The spotlight on the case shone from day one because the students were immediately labeled "Muslim" students instead of what they really are.
Are the students Muslim? Yes.
Did being Muslim drive them to disrupt Oren's presentation? No.
Is this a matter of a Constitutional right to free speech by the students or Oren? No.
What drove the students to organize and execute a plan to stop Oren in his tracks was this: They're rude, insensitive people. They are not heroes or martyrs. They are uncivilized, obnoxious, spoiled, ungrateful and immature, and they should have been treated accordingly.
The boorish behavior of the "11" is not unique to Muslims. There are obnoxious Jews, Christians and Buddhists. There are also obnoxious atheists.
Religion had nothing to do with the student's behavior during Oren's speech — rudeness is a personality flaw, not a religious calling. Unfortunately, the district attorney's failure to understand a basic element of basic human nature caused the department to prosecute as though they were on trial for murder.
You see, it is not human nature for us to want to understand another person's point of view. Oh, sure, there are a few folks who are good listeners — they're called psychologists. But the rest of us spend most of our time trying to get people to understand our own point of view.
We do far more talking than listening, and if you need proof, look no further than the talk show taking place in Costa Mesa between the local union leadership and the City Council majority.
Our inability to listen and understand is pervasive. In nearly every aspect of American society, we are far too busy telling people what we think instead of asking others what they think. And when we do ask, we're usually waiting for them to finish so we can tell them what we think.
