with Wrist Slaps for Implicated Students
I am surprised they did anything. I figured they might erect a statue to honor the struggle and oppression of the snowflake students. Maybe get a government grant for the “art.”
Charles’ tweets indicate he is not happy – but he predicted this outcome.
“but the police department failed to identify any specific individuals responsible for putting a professor in a neck brace…”
Given this, what do you expect the college to do really?
Robert George of Princeton’s tweet on the topic:
"Middlebury might just as well have sent its students a note saying “we encourage more anti-free speech disruptions and violence.”
Perhaps Robert George should pinpoint exactly what he would have done if he had been an administrator in the exact same situation. His tweet is an easy poke and critique at a situation that is legally and situationally challenging. Not very constructive.
Can’t identify? There are multiple videos of easily recognizable students. A bit of detective work would not take Columbo to solve the crime. Like OJ searching for the “real killer.”
@WISdad23 This wasn’t campus police to my knowledge but actual police outside the purview of the university. My guess is they have Columbo skills. If you read reports from the time of the incident, you will recall that many of the protesters were masked. But, I imagine you are either more skilled than local police or feel they were part of a conspiracy…
I’m not suggesting a conspiracy - I am suggesting the obvious. The university is likely the largest employer in its area. The university had minimal institutional will to prosecute. The police wrapped it up without a single charge filed. The results speak for themselves.
Actually, you are clearly suggesting a conspiracy. If, as you say, “The results speak for themselves,” you would be pleased with them. The results say there were no students identified. You are suggesting that Middlebury is essentially a company town and that they control local law enforcement. That is, in fact, a conspiracy.
Another close shave by Occam’s Razor that gets under the skin.
I cannot image that there isn’t abundant footage around to charge at least one person. In this day and age, there would be multiple people posting on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Snapchat and bragging about it.
We will all find out who was involved when the injured teacher’s personal injury lawyer files suit.
It is. Middlebury College also makes significant financial investments in local initiatives.
http://www.middlebury.edu/newsroom/archive/2013-news/node/452083
The college is Porter Hospital’s landlord. In fact, the hospital was founded at the insistence of the college. The college also owns an additional number of buildings in town, which they spent millions refurbishing. The college owns and maintains the Middlebury College Snow Bowl, which is open to the local community’s use at reduced fees. It’s safe to say that the town would be just another gas station stop on Route 7 without the existence of Middlebury College and the Bread Loaf Campus.
OK, we can stipulate that it was world class detective work that stumbled into a dead end investigation.
The school does have a code of conduct for students:
"
- General Conduct Standards
Behavior that violates common standards of decency, fails to comply with community laws or statutes, or demonstrates contempt for the generally accepted values of the intellectual community is prohibited.
- Respect for Middlebury’s Educational Function
Any disruption of Middlebury’s educational function is prohibited.
- Respect for Persons
Middlebury expects all members of the Middlebury community to respect the dignity, freedom, and rights of others. Violence in word or deed against another; incitement or provocation to violence; negligent or reckless use of physical force; conduct that may reasonably be expected to exploit or coerce; prevention of another’s ability to communicate or move freely; defamation; violation of another’s privacy; unauthorized entry and/or uninvited or unwanted presence in another’s room or office, are prohibited."
It would seem fairly straightforward for administration, if it had the will, to squeeze some students who are on video violating this policy to do some unmasking (assuming that was the impediment to prosecution). Given that the police were ineffective in this case, I would think that the university would bear a higher burden to impose some harsher discipline as a deterrent to future chaos, i.e. something beyond a notation in a file. For fun, it would be interesting to read what was written in those letters.
@doschicos, why should Robert George have to say what he would have done?
Because it’s more constructive than his statement, @sbjdorlo!? His statement is pretty pointless, IMO. If one is going to critique a decision, outline a better plan.
I see. Thank you.
I think this will provide some insight into what Robert George thinks should have happened. He has written pretty widely on the general subject.
Well if you live in Montana and body slam someone you can, apparently, serve your country in public office…