Football Coach Jim Harbaugh has put his foot down; “American Sniper” will not be censored at the University of Michigan on his watch. He tweeted:
The Center for Campus Involvement (CCI) had announced this past Tuesday morning that it would house a showing of Clint Eastwood’s blockbuster film during a weekly event held on campus, called UMix.
They had shelved it that very night after a collection of Muslim students wrote a letter to the CCI saying:
“Although we respect the right to freedom of speech, we believe that with this right comes responsibility: responsibility of action, intention, and outcome. The movie ‘American Sniper’ not only tolerates but promotes anti-Muslim and anti-MENA (Middle Eastern and North African) rhetoric and sympathizes with a mass killer.”
Where’s the respect for the men and women of the U.S. armed forces and the dangers they faced every day while toppling Saddam Hussein’s violent regime and attempting to bring those very same freedoms to the people of Iraq?
In response to this letter the CCI wrote:
“Student reactions have clearly articulated that this is neither the venue nor the time to show this movie. We deeply regret causing harm to members of our community, and appreciate the thoughtful feedback provided to us by students.”
Though they were first met with thanks from the campus Muslims and their supporters, a wave of criticism quickly followed. The film was then rescheduled for its original time and venue, with E. Royster Harper, the vice president of student life, stating:
“It was a mistake to cancel the showing of the movie ‘American Sniper’ on campus as part of a social event for students. The initial decision to cancel the movie was not consistent with the high value the University of Michigan places on freedom of expression and our respect for the right of students to make their own choices in such matters. The movie will be shown at the originally scheduled time and location. We recognize, however, that some students are uncomfortable with the content of the movie, and appreciate that concern.”
Noting that same concern, the film Paddington was chosen to be an alternative for any students who feel uncomfortable about the award-winning film “American Sniper.”