Ever since the shooting in Parkland, FL, I have noticed a phenomenon in college communications to my high school senior.
All of a sudden, my student’s inbox is packed with holier than thou emails from colleges (just dripping with self righteous bravado) extolling the virtues of “thoughtful, peaceful dissent”. They are given a pass and told they will not - “be adversely affected in the admissions process if they have engaged in peaceful, respectful protests”. Some refer to Issues of the day and some specifically reference protests against gun violence. Some even give the student a pass if they are disciplined or arrested for these actions.
Interesting to see this new found commitment to freedom of expression. Where was that commitment last year at Berkeley or Middlebury?
Last point, are these efforts done on a coordinated basis? Or, are they just copying one another?
I don’t understand. Do you mean the protection of the student protesters or the speakers?
These two incidents aren’t every comparable as the high school students are protesting gun violence while at the colleges it was against conservative speakers/ideas.
Well to be honest I think many of these schools are very supportive of CERTAIN subjects of freedom of expression. I am not surprised that gun control is one of those subjects – more conservative views I imagine are still pretty unwelcome.
Not sure but I wager that there have been far more universities who have felt the necessity to address the issue than actual students affected by suspensions. I think the only reason most schools did it is because a few schools started it and got press about it. Even if you had never considered not accepting someone because of such an event you had to make your statement because now it’s expected. Emails are easy and it’s easy to post of FB or other sites.
Not Orwellian, OP. Of course the statements are similar; the colleges read each other’s statements, many of which were quite eloquent,and it was mentioned in college admission phone conferences. I would expect the statements to be similar if not identical, just like the college’s statements as equal employment opportunity followers are identical, or those about being nonprofit education organizations for tax purposes, should be close to identical. They are all stating their policy, which over 200 colleges have done.
I think it is because many high schoolers have planned walk outs and may be getting calls from students to ask if they were to get in trouble will they be rescinded. In addition, there was a high school on the news saying students who walked out would be suspended. My daughter who is a senior has gotten a similar email from several colleges but I just figured it saves them from phone calls.
To me it seems like colleges are saying if you get in trouble for walking out or anything peaceful we don’t care. However if you get in trouble for a violent act we do not guarantee that you will not be rescinded. It is at the same time since students/families from all over the country are calling colleges from all over. It feels like a much bigger movement this time in the past but I could be wrong about that. Here is one quick article I found https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/03/why-colleges-are-embracing-the-neveragain-movement/554723/
This is the first time one of my children has received a bevy of similar emails on one current event topic? At best it reads of groupthink and non critical thinking. At worst, the colleges are signaling what position is acceptable, and therefore the opposing position is not acceptable.
The colleges are giving the prospective students a marker on what position to take on an issue.
Imagine the schools, in lockstep, sent emails to prospective students encouraging that they protest against abortion clinics and providers. And, that they defiantly walk out of classes to perform such protests.
Given all this background … what student would want to argue for the second amendment at a university that sent them one of these emails?
Peaceful protest is peaceful protest regardless of the issue. So it’s a good question. Will kids be treated the same when they walk out for/against (insert your topic here)?
Plenty of students, organizers, and Marchers support the second amendment, OP. The March isn’t intended to be partisan-it is intended to draw attention to the now 12 school shootings so far this year, and demand more attention be paid to school safety, as well as to honor the dead. Thousands of law-abiding adult gun owners will be joining our local March, in support of common sense restrictions on gun ownership.
Perhaps the colleges are remembering the actions of our founding fathers:
Age in 1776-
Marquis de Lafayette: 18
James Monroe: 18
Aaron Burr: 20
Nathaniel Hale: 21
Alexander Hamilton: 21
I noticed the college comments after the Needville, TX school district threatened students with out of school suspension, saying that their college applications/admissions might be in jeopardy. The colleges were responding and clarifying their position, supporting the students’ first amendment rights to peaceful seek change.