I imagine this has a lot to do with Chelsea not being treated like a celeb. I expect she feels she's not getting the proper recognition and respect.

Chelsea: Oxford life difficult

November 9, 2001 Posted: 9:34 AM EST (1434 GMT)

By CNN's Dylan Reynolds

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Chelsea Clinton has admitted she is finding it hard to cope at Oxford University because of anti-American feeling.

In a frank article for Talk magazine, the University College student says the attacks on the United States left her feeling confused and scared, and she finds it "difficult" to deal with those who question America's actions.

"It's hard to be abroad right now. Every day I encounter some sort of anti-American feeling. Sometimes it's from other students, sometimes it's from a newspaper columnist, sometimes it's from 'peace' demonstrators," she said.

"Over the summer I thought that I would seek out non-Americans as friends, just for diversity's sake. Now I find that I want to be around Americans -- people who I know are thinking about our country as much as I am."

The 21-year-old daughter of former U.S. President Bill Clinton and senator Hillary, said questions about whether Osama bin Laden was behind the attacks, and scepticism over America's humanitarian commitment to Afghanistan, made her "bristle."

"The idea that anyone believes America would enter into this capriciously boggles my mind, and the notion that the United States is acting without regard to the Afghan people is offensive."

But staff and students said that while a certain amount of friction among students was inevitable, the university's social and academic life had not been affected.

American Robert Tobin, who is studying Modern History at Merton College, said: "While it's true that there is a certain amount of anti-American sentiment in Oxford, I don't think it has increased since the terrorist attacks. Nor have I found it a barrier to forming many friendships with British people or students here from other countries.

"I have to wonder whether part of what she is going through isn't just being a fresher. She is in a foreign country for the first time, and is bound to feel isolated."

"The fact is that what has happened affects us all, and though our grief as Americans may be unique at the moment, I would hope that we could use it as an opportunity for greater mutual understanding."

Oxford University Student Union Vice President Catherine Sangster told CNN she was disappointed to hear Chelsea was feeling isolated, but she stressed that help was available.

"The graduate students who I represent -- of whom over 50 percent are international students -- are a diverse and generally extremely tolerant group of people.

"The student union provides a wide range of support services to students who feel unhappy or isolated, and that we are very aware of the particular difficulties being encountered by international students.

"Some American students will naturally find it hard to be away from home following the events of September 11, and it is not surprising that the war in Afghanistan is a topic for debate in Oxford at the moment, as it is everywhere."

Colleges at Oxford University implemented a number of measures intended to offer further support for international students after the attacks on the U.S., including opening up the university telephone system to allow international calls to America.

In addition the Vice Chancellor, Dr Colin Lucas, circulated a letter expressing concern and support for those students affected by the attacks.

A university spokesman said: "We want all our students to enjoy the experience of living and studying at Oxford, and encourage them to raise any concerns at the earliest opportunity."

Chelsea Clinton is studying for a Masters degree in international relations. Her father attended the same college as a Rhodes Scholar between 1968 and 1970.

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

Answers

As the child of an ex-P, does she still have bodyguards, and would she have them overseas? If so, I would think that would generate a great deal of derision. If not, isn't she a tad vulnerable?

I think her larger problem is not being in control of the situation. Academia can be phony enough, but not like where she has come from.

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

Tough scones! She needs to grow a thicker skin and adjust. Some time in the military wouldn't hurt her, either. Anything to keep her from becoming a clone of her mom.

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

Yes, she has a security detail at Oxford. I believe it's a combinationof US and British, not sure.

Too late, Meems. Anyone who saw what happened on TV that day then "wandered in a daze," worried about the effects of Bush's tax cut instead of being stunned and horrified by the real implications of what happened, and got in a jab at Giuliani's "insensitivity" as well, can't be saved. . .

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

agreed, lost cause already.

sure hope she doesn't have any political ambitions.

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

I missed that about Chelsea. Okay, send her to the nearest third world soup kitchen, and make sure she does her share of the work. Anything to keep her from following her mother's footsteps!

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

I think I heard on a chat radio program last evening that when Chelsea first got the news about WTC, she kept saying over and over and over... "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall..." and that was how she "dealt" with this tragic event.

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

Yes, the Humpty Dumpty thing was in one of the reports of her article. Think about that. Does she mean the US is Humpty Dumpty? Or is she thinking of the towers? Reflect on the brainwashing she must have had from her parents and their fawners. I have this awful feeling she meant the US. The inmplications are most unpleasant.

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

She's getting hammered over her article.

NYPress

In the December Talk Chelsea Clinton writes about how, before Sept. 11, life had exposed her to so much suffering. She claims to have seen war, famine and natural disasters. My dear, all you were was a callow butterfly flitting over fields of devastation. You were a mere spectator surrounded by armed men who would have whisked you away the moment any threat came your way. You saw what you were allowed to see. You didn’t suffer with the victims. I’m sure you may have felt that way, but feelings aren’t facts. They were props for you and your parents’ photo ops.

But Chelsea Clinton knows from war. She’s seen things, man! Why, she was just 12 blocks away—or so others told her—when the WTC collapsed. Imagine! Twelve blocks! But maybe it wasn’t 12; later in the story she admits that she is not really sure. (Like her father’s golf scores, Clintons are not to be trusted with numbers.) She also claims in the piece that she’s a true New Yorker, yet she doesn’t even know what street she was on when two 110-story buildings fell.

Clinton goes on to write that, after Sept. 11, she has an uncertainty about her place in the world. She’s not sure where she is emotionally, psychologically and sometimes even physically. Damn—her parents’ self-involved genes really were passed down. How do you think the thousands of post 9/11 orphans feel? Oh, I forgot she feels their pain too. Chelsea declined payment for this article and directed that her fee go to Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund.

Look, I know she’s only 21, and actually, out of all the Clintons, she was the only one I ever felt any sympathy for. So maybe it’s Tina Brown who needs to look into her heart to see why she felt she had to run this story.

(Brown also felt the need to run a story about how hardly anyone mentioned the fact that Fire Dept. Chaplain Mychal Judge, who was killed in the WTC attack, was gay. Actually, the fact that Chaplain Judge was gay was and is well-known. How about a story about how most firemen-—whom writers love to refer to as burly—-loved Judge and knew he was gay? And here’s another little clue for you, Ms. Brown: there were at least two other gay firemen killed Sept. 11, but no one mentioned that much either. Why? It didn’t matter.)

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

sounds as tho she has some mental issues that would be better addressed in a mental institution.

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

When she was younger, I felt sorry for her and prayed for her. Now, unfortunately, she's turning out like both of her parents - I dread to see what she'll end up like.

Is it too late for foster parenting? ;-)

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

"Now, unfortunately, she's turning out like both of her parents - I dread to see what she'll end up like."

It's not too late for her to repeat her father's experience when he was at Oxford. As I recall it involved demonstrating against the then war (Vietnam) and visiting communist Russia.

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

I was thinking,and that is not saying much.but Amy carter back in the day of the fabuouls 70's was the kind of girl you would feel sorry for and be nice to because A.you knew you had it bad during puberty, but you did not look like David Letterman B.Carie and Amy carter have never been seen in the same place? C.Chelsea and Amy did not hand pick their parents E.Who gives a rats ass about chelsea and her leaving stanford to be with her codependent win at any cost sick american family. Iwish one day she will wake up but look jane fonda never did! Never ask why they dont like us? Ask why they do not like You!!!!!!!!!!!

GOD IS AN AMERICAN

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

Times, UK

Chelsea joins the hecklers at rally

BY GLEN OWEN, EDUCATION CORRESPONDENT

CHELSEA CLINTON was among a group of American students which disrupted an anti-war meeting in Oxford, it was revealed last night.

Frustrated at anti-American feeling, the daughter of the former President arrived at the 500-strong meeting in Oxford Town Hall with a dozen friends who heckled speakers.

Miss Clinton, a postgraduate student in international relations at University College, Oxford, her father’s alma mater, has confessed that she is feeling isolated and threatened by the mood she has detected at the university. She found it difficult encountering “anti-American feeling” from peace demonstrators.

As soon as last Thursday’s meeting, organised by the Oxford Stop the War Coalition, began, members of her mostly American group shouted patriotic slogans from the back. Speakers were prevented from continuing after other young Americans approached them and unfurled a Stars and Stripes flag.

Chris Harman, editor of Socialist Worker, said: “When the group turned up I thought, oh no, we’re going to have some rugby-type fracas, but luckily it was nothing like that.” The flag-bearers were eventually sent back to their seats by a 76-year-old American woman called Barbara, an Oxford resident.

Katy Beinart, a student CND member who spoke at the meeting, said that Miss Clinton had arrived “making a lot of noise”.

When John Haylett, editor of the Morning Star, began to argue that the media had failed to consider the effects of the bombing on Afghan civilians, Miss Clinton and her friends called out that he should remember the victims of the terrorist attacks on New York. Mr Haylett responded that such meetings were the only way to put an alternative viewpoint to that portrayed in the media.

Miss Clinton left with her Secret Service bodyguards shortly afterwards, stopping to buy a copy of the Morning Star from a vendor, and making “yet more noise”, according to Ms Beinart. “It was a shame that Chelsea Clinton felt the need to interrupt a peaceful discussion with what I felt were inappropriate comments,” she said.

Speakers at the meeting, including the MP Jeremy Corbyn, said yesterday that Miss Clinton took their comments too personally.

-- Anonymous, November 10, 2001