Commentary: College Administrators and Professors Finally Reap What They Sow

by David Huber

 

One of my favorite all-time films is 1982’s “The Verdict” starring Paul Newman as down-and-out attorney Frank Galvin who takes on a case against the Archdiocese of Boston.

After astonishingly turning down a settlement offer from the defendant and opting to go to trial, Galvin soon loses his star witness.

Desperate and not knowing what to do, Galvin goes to the home of the trial judge late at night to beg for a continuance.

The judge slowly closes the door in his face and says “I have no sympathy for you.”

Consider me the judge these past few weeks when it comes to far-left college professors and administrators, most especially those in the Ivy League. Their campuses have transformed into literal encampments of overly privileged crybullies who really believe Israel is the villain in the current Mideast conflict, and the long-time terrorist group Hamas is the good guy.

Though many of these dolts must think COVID is still a threat judging by the number of masks they have on, any of their rhetorical masks are now off as blatant antisemitism is freely expressed and celebrated. Stuff like “Zionists don’t deserve to live” courtesy of Columbia U. Gaza Solidarity Encampment leader Khymani James (who uses “he, she” and “they” pronouns).

This individual also said “I think that taking someone’s life in certain case scenarios is necessary and better for the overall world,” and compared killing Zionists to offing Hitler and the revolutionary slave uprising in Haiti beginning in the late 18th century.

He/she/they also rejects a two-state solution to the Israel/Palestinian situation: “Palestinians need all their land back, full stop.”

Keep in mind James said a lot of this back in January without any apparent consequences. Now that it’s gotten out and around, Columbia felt it had to do something … and word is that he/she/they has now been expelled.

Naturally, James is playing the victim — which is par for the course.

These are the very same students who perpetually whine about and want action taken regarding  “microaggressions,” create “language guides” so their peers don’t make the “mistake” of using a word that is completely innocuous for 99 percent of the rest of the population, and blame an ever-malleable “whiteness” for any ill they can think of.

Recently Harvard medical and dental students were cheesed that a “welcome” video they created for newly admitted students had pro-Palestinian messages cut from it. One of these was an image of a watermelon as, supposedly, its colors are the same as the Palestinian flag.

Amazingly, black students didn’t object to the image; of course, if any other group had used such symbolism it would have been protested for days with student groups issuing demands such as expulsion.

Further, remember how much negative student press was devoted to Professor Amy Wax at Penn? She had made the allegedly grievous error of referencing the paucity of black students in the top 25 percent of graduating classes … and it pretty much snowballed from there.

This past week, The Daily Pennsylvanian showcased the complaints of various members of the women’s rowing team regarding alleged racist behavior by a member of the men’s team. The story even includes the following warning at the top: “This article contains mentions of racial discrimination against Black people and racial slurs that can be disturbing and/or triggering for some readers. Please find resources listed at the bottom of the article.”

But the thoughts and feelings of Penn Jewish students? Meh.

To the north, a bunch of untenured clowns, er, professors at Columbia signed on to a letter of “solidarity” with the anti-Israel protesters at that school: “We stand with you in solidarity, we are appalled by what has been happening on our campus, and we want to help you reclaim your University.”

In it they blast Columbia’s “culture of fear and intimidation” and allege student activists are being “arbitrarily suspended” for “protesting on the basis of [their] sincere moral and political views, or simply for holding those views.”

A glance at many of their faculty pages (those who were “brave” enough to use their real monikers) reveals research interests such as Marxism, feminism, environmentalism, etc. Shocker!!

This must be why Ivy League students, supposedly our “best and brightest,” fail to grasp how the First Amendment actually works. For them, “free speech” means being allowed to occupy/disrupt/scream at whoever, wherever, and whenever. What’s more hilarious, however, is when activists’ tough façades fade away faster than Joe Biden’s train of thought when challenged.

In the near future perhaps their excuses can include screaming “I’M A PROFESSOR!!” when they’re about to be arrested for trespassing, interfering with an arrest, etc.

This certainly isn’t a phenomenon exclusive to the Ivies — look and listen to how far-left students at Cal Poly reacted to police moving in on their “occupation.”

To top it all off, a pair of New York University demonstrators had to admit when interviewed that they didn’t even know what the hell they were protesting.

Best of luck, colleges. You’re gonna need it. A lot.

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Dave has been writing about education, politics, and entertainment for over 20 years, including a stint at the popular media bias site Newsbusters. He is a retired educator with over 25 years of service and is a member of the National Association of Scholars. Dave holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Delaware.
Photo “Harvard Yard Encampment” by The Harvard Crimson.

 

 

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