In CMC article I don’t see anything so disgraceful as someone mentioned. I did notice in their picture how integrated their protesters are. Quite a bit more so than in pictures of Yale protesters. Good for them.
My point is, the protesters today do not seem to have the courage of their convictions. Every alternative idea, every possible option is threat if it doesn’t come from their own specific agenda. Discomfort immobilizes them, so they avoid and decry uncomfortable strategies, like embracing free speech.
I would be a little less apt to make such putative judgments on these young people.
One, they are young. Two, and more forthcoming and germane, this is not unlike what is played out at the highest level of government (e.g. you place this rider on this appropriation bill (on a totally unrelated topic–planned parenthood) or we threat to shut-down the government. So, are they petulant and emotionally precocious, or did they just emulate and identify the best way to advance their specific agenda???
The #2 stipulation is appalling. They are selecting one man, and demanding he become the scapegoat for all the ills of society that may have touched the campus, since the campus is part of society. By the way, “all the ills of society” was an expression I had used earlier in the thread saying too many offenses were being lumped in to these protests, but was challenged for saying that. Hmm. Real people’s lives are being hurt by these students, who have the audacity to call themselves “compassionate.” Based on #9, they are only compassionate enough to protect the jobs of those who agree with them. Sadly, they completely lack any self-awareness if they cannot see that they are tyrants every bit as bad as their alleged oppressors.
And how is that different than ideological politicians on a single issue, who would shut down the entire US government. And to be specifically noted, the amount of appropriation (planned parenthood) was about 400 million) the lost per day, during the shutdown, was 1.6 billion, or four times the amount, for just one day lost. So, please have a little perspective and context…
Time for all parents of Yale students who disagree with the random demands of Next Yale to tell their kids that the time to save their university is now and they will be proud of their kids if they take it to the streets too.
BoolaHI, I don’t think you’ll find many Americans who approved of how little Congress has been able to accomplish lately, and there was certainly ample criticism of that sort of uncompromising behavior. That said, politicians are elected based on their views and promises they will further a certain agenda in Washington, which is how representative government is designed to work. There were elections. These students are speaking for themselves, and may or may not represent the opinion of most minority students on campus.
This speech muzzling movement would seem totally laughable if we hadn’t seen this all before:
McCarthyism
The Cultural Revolution
The Khmer Rouge regime
FYI
“Struggle sessions”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Struggle_session
Re: Struggle sessions — Don’t give them any ideas, @GMTplus7 !!!
In Washington, there are counterbalancing sides. When one side protests, the other side pushes back. Not terribly efficient as we all know, but there is usually a powerful faction representing both sides of the equation.
In these recent college uprisings, there have been some examples of administrations caving into one side’s perspective without necessarily hearing, or valuing, all sides of the equation. This is where free speech comes in. No side should feel stifled or incapable of expressing their perspective on, well, most anything.
Isn’t that what college is supposed to be so good at? Isn’t that why many of us prize the college experience for our kids?
I don’t mind the Yale/Missouri/Amherst/CMC/others? movements’ agendas. Bring it on! I do think these students have something to say, and I’d like to hear it. The problem I have is what seems to be an insistence on hearing their side only.
I wonder if employers will interview on these campuses in the spring? Who would want one of these students in their employ?
" there have been some examples of administrations caving into one side’s perspective without necessarily hearing, or valuing, all sides of the equation"
Please provide a specific example, do you know for FACT, that the administration do not hear or listen to both sides. If not, that borders on hyperbole.
My point is, you want or expect, best practices out of students, when are most senior elected officials and institutions, practice a form of winner take all politics…please.
Sorry, but I have high standards for people whom challenge power. First of all, they must come to the table with clean hands, although as I learned in politics a long time ago…; don’t quibble with the leadership of someone you don’t like if his/her methods can bring about your goals. Second, proffering an argument and engaging in intimidation are two different things. I reject the latter. Finally, be willing to compromise and tell me what sacrifices you are willing to make. As Frederick Douglas teaches us, power concedes nothing without sacrifice. That’s a problem with some young people today; they haven’t read Douglas, M.L. King, DuBois, David Walker, Gwendolyn Brooks or Nikki Giovanni.
And btw, I have worked with more than a couple of universities, including an academic fellowship at one of those mentioned above, and there is no instance, in which the schools,did they not take time to gather the facts, and provide a forum to hear all sides of the story. If you think, EC does not have both formal as well as backchannels to both the provost and chancellor’s office, you need to do more investigation and research to the inner workings of higher education.
Other side can speak up too. But if they elect not to they will get “ethnic studies” as a distribution requirement for now. Later they may get to participate in public “privilege checking” sessions in front of Sterling library.
@tatinG, idk. I think some of these students would be amazing in the right type of careers. They have passion and energy and purpose. Some of this stuff really can be chalked up to youthful ideology. Even the poor girl who lost her temper at Yale… I’d rather hire someone with some passion and a sense of purpose than a meek rule-follower.
Which is why I think it’s SO important for those who disagree with these movements to confront and speak up themselves, like the CMC kids did in their very well-written “dissent” article.
Of course, I would not want an intransigent, intolerant person in my employ either. I think some of these protestors have exhibited an alarming intolerance of the exact nature that they are fighting in others.
:I wonder if employers will interview on these campuses in the spring? Who would want one of these students in their employ?"
I think most employers are savvy enough to know that these protesters are typically a loud, vocal, minority and that the bulk of students are hard-working and just want to get their education and move on with things.
And there are plenty of social justice employers out there.
@boolaHI, you are absolutely right, I do not have examples other than what I have been (cursorily) reading these past couple of days. I am thinking of the CMC resignation, but of course that may have come after considered contemplation by the administration. My leap to conclusion was based on the timing of the resignation - so very quickly after the CMC demonstration. Beyond that, I have no examples.
I should amend my opinion to be more of a cry to the currently targeted administrations to consider all sides before acting. Which, as you point out, hopefully they are doing.
And yes, I do expect more of our students; they are adults-in-training and now is the best time to teach them about how to resolve conflict and create a better world for all. It’s too late for our elected officials, but not for them.
I am shocked that a Yale guy can be so stupid as to use a racist putdown as a form of flirtation.
All of that said, I am not in support of the termination of EC et al. I think a reassignment is both practically necessary, and almost dictated at this point. However, I think, teaching moments should be afforded to all of us, even those with CVs that make most gasp with envy…
FYI
Claremont McK school editorial about the administration caving in
http://claremontindependent.com/we-dissent/