I'm visiting my alma mater for the first time in years next month for an event for my older son's baseball team. I am curious to see what it's like. The last time I can clearly recall being on campus was to attend a basketball game around 10 years ago.
I went to the big state flagship which seems like it might be less of a flash point. There was a lot of visible activism when I was there but the place is too big to disrupt like you read about at small schools, the exception being post game rioting.
I agree with you that the results will be bad. What's happening is probably best understood as Extremely Online lashing out.
What I would nevertheless like to see, assuming anyone and anything survives, is a restoration of the idea that these institutions are to be sober and humble stewards of the money and privileges bestowed on them.
I think the unfortunate reality is that they brought this on themselves. Contra what David said above no university, public or private, is entitled to public money. Public universities are creations of the state, private universities are eligible for what they get, including via federally backed loans, by virtue of following (lots and lots of) rules set by the government.
Historically they've gotten that money because of the belief that they are providing a valuable service to the broader citizenry, and the country as a hole. The youthful antics are tolerated to the extent they have to be for institutions to complete their larger mission. But the funding is allocated for the students doing what Jaybird mentioned, i.e. completing their coursework and getting a degree. It isn't to create a forum for the endless accommodation of the most self indulgent types of activism. If that's how it ends up being used, or even just perceived as being used, it's no mystery that eventually someone is going to start yanking it back, including by enforcement of all the rules the schools certify they're following to the letter.
Make no mistake, I think we are all going to lose if that happens in a comprehensive way, but it's a completely predictable consequence.
Similar reaction. My gut has been to say the Republicans have a majority, let them figure it out. At the same time the last thing you want to do is end up empowering Trump. The courts are slow but they aren't giving him carte blanche.
Dave Mustaine narrowed the responsibilities down to talking to God, going to court when you have to, showing up to work on time, and paying your bills.
Sure, if there is a bill with true bi-partisan backing or in fact would be good for Democrats strategically (i.e. your 80/20 issue) there's no harm in hopping on that train. Go for it. But that's not what the core fights in Congress are going to be over. It's all going to be about whether massive cuts in Medicaid are made as a partial offset for tax cuts weighted towards the wealthiest. That ain't an 80/20 issue and the Republicans need to be left to do that one on their own, if they even can.
I agree. I just also happen to not have an astoundingly convenient amnesia about what the last decade and a half or so of life have been like on this topic.
I'm not sure Jaybird is right about that. Columbia is private but we've had 15-20 odd years of ideological purges, deplatforming incidents, and compelled speech at state schools (which absolutely are the government) and institutions like Columbia that probably wouldn't exist without the benefit of public money.
Assuming this guy didn't actually commit any crimes I think this is a serious escalation but if there's a distinction it's a matter of degree rather than kind. Everyone should think about where it all goes next time they cheer compelled diversity statements or firings over whatever speech not conforming to the latest trends in identity politics. At minimum I would say there is no reason to believe the political left in this country cares about freedom of speech. Which sucks since that was a big reason I signed up back in the day.
If they have grounds under the law so be it but from the reporting so far it is not clear that they do. At minimum they need to convict him first, and (again, based on my limited understanding) convict him of something pretty serious.
One of our immigration lawyers would need to step in but I believe involuntary loss of status requires being convicted of a felony. Saying Hamas is the greatest thing since sliced bread or that the Israelis had it coming or whatever isn't a crime.
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I'm visiting my alma mater for the first time in years next month for an event for my older son's baseball team. I am curious to see what it's like. The last time I can clearly recall being on campus was to attend a basketball game around 10 years ago.
I went to the big state flagship which seems like it might be less of a flash point. There was a lot of visible activism when I was there but the place is too big to disrupt like you read about at small schools, the exception being post game rioting.
I agree with you that the results will be bad. What's happening is probably best understood as Extremely Online lashing out.
What I would nevertheless like to see, assuming anyone and anything survives, is a restoration of the idea that these institutions are to be sober and humble stewards of the money and privileges bestowed on them.
I think the unfortunate reality is that they brought this on themselves. Contra what David said above no university, public or private, is entitled to public money. Public universities are creations of the state, private universities are eligible for what they get, including via federally backed loans, by virtue of following (lots and lots of) rules set by the government.
Historically they've gotten that money because of the belief that they are providing a valuable service to the broader citizenry, and the country as a hole. The youthful antics are tolerated to the extent they have to be for institutions to complete their larger mission. But the funding is allocated for the students doing what Jaybird mentioned, i.e. completing their coursework and getting a degree. It isn't to create a forum for the endless accommodation of the most self indulgent types of activism. If that's how it ends up being used, or even just perceived as being used, it's no mystery that eventually someone is going to start yanking it back, including by enforcement of all the rules the schools certify they're following to the letter.
Make no mistake, I think we are all going to lose if that happens in a comprehensive way, but it's a completely predictable consequence.
Similar reaction. My gut has been to say the Republicans have a majority, let them figure it out. At the same time the last thing you want to do is end up empowering Trump. The courts are slow but they aren't giving him carte blanche.
Dave Mustaine narrowed the responsibilities down to talking to God, going to court when you have to, showing up to work on time, and paying your bills.
Sure, if there is a bill with true bi-partisan backing or in fact would be good for Democrats strategically (i.e. your 80/20 issue) there's no harm in hopping on that train. Go for it. But that's not what the core fights in Congress are going to be over. It's all going to be about whether massive cuts in Medicaid are made as a partial offset for tax cuts weighted towards the wealthiest. That ain't an 80/20 issue and the Republicans need to be left to do that one on their own, if they even can.
I don't know why they'd give on anything without something in return. Let the Republicans own all of this.
I agree. I just also happen to not have an astoundingly convenient amnesia about what the last decade and a half or so of life have been like on this topic.
My bad!
I'm not sure Jaybird is right about that. Columbia is private but we've had 15-20 odd years of ideological purges, deplatforming incidents, and compelled speech at state schools (which absolutely are the government) and institutions like Columbia that probably wouldn't exist without the benefit of public money.
Assuming this guy didn't actually commit any crimes I think this is a serious escalation but if there's a distinction it's a matter of degree rather than kind. Everyone should think about where it all goes next time they cheer compelled diversity statements or firings over whatever speech not conforming to the latest trends in identity politics. At minimum I would say there is no reason to believe the political left in this country cares about freedom of speech. Which sucks since that was a big reason I signed up back in the day.
If they have grounds under the law so be it but from the reporting so far it is not clear that they do. At minimum they need to convict him first, and (again, based on my limited understanding) convict him of something pretty serious.
One of our immigration lawyers would need to step in but I believe involuntary loss of status requires being convicted of a felony. Saying Hamas is the greatest thing since sliced bread or that the Israelis had it coming or whatever isn't a crime.