I am particularly amused by #5. I guess they fail to see the irony in free speech advocates being disciplined for speaking freely.
http://www.amherstsoul.com/post/133122838315/amherst-uprising-what-we-stand-for
In other news, Amherst’s only shark staged a counter-protest in response to Item #5 wherein the shark stated that it had been jumped repeatedly over the past few days. The shark claims the jumpings were non-consensual, and demands that administration take immediate action to protect the rights of Carcharodon-kind.
Paying taxes cures these ills.
The following article is about a Yale professor who was facing an emotionally charged response for his wife’s thoughtful response to Yale administration’s Halloween costume advice.
The professor was at one point surrounded by a crowd and the interaction video taped. This paragraph from the article sums up what I am left feeling when I read the Amherst student’s demands.
"Watching footage of that meeting, a fundamental disagreement is revealed between professor and undergrads. Christakis (the professor) believes that he has an obligation to listen to the views of the students, to reflect upon them, and to either respond that he is persuaded or to articulate why he has a different view. Put another way, he believes that one respects students by engaging them in earnest dialogue. But many of the students believe that his responsibility is to hear their demands for an apology and to issue it. They see anything short of a confession of wrongdoing as unacceptable. In their view, one respects students by validating their subjective feelings.
Notice that the student position allows no room for civil disagreement."
If you’re on twitter, check out @amherstuprising
Here are some of their tweets from today (some regarding a planned protest tomorrow):
“We welcome our non people of color allies tomorrow but you must declare you’re white privilege & respect black leadership”
“The fact that our movement shakes up you’re (sic) neocolonialistic heterosexual white male world is not our problem.”
“Non people of color use microagressions such as grammar corrections. They think they are helping when causing pain”
“We will accept a non person of color for the teach in. Of course they have to declare their white privilege first”
It is of course totally absurd for anyone to expect an Amherst student to use proper grammar. I cannot imagine the intense hurt caused by the overt racism of grammar corrections. I hope that the university can/will create grammar-free safe spaces to protect these students.
I’m an ED applicant and the turn out was really inspiring. But upon closer examination I was really put off by their wording of everything. Blah, their time would be better spent at a knitting circle.
Very disturbing indeed. Hopeful that President Martin will be a leader here and out a stop to this ASAP ;Time will tell. Among the many things I find very troubling here is the potential ongoing interruption of education- already last night a thesis writing workshop was cancelled . If this continues, where will the “safe spaces” be for those who wish to continue their studies ( irrespective of their position on this issue) ?- The bullying by these intolerant activists is all over FB already : “those who did not think it important to attend … that’s called privilege " etc etc. I suspect many were studying.
As for micro aggression : is this defined in the " ear of the person hearing” I saw a FB post of an amherst student talking about all of the micro aggression he hears " every day", no details or examples provided. If I student claims micro aggression because it’s perceived as such, is it then?
@lillypod – I agree strongly that President Martin’s response to this will be very telling. Will he genuflect like the presidents of Missouri, Yale, and Claremont-McKenna or will he reject the demands for re-education camps, suppression of other voices, etc.?
I am confused by the lack of grammar too…are they talking about “non-people” of color or non-colored people? Makes a difference…either way…they are overpaying for their education if they cannot put together a proper sentence in 140 characters.
I have attended all coversations with parents Biddy Martin has had during family weekend for the past 4 years. Although I suspect her ideology is simpatico with these students, I have always been impressed with her no nonsense common sense approach - I hope she will not let Amherst down.
For those of you who don’t know AC has a wonderful eloquent impressive African American young man ( class 2016) as class President. He was elected by the entire student body including no doubt those with " white privilege"
AC has very generous financial aid for URMs. I guess, it’s not enough. We must now demonize others and demand to never have our feelings hurt- this is not preparing young minds for the real world
@asleepatthewheel the president is female. I see free speech all around. Demands are speech, protests are speech. It’s an interesting time for those on campus.
A few years ago the Provost of the University of Ottawa (Canada) in explaining why a speaker was banned from campus stated that “Freedom of speech is an American concept”.
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/03/27/canadas_clampdown_on_free_speech/
Are these disgruntled students Canadian?
How are the students not exercising their own right to free speech? Agree or disagree with them, but they are only dishing, not being violent or anything else. It’s an exchange of ideas, not always respectful or civil but a free exchange nonetheless.
Dishing, I meant speaking. On a phone here.
@ohiomom2 These protesters have the right to protest, even if grammatically incorrect. What most people are waiting for is to see if Amherst caves to their demands.
No one says they have no right to make their demands…free speech. But it is ironic that they are using that right to demand that same right be denied to others…is this trypical at AC? If so, I’m not sure my S will want to send his app. He is not into the sjw thing, and would end up feeling marginalized by his privilege.
Part of demanding your rights to an extreme is to accept it from others. Otherwise you are equally intolerant!
This letter actually addresses that very thing. http://amherststudent.amherst.edu/?q=article/2015/11/12/free-conversation
OHMomof2, yes, they absolutely have a right to exercise their free speech . Problem is , are they not demanding that “offensive speech” as defined by them not be tolerated and in fact be punished apparently ?
One of my objections is that the college not continue to cancel academic activities ( like I said above , I know of one already that was cancelled ) because of these protests. The fact that these protests are occurring at the Frost library is an issue also since that does not make for a quiet studying environment for those students who wish to study at the library.
Frost has several floors and is not the only library on campus.
This makes Billsville’s Venker problem look like a day at the beach.