Association President abstains from effigy vote

The Union has been quick to respond. In a letter to The Stand, Director of Student Development, David Graves, comments: “The Conservative Society are perfectly at liberty to burn an effigy of whomsoever they please, and Barack Obama is as legitimate a target for their frustration as any other politician.” However, he does mention he “strongly encourages constructive political debate in favour of unproductive showboating.”

Furthermore, Director of Representation, Sam Fowles (whose name seems to now appear in every national paper) condemned the burning of effigies, stating that it “is a manifestation of one of the deepest failings of modern public debate. It says that we’re more interested in hating the individual rather than disputing their ideas.”

However, not every member of the SRC feels the same. According to the minutes, Patrick O’Hare, the Student Association President felt that effigies “should be considered in the context of ‘japes’ (a practical joke) rather than a serious action of hate.” In addition, Mr. O’Hare abstained from the final vote to determine the SRC’s official position because last year he helped to organise the political burning of an effigy of David Cameron. Although this seems to contradict his statement made to MSNBC where he described the Conservative Society’s event as “immature” and potentially very offensive, O’Hare maintains that in interviews he represented the SRC and not his own political beliefs.

The final statement drafted by the Union asserted that “while it does not violate laws, we believe that burning of political or public figures in effigy can be an act of hate, stifles productive engagement and can be offensive. We believe that St Andrews students should hold ourselves to a higher standard and actively demonstrate that we are ready to engage with and respect the opinions of others.”