Oxford University students vote to remove the Queen

Paperbackwriter

Grandma70s

Good heavens, Lin52. How do you know they are white, or over-privileged for that matter? There are many nationalities at Oxford, some struggling on a shoestring budget.

Well said, Grandma70s. There are still too many outdated and biased opinions about Oxbridge education.

Hmm, maybe. But I should think Oxbridge students benefit more than others from generous donations made by previous students.

My DD2 had an offer to study art at Oxford, at Magdalen as it happens. She chose to go to Glasgow School of Art instead and even though she informed them straightaway, she had a letter in the August with details of accommodation, the course, etc (they obviously aren't used to being turned down!). Including a long list of equipment she needed to buy, with a reminder to keep all receipts so the costs could be reimbursed. We'd already had information about the free study courses abroad that she could choose from in the Summer holidays. I doubt that happens at any other art school.

I'm not surprised that your DD chose Glasgow School of Art, which I think probably has a better reputation than Oxford amongst art students. I hope she did well there and enjoyed living in Glasgow.

This is Britain. Britain has always had a picture of the current ruler on the walls of Government establishments and I feel sad that it was felt necessary to remove HM, although I note that apparently the portrait only went up a few years ago.

Life moves on and the new 'woke' (and I, from originally not understanding what on earth this word meant but think I do now) is, as with young people throughout the generations, to 'do their own thing'.

As they are young, they are obviously correct in their rationale (as were we in the 1950/60's)...... aren't they?! Not - but what do I know as an older person!

Always makes me smile when people go on about being anti ‘woke’. The definition of woke is ‘alert to injustice in society, especially racism.’
Presumably those who are anti woke are pro injustice, particularly racism then? Rather like those who speak against ‘antifa’ (short for anti fascist) are presumably happy to be thought of as fascists.

I agree! Outraged of GN! ??‍♀️It’s another distraction from all the other stuff going on, like Michael Gove found to have acted unlawfully in the awarding of contracts to his mates, where is that being reported in the right wing, mainly foreign owned press?

You can’t rewrite history, it’s already happened. What goes around comes around even the parts of history we’d like to forget. We should learn from the past.
Preventing Free speech doesn’t stop people from thinking or acting out their thoughts; Therefore isn’t it best to know what they’re thinking.
The Queen has been head of the Commonwealth of countries for many years, these countries don’t appear to be complaining and yet most of the commonwealths people are black or Asian.
Maybe we have made a problem where one doesn’t exist.

varian

I'm not surprised that your DD chose Glasgow School of Art, which I think probably has a better reputation than Oxford amongst art students. I hope she did well there and enjoyed living in Glasgow.

She absolutely loved it, varian. Even though she had to pull a lot of pints at the SEC to be able to afford those canvases.

A lot of youngsters puffed up with their own importance, there shouldn't even have been a report on it. No audience, no show.

It is like my goddaughter who sneers at her middle class parents but still accepts the gift of a car for her 18th birthday, just teenage posturing, best ignored.

I agree with the people who refer to this as a phoney culture war. Why is it headline news that a group of students voted to take down a print of the Queen that was put up about 8 years ago? Because stirring up anger and fermenting division sells papers. Who benefits? The billionaire media owners who don't live in the UK. Who loses? The whole country as we become angrier, less tolerant and unable to listen to anyone's views that differ from our own. What a small, angry country we are becoming. Let's not allow ourselves to be manipulated by people who only promote their own interests.

The students want to thank their lucky stars they are not living in China they would be tortured and locked up.

GillT57

A lot of youngsters puffed up with their own importance, there shouldn't even have been a report on it. No audience, no show.

It is like my goddaughter who sneers at her middle class parents but still accepts the gift of a car for her 18th birthday, just teenage posturing, best ignored.

I doubt if any of them are teenagers. Magdalen MCR is for postgraduates. However, I agree that it is of absolutely no importance.

Midwifebi6

The students want to thank their lucky stars they are not living in China they would be tortured and locked up.

I doubt if many buildings in China have photos of the Queen.

Candelle

This is Britain. Britain has always had a picture of the current ruler on the walls of Government establishments and I feel sad that it was felt necessary to remove HM, although I note that apparently the portrait only went up a few years ago.

Life moves on and the new 'woke' (and I, from originally not understanding what on earth this word meant but think I do now) is, as with young people throughout the generations, to 'do their own thing'.

As they are young, they are obviously correct in their rationale (as were we in the 1950/60's)...... aren't they?! Not - but what do I know as an older person!

Really? I hadn't noticed any pictures of the Queen on government establishments.

In any case, Magdalen College isn't a government establishment.

AJKW

You can’t rewrite history, it’s already happened. What goes around comes around even the parts of history we’d like to forget. We should learn from the past.
Preventing Free speech doesn’t stop people from thinking or acting out their thoughts; Therefore isn’t it best to know what they’re thinking.
The Queen has been head of the Commonwealth of countries for many years, these countries don’t appear to be complaining and yet most of the commonwealths people are black or Asian.
Maybe we have made a problem where one doesn’t exist.

What is your evidence that these students have prevented free speech?

Pedwards

I agree! Outraged of GN! ??‍♀️It’s another distraction from all the other stuff going on, like Michael Gove found to have acted unlawfully in the awarding of contracts to his mates, where is that being reported in the right wing, mainly foreign owned press?

Just another distraction. We have had Harry and Meghan interview/Johnson wedding/Cummings revelations/Harry and Meghan daughter.....anything to get everyone in a fizz about things which just do not matter whilst more important things are happening. A cheap distraction and nothing more than that

I work in the CS. Very large department. We do have a few portraits of the Queen dotted around. Nobody's mentioned them. I doubt many people even register that they are there. This Oxford print was only put up in 2013. It's possible it will make a return one day. Who knows. I wonder how many of the people who are upset about this action knew that this portrait was there? I doubt it very much. It's just the Press getting people in a tizz.

They don't know how lucky they are to live in a country with free speech - try saying something like this in China or Russia

Are they going to replace it with a recent picture of the Queen? If that is the case it wouldn’t be such a gross insult to a very old and hard working monarch. Otherwise, shame on them.

dizzygran

They don't know how lucky they are to live in a country with free speech - try saying something like this in China or Russia

Try saying what?

I expect the Chinese and Russian governments would be delighted if students removed pictures of Emperor Hsian-T'ung or Tsar Nicholas II.

Wow! It would appear it's really not that difficult to stir the culture war pot.

Lovetopaint037

Are they going to replace it with a recent picture of the Queen? If that is the case it wouldn’t be such a gross insult to a very old and hard working monarch. Otherwise, shame on them.

Do you have a picture of the Queen anywhere in your home?

Their common room. Their choice. I don't actually hate the royal family but I'm not interested in them either. I wouldn't want a portrait of the Queen in my house. So why would I get worked up if the students don't want one? Some people need to get a life, as the young people often say.

What do people mean by government buildings? I work in schools, I have been in a number this week, none had portraits of the queen, this is just nonsense.

dizzygran

They don't know how lucky they are to live in a country with free speech - try saying something like this in China or Russia

Without knowing any of the students personally, I can't say for sure, but I guess that they probably do know how lucky they are - at least some of them will have studied politics, literature history or other subjects that will have made this clear.

What this has to do with prints of portraits of the Queen, or with what happens in China or Russia is less clear to me, however. They don't live there, at least whilst they are students in the UK.

Update from Dinah Rose, President of Magdalen College:

"Being a student is about more than studying. It's about exploring and debating ideas. It's sometimes about provoking the older generation. Looks like that isn’t so hard to do these days.

So if you are one of the people currently sending obscene and threatening messages to the College staff, you might consider pausing, and asking yourself whether that is really the best way to show your respect for the Queen.

Or whether she'd be more likely to support the traditions of free debate and democratic decision-making that we are keeping alive at Magdalen."

(my bold)

Why on earth are people getting so worked up about this that they send obscene and threatening messages to college staff? Is there really nothing else happening in the world? Sad people!

The more we talk about it the happier they will be. Best that everyone, including the media, ignores them.