Realizing there may be damn few of them, suppose they’re just trying to get through their day, they just want to study for finals, and get this semester of classes behind them.
These Pro Palestinian protestors are disrupting their education. I’m not sure if We The People are paying for the tuition or if their parents are paying the bill.
Either way, whether the students who are not involved in protests know it or not, the Protestors are literally stealing from them. The protests disrupt classes, the students who don’t want to participate, regardless of their religion or personal beliefs are being harassed and made to feel unsafe by the students angrily engaging in the protests.
The passions of the young are easily inflamed and difficult to quell. Physical violence has occurred and more will occur the longer these encampments are in place. Particularly to those students having to cross a minefield of tents attempting to get to class.
Columbia has decided to finish the term virtually. Rendering dorm rental wasted. For those students at other colleges that are not able to attend classes, I ask, will their fees be refunded? The Schools have not fulfilled their obligation to provide an environment conducive to education. Isn’t that part of the educational contract?
Were I a parent, I’d be demanding a full refund for the wasted semester, and suing on behalf of my child or children, the organizers of the protests for time lost in my children’s pursuit of their degrees. I’d be teaching my children that someone wasting their time is as egregious as actively taking material goods.
As we all know, time cannot be replaced.
How will those students with job offers contingent upon their graduation be compensated for the loss of those jobs. Because they might not be able to complete their required classes to graduate on time? Who do they ”Thank” for unemployment?
It’s one thing to peacefully protest. That is the right of American Citizens guaranteed by The Constitution. Disrupting other peoples lives to a great extent, shutting down public spaces (even if those places are on private property,) is not.
Hold your signs, march in the streets after getting proper permitting, protest in a public square or park without obstructing others passing through these areas. I & many others would even defend your right to do so. In this case I loathe the Palestinians, & Hamas. That said, it is my duty to protect peaceful protestors from harm.
I believe that. For me to do otherwise would be hypocritical.
But I could not in good conscience protect these protestors, because they’re impairing the rights of other students. The equation is a difficult one to balance. However, the rights of all must be protected equally on no-one will have rights.
I’m glad to see Columbia suspending or expelling students. There must be consequences to actions. Some of the hate filled rhetoric I’ve heard directed at Jewish students is no different than Germany pre World War II. A group saying, “Blacks back to Africa,” shutting down a college campus wouldn’t be tolerated. Saying, “Muslims go fuck a goat” or calling Muslims, “Rapist Goat Fucking, followers of a psycho prophet,” would result in god knows how many hate crime charges, (depending on the country you said it in.)
Yet, it’s okay for non islamic students to wrap themselves in the Palestinian flag or Keffiyehs to tell Jewish students, “You’re not welcome here, go kill yourself, kill all Zionists.”
Really? None of this seems equal to me.
I also have to ask, if all these kids are wearing Keffiyehs but are not Islamic, isn’t that cultural appropriation? We’ve been told for the past 5 -10 years cultural appropriation is a monumental SIN right?
What makes this different?
Nothing!
Except, that this narrative, the narrative of bullies is being tolerated. All sin may be forgiven in service to the greater goal.
The goal in this situation is to create as much chaos and confusion as possible in the run up to the November election.
The goal is also to harm as many innocents as possible in this country.
Hamas & the Palestinians whose purpose is sowing division here in this country need to be expelled & sent right back to Gaza.
Southern California Edison is trying something new. Instead of killing our power for “Scheduled Maintenance” in the daytime. This time they did it at 2am. Sigh!
I don’t in general like Alec Baldwin. I used to like his performances in some movies. But he began at some point to be too full of himself and lost his appeal.