.
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Michael writes:
If we all indeed have Freedom of Speech which allows ALL OF US to speak our minds regardless of the content and there is indeed a Freedom of Press which allows ALL NEWSPAPERS AND MEDIA OUTLETS to print or broadcast whatever they choose to, then can anyone please tell me how we can avoid situations like this in the future? Let me say that I do not support or agree with the article in question, but that is not the point. Our Constitution and our society allow for more freedom and choice then any other has ever done and currently does now. That means that eventually someone is going to offend someone else. It cannot be avoided. What is offensive to one is humorous, satirical, and off-color to another. There is only one true free market way to make your feelings and your power felt - do not support the paper financially with ads or by supporting the businesses that do advertise in it. If the paper has a fee - do not buy it. If you have a subscription - cancel it. But please stop all the handwringing and calls for changes in policy and PLEASE stop all the demands for more diversity training because it ain't gonna help. BTW - not once have I seen anyone asky WHY Karson feels this way. What were his intentions? These are always valid questions and points of view when other types of groups are attacked. Are they not valid to ask now?
February 27, 2008
8:26 a.m.
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freethinker07 writes:
I have a couple of questions for Mr. Johnson.
First of all, what would be your idea of how CU should handle this? Details please? If there are to be new rules, what would the rules be? You are a journalist, surely you could offer constructive suggestions.
Secondly, how do you reconcile your position on this with your positions expressed in your articles "The War on Christmas" and "Editorial was a mistake, but it's a chance to teach" regarding the Fort Collins student newspaper? I realize that your sensibilities weren't offended by vulgarity or denying adults 1st Amendment free exercise of religion rights, but you could at least try to empathize with those of us who believe that the office of the President of the United States should never be addressed by a four letter word.
February 27, 2008
9:18 a.m.
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Maven writes:
I think both of you are missing the point. If you read the Karson opinion piece, you surely would conclude that this wasn't good writing. There should have been a faculty member who said, "Well kid, it's an okay first draft - now rewrite." It was a poor attempt at satire, and if this is supposed to be a learning experience, then there should have been some educational time put in by a responsible faculty adviser.
This is not a First Amendment issue at all. Do you think that any of the Rocky Mountain News or Denver Post staff whine when their editors tell them to make some editorial changes? No, because it's to make the end result - writing a good article - better. That's the piece that was missing at CU. I fault the administration on this one.
February 27, 2008
10:25 a.m.
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wow writes:
We need to be asking why the editorial staff thought the column made acceptable satire? All the writing critiques aside, is racial stereotyping funny? If so to whom is it funny? What is the apropriate venue for that type of humor?
There is nothing wrong with aproaching a sensitive issue in the news with a wry sense of humor, if the subject is treated with respect.
We used to rely on good manners and consideration of others to help us determine apropriate behavior. But in our reality TV culture, meaness has become a habit, and the PC Police have made us dependant on them to tell us what is ok.
Why take diversity training, when all we really need is a reminder from kindergarten? Treat others with respect. You can express any feeling respectfully if you are willing to work at it, and as journalists, working at using the language would seem to be a job requirement.
As long as racial stereotypes exist, rather than hiding their existance, censoring ourselves and our press, we should openly, respectfully discuss it. And we should expect our colleges to promote that agenda. These students adults, and should be expected to behave accordingly.
February 27, 2008
10:42 a.m.
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Marshdale writes:
I wonder where the coward is hiding right about now?
February 27, 2008
11:22 a.m.
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FreeToChoose writes:
I used to feel sorry for CU every time a story like this came out. But it's becoming apparrant there's no real adult supervision up there. No wonder the faculty voted 40-4 to keep Benson out, they're afraid some responsible adult is going to ruin the party!
And I'm tired of the hatred and insensitivity and thoughtlessness and stupid behavior being post-rationalized under the banner of academic freedom or freedom of speech or just dumb college kids being dumb college kids.
Awe just grow up.
Simply because you're at a University doesn't mean you've been set apart from the greater society and can ignore its rules, laws and morals. You can't just throw comments out like this or Ward Churchill's and believe there are no consequences. But apparrantly since things like this keep happening up there, they believe they ARE a society apart.
The university can't just stand up and appologize anymore. It needs to be truly outraged... at the faculty who condoned it to the student who wrote it. Otherwise this kind of adolescent behavior will continue to define the culture at CU, as it seems to have done for the past decade. The process of growing up and the concept of academic freedom are both fine and necessary aspects of university life, but CU needs to do a lot more of the former so it can make the most of the later.
February 27, 2008
11:37 a.m.
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Michael writes:
"You can't just throw comments out like this or Ward Churchill's and believe there are no consequences. But apparrantly since things like this keep happening up there, they believe they ARE a society apart." - bobba
They (CU) DO believe they are a world and a society and unto themselves. And if anyone wants to know why there is no outcry about this from those same faculty who defended Ward Churchill - guess what? They are fully aware that they cannot ask for this type of "free speech" to be self censored without also having to self censor a#@holes like Ward. This is the price they are willing to pay for their little utopian society up there. How can they righteously come out and say DO NOT SLAM ASIANS when one of their own called innocent US citizen workers in the WTC on 9.11 "little Eichmans". As I have commented before, the chickens have come home to roost on this issue. Either ALL derogatory and inflamatory remarks about ANY person or group are to be banned or ALL are to be allowed. This is the trap that CU has now set for itself and it can be traced DIRECTLY to Ward Churchill and the support he received to say and write what he did.
February 27, 2008
1:37 p.m.
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michellehansen1 writes:
The September editorial in Fort Collins was protected by our 1st Ammendendment unlike Karsons which was insulting and hateful in my opinion. I'm so proud of my son, J DAVID MCSWANE, who by the way is NOT a dumb college kid.
February 27, 2008
4:38 p.m.
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Ottis writes:
I think some posters have it backward. It isn't that CU has faculty and students who are "allowed" to go "too far." Many universities allow members of its community to voice opinions, even if the university itself doesn't agree with those opinions. And part of that process is also allowing other groups who wish to voice dissent to do so. No, the difference in Boulder is that groups are not content with standing up and voicing dissent like grown ups, stating that something is infantile or offensive and then going on with life. In Boulder, that's not enough ... you must also force your beliefs on the offender and demand a firing, or suspension, or formal apology. You demand respect (without expecting to earn it first), instead of simply tolerance. And it's all a bunch of wasted energy. Get some perspective. See this particular case for what it is - a student with poor judgment and worse writing skills, tell him you think it's offensive and disapointing and then get on with more important things, leaving him to scream into the silence. More CU administrative oversight might be OK, but it won't eliminate the many times when a student writer wants to print something edgy and someone (student, faculty, whomever) has to decide to run with it or not. When that happens, it should never be made automatically in favor of censorship just because someone's feelings might get hurt. If a neighbor's teenager calls me stupid, I don't obsess over it, and demand his parents suspend him. He's a kid, he doesn't know me and it doesn't affect me. Yes, Bill Johnson, sometimes "just move on" is enough.
February 27, 2008
5:55 p.m.
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FreeToChoose writes:
Ottis,
No sir, a university is not a place that shields you from common decency or the consequences of your actions. If a student at a university runs an article, under faculty supervision, that is hateful, hurtful or simply a pitiful attempt at satire that still manages to be offensive... then those responsible need to stand up and take responsibility for inciting that intolerance. Having a voice and learning to use it constructively and thougtfully SHOULD be part of a student's education. However, this was neither constructive or thoughtful. And while sometimes overstepping society's mores is useful and necessary, sometimes it also has a price. It does in the real world... why should it be different in a university? If you shield this student and/or responsible faculty member from the repercussions of their actions, what do he and the other students learn from this? That it's ok to "go too far", even if it is hateful and hurtful? That all you get is a slap on the wrist for denegrating ethnic groups in a university paper? That just because you're a college 'kid' you don't have to deal with the consequences of 'going too far?' That as a member of the faculty it's OK to encourage such behavior?
Besides, since when are 18 year-olds kids?
They can vote and die for this country. Heck, they can be held responsible for any number of crimes, including murder, but when it comes to college 'kids' spewing hate in a campus newspaper, you give them a free ride? Attending a university isn't a free pass to do or say whatever you want.
This is indeed an instance where just moving on isn't good enough, particularly since CU keeps finding itself at the center of such embarrassing situations. Somthing obviously has to change up there in that ivory tower of CU-Boulder, because this kind of thing pops up with way too much frequency.
February 27, 2008
9:04 p.m.
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mrfxx writes:
Sorry Ottis, but this piece was not a "one on one" as in your example - it was, plain & simple a call to hate & terrorize others based on race. Perhaps if Max Karson understood the meaning of the word "satire" he might understand where he went wrong, so I am providing the Merriam-Webster definition:
1: a literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn
2: trenchant wit, irony, or sarcasm used to expose and discredit vice or folly.
From the exerpts in this and other columns, this was an attempt by Max Karson to see how much vitriol he could get away with. I wonder what possessed him to try to get away with it, or made him feel the need to try. It cannot simply be the Ward Churchill essay - which most folks don't realize was released the week of 9/11/2001 - and which while it did contain the nasty epithet "little Hitlers" in reference to some of the victims did actually have some very good historical information as to why some folks hate the US (I am not excusing the butchery of 9/11, simply stating that fact). This article appears to have had NO socially redeeming values, including the quality of the writing.
As far as freedom of speech issues, I believe "fighting words" are precluded from protection. I also understand that this is not the first time Max Karson has used this student newspaper to "push the evelope" but it was never so over the top. Now it is time to pay the piper - perhaps starting with his suspension if not firing as the assistant editor.
February 27, 2008
10:57 p.m.
Suggest removal
TommyBoy writes:
Well, I'd like to go to Boulder and protest the many articles written in CU publications casting aspersions on my ethnic group, but I have to get some sleep so I can go to my two jobs tomorrow to try to make enough money to live on after paying my taxes to support the silly children of all ages who call themselves the "CU Community". Grow up, get real jobs that actually add to society and stop obsessing about poorly written essays.
February 28, 2008
7:36 a.m.
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Ottis writes:
Bobba:
Who determines whether an article is "hurtful, hateful or a pififul attempt at satire"? That's the problem with your position. There is always SOMEONE who is offended by anything that isn't simply stated facts (and some even object to those!). If we followed your stance, we would never have any opinion columns, or at least the ones we had would indeed be pitiful. No, you have to look at the context, the platform and the actual words. CU is a training ground. Students make mistakes. Students must be allowed to make mistakes, to learn from them. And like I said before, even if you drew the line here this time, it won't be long before an outcry from some other person with sensitive feelings makes you draw the line a bit father away, and so on. In this case, a kid did something dumb that doesn't deserve our attention. The end.
Mrfxx:
I don't disagree with you. Unfortunately, if the criteria was Karson's past, the time for action was before he joined the CU paper. Once you pass that point, we're now talking about a single poor column. And for this column, there should be some punishment directed at Karson. But not what the "outraged" people want, because it doesn't deserve this attention.
February 28, 2008
5:07 p.m.
Suggest removal
arby writes:
Bill
I know this is going to surprise you and I hope I don't put you into cardiac arrest at you advanced age. FOR ONCE I agree with you. Racism is racism. Period. And if we ALL don't stop acting like A**holes this country isn't going to survive much longer. The article from CU should have never seen the light of day and the author should have been sent to the bathroom with a bar of soap in his mouth. Same thing for the piece and author from CSU. Who teaches these kids morals and proper thinking? It isn't their parents and apparently not the school system.
This has to stop. People. Raise your children to respect all of their neighbors and your children will learn how to get along and love each other. That can't be that hard. My folks did it.
February 29, 2008
10:27 p.m.
Suggest removal
ExploitAsian writes:
MAX KARSON’S PET PROJECT: A SATIRE
written by a non-journalist
I was walking out of Illegal Pete’s the other day, when I happened to see Max Karson come out of the women’s restroom.
I didn’t say anything. I figured Max Karson has a right to do what he wants. It’s not like he’s violated an actual law. So I decided to do the stereotypical Asian thing, and just keep my opinion to myself.
“Hey, aren’t you Max Karson?” I asked.
“Wow, I’m so glad you recognized me. I’ve worked very hard to get recognized in public,” Max bragged.
“So…where ya headed Max?” Not that I actually cared. Just making polite conversation.
“Well, coincidentally, I’m off to buy a dog,” giving me a little nudge.
“What do you mean, ‘coincidentally’?” I nudged back.
“You’re people are experts on dog, no?”
I was about to say something, but then I decided he had a right to his opinion, and once again, I decided to do the stereotypical thing, and just keep my opinion to myself.
“Why are you getting a dog?” I diverted.
“Well, let me ask you this: do you think if I put peanut butter on my butt, and made the puppy lick me, would that be controversial?”
Did he really ask me that? I couldn’t have heard that correctly. How would one not know if that would be controversial?
“Sure,” I said in my most non-judgmental voice. After all, he’s only talking about it. It’s not like he’s actually going to do this, right? It’s just talk. So, he has the right to say what he is or is not going to do. So I said nothing.
“So you think it would get a lot of attention?” Max asked.
“Definitely. Especially with that recent Arvada dog case,” I said.
“What dog case?”
“You know. Rolo, the German shepherd that might get euthanized?”
It’s been all over the papers. I don’t even own a dog, and I know about it. Hmm. I guess we do know a lot about dogs.
Max just had a blank look on his face. Then his face lit up as if he had just reached enlightenment.
“That’s perfect!” he exclaimed, “I can say it’s a satire about putting animals down. And it’ll get a lot of press, which means more people will know about me,” he explained.
I was going to tell him that perhaps he should rethink his position, but that would be self-righteous of me, wouldn’t it? I mean, it’s just satire, right? It’s not like he actually DID anything. It’s just talk, right?
Max turned around and went back into the women’s restroom, “I need to talk to my editor.”
I wanted to stop him, but who am I to tell him what’s right and what’s wrong? He’s entitled to his opinion. It’s not like he actually DID anything. He’s just talking for now, right?
So I decided to do the stereotypical Asian thing, and just keep my opinion to myself.
February 29, 2008
10:29 p.m.
Suggest removal
ExploitAsian writes:
Max Karson recently published an article in the Daily Camera attempting to provide his point of view.
He went on to say that, "Sometimes it is necessary to offend,"...in order to bring these issues to light. Really? It was NECESSARY? There really was absolutely no other way of writing that story? You really couldn't come up with a better way? The worst way was your only choice? Really?
You couldn't have interviewed actual Asians about actual racial tension issues. It was necessary to make it up?
This is a testament to how poor of a writer Karson is, not how creative he is. I believe that Karson is afraid that people will discover him for what he is: a bad writer.
Regardless of the racial tones, his article was poorly written. How could any editor in any press of any kind ever consider that good writing? It's high school diary at best. I find the back of cereal boxes more interesting. I've read fortune cookies with more relevancy.
He is a bad writer. He is so afraid of being discovered, he resorted to the only thing he knows: publicity generating antics.
He's a great marketer. But he is no journalist.
February 29, 2008
10:29 p.m.
Suggest removal
ExploitAsian writes:
MAX KARSON THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
written by a non-journalist
As I walked out of the UMC, and let my eyes adjust to the light, someone from behind me slammed into me. It was Cassie Hewlings, the editor of the Campus Press, dressed like a Kittredge duckling
“I’m sorry, quack, quack,” she said. Her eyes focused away from me.
I turned around and there was a mob of Korean students running toward her. Well, they looked Korean anyway.
“I’M SORRY! Quack, quack.” she exclaimed as she ran off, “I’m sorry! Quack, quack. I’m sorry! Double-quack.”
The mob of Koreans chased after her, still holding their fingers in their ears. I stopped one of them. She pulled her fingers out of her ears.
“Why do you have fingers in your ears?” I asked.
“Because we don’t trust her words anymore,” she said, and then continued the chase.
I walk over to a newsstand, and noticed all the copies of the Campus Press newspapers were gone. I go to another stand. Gone. Then I noticed a large pile of Campus Press newspapers sitting in the recycling bin. There were several days’ worth in there, and none of them had been read.
I pulled one out, and I noticed there were no advertisements. On top of that, all the articles were about the same topic, but just different tones. They looked like they were all authored by different people, but then I just realized the names were just anagrams of the same name. The subject matter was closet space efficiency.
A Japanese-looking student walked by, and dumped more Campus Press newspapers into the bin.
“Why are you throwing these away?” I inquired.
“Because we don’t trust their words anymore,” she explained. That’s when I noticed a whole line of Japanese students who have come to recycle the trash. Gotta love Japanese efficiency.
(cont)
February 29, 2008
10:30 p.m.
Suggest removal
ExploitAsian writes:
(cont)
I walked outside, and noticed a podium at the end of the UMC fountain, which happened to be filled with some kind of Kool-Aid. A bunch of Vietnamese students were standing in front of the podium with their ears duct taped. I don’t know how I knew they were Vietnamese considering their eyes were also covered in duct tape, but some how, I just knew. We always know.
Then I saw Max Karson go up to the podium. Karson admired his audience for a second, lowered the mic, and turned around. Karson bent over, and grabbed hold of his butt cheeks to spread them apart.
Everything then started to spin.
His anus began to speak:
"When I wrote my Pulitzer Prize winning satire, I was speaking for the Asian people because God knows they don't know enough English to speak for themselves. I know what it's like to be an Asian. Correction, Asian-American. I love pho, kung-fu movies, and Japanese bondage. I didn’t need to interview anyone. That would have made me a common journalist. I’m above that. I know what’s it’s like to be an Asian-American. I know their pain and suffering first hand. I grew up as an Asian-American. I AM ASIAN-AMERICA! So I don't owe Asian-Americans an apology. If anything, Asian-Americans owe me an apology…as soon as they pass their ESL classes.”
I got so dizzy, I had to take my fingers put them in my ears, and shut my eyes.