Feminist student Emily Dawes apologises for vowing to paint over Great War mural The Rothenstein Mural

2018-10-25T22:46:18+00:00

Feminism is cancer.

JohnKimble111 · 2018-10-25T20:17:39+00:00

The president of a student union at one of Britain’s leading universities has apologised after saying that she wished to paint over a 100-year-old picture commemorating the fallen in the First World War because it contained white men.

Emily Dawes, who is running the University of Southampton students’ union during a break from her astrophysics degree, declared that she would take down the 10ft by 4ft work that hangs in a meeting room on the university’s Highfield campus.

Ms Dawes, who is white, was attending an event that was part of Black History Month when she wrote: “Mark my words — we’re taking down the mural of white men in the uni Senate room, even if I have to paint over it myself.”

The event was not held in the Senate Room but she has attended other meetings there as part of her duties as president. The message was part of a series she posted on Twitter during another event named All Things Black. One of them read: “As white people, we are so ignorant and closed minded without even realising it. Listen to your black friends/colleagues/students and ask how you can be the ally they want!”

The painting in question is The Rothenstein Mural, painted by William Rothenstein in 1916 that shows dignitaries from numerous universities conferring an honour on an unknown soldier. Rothenstein, a former principal of the Royal College of Art, depicted 28 people in the portrait including Robert Bridges, then the poet laureate.

The artist’s son gave the painting to the university in 1959 and it was displayed in the staff club room before being rededicated in 2014 to commemorate the centenary of the start of the First World War. Emily Dawes had said it was irrelevant that Armistice Day was imminent Emily Dawes had said it was irrelevant that Armistice Day was imminent

Ms Dawes, who was head of the university’s feminist society before being elected this year to lead the students’ union, lives in London but attended school in the US. She said in another tweet that she was aware that Armistice Day on November 11 was imminent but that this was irrelevant. She posted an image of the mural with the caption: “One of the women just said, ‘It’s nearly Armistice Day so are we covering up this tapestry??’ And Holy Shit. F*** Yes. Grl Pwr.”

Her declaration prompted strong criticism from the local MP and from the artist’s grandchildren. Lucy Carter, 84, the artist’s granddaughter, who lives in Crewkerne, Somerset, said: “I think it’s very sad, people trying to change history. It’s sad that people should be overtaken by these concerns. Painting over it would be unnecessary.”

Julian Rothenstein, the artist’s grandson, who runs a publishing business in London, said: “It seems ridiculous, utterly ludicrous to me.”

Ms Dawes’s union distanced itself from her remarks. “We apologise for the recent statement from our president regarding The Rothenstein Mural and any upset this may have caused,” it said.

Ms Dawes wrote an apology on Twitter this afternoon. “I would like to apologise for the offense and upset I have caused with what I have said,” she wrote. “I never meant the disrespect to anyone past, present and future. I had no intention of the tweet being taken literally, and upon reflection have realised how inappropriate it was.

“My intention was to promote strong, female leadership and not the eradication and disrespect of history. I do not believe that to make progress in the future, we should look to erase the past.”

Royston Smith, the MP for Southampton Itchen, said that Ms Dawes’s declaration about the painting was in poor taste. Mr Smith, 54, who served in the RAF for ten years, said: “It is disappointing, especially as we approach the centenary of the Armistice, that the president of the student’s union feels it is acceptable to disregard the heroic sacrifice of soldiers who sought to defend the very freedoms, including free speech, which Miss Dawes has chosen to exercise. With freedom comes responsibility, and considering the president of the student’s union holds a position of authority she has clearly overstepped the mark.

“I hope she will reflect on what she has said and realise it has been conducted in poor taste. Those who know the history of our island are fully aware and appreciate the involvement of black and Asian soldiers against tyranny.”

2018-10-26T04:31:44+00:00

How about Emily joins the Military for a day or two and see what part of the historical privilege she missed out on?

I'm happy to crowdfund a ticket to Iraq, Afghanistan or why not some more exotic place like jemen?

You know, kick in doors and look for IED's. Or why not a good-ol firefight?

Bensonian170 · 2018-10-26T06:01:43+00:00

This woman disgusts me. I hope they invent a time machine, give her gender re-assignment surgery and send her to the trenches and she can see for herself what those heroes dealt with.

Fucking cunt.

ZimbaZumba · 2018-10-28T19:58:11+00:00

No different to the Taliban and ISIS destroying ancient statues.

thrway_1000 · 2018-10-26T21:22:31+00:00

Archive -- https://archive.is/FRj0A

Title	Feminist student Emily Dawes apologises for vowing to paint over Great War mural The Rothenstein Mural
Author	JohnKimble111
Upvotes	46
Comments	6
Date	October 25, 2018 8:17 PM UTC (7 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/9rdw51/feminist_student_emily_dawes_apologises_for/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/feminist-student-emily-dawes-apologises-for-vowing.891236 https://theredarchive.com/post/891236

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