Elite College Campuses Erupt - What To Do?

 

Elite college campuses erupt. Administrators and fund-raisers, known as “presidents,” largely don't know what to do. It's really not that hard, fellas and gals, or it shouldn't be.

Based on what we learned in the 1960's and 70's, what should we think about this? I have a bunch of thoughts, not yet congealed. One thing for sure – don't let it fester. If you do, general reaction will be to elect Nixon and Reagan. Letting it fester, without guiding the flow of the stream and just letting it overflow, would be malpractice.

It's interesting that the outrage over probable war crimes against the Gaza population has quickly metamorphosed into cries to wipe out Israel.  I guess that's the way these things go, especially in the spring.   A lot of Arabs among the university population is probably responsible for a lot of that.  It's par for the course worldwide for many lefty faculty to have delusions of sainthood. Idealism is a good thing. But fanaticism is a bad thing. Enforcing laws can help to tell the difference.

It is such a shame that so many administrators are inept.  They should offer alternative, acceptable ways for students and faculty to express themselves - set up places where they can give their talks, let those come who want to.  Think of their presentations as teach-ins, provide safety for all who come, no to counter-demonstrations, but yes to counter teach-ins.  If there are to be direct person to person confrontations, they need to be supervised. You say universities are about the search for truth? Make it so. Use your words. If they don't work, you'll have to use your monopoly on violence – meaning expulsion, fining, incarceration. Indulgence doesn't stop contagions.

In other words, just saying "not this" is not enough; they have to offer the alternative and say, "not that, but this."  And then enforce it.  Letting things go and hoping they will burn themselves out is stupid; they don't, or at least not for a long time.  The specific penalties and enforcement means can vary.  Certainly, anyone from outside the campus needs to be prosecuted if they make trouble.

While I deeply disagree with the sentiments of the protestors, it is just elementary to say that they need to be able to express themselves.  If they want to practice civil disobedience, they should not be physically harmed, but they should be prosecuted; civil disobedience contemplates this consequence. No blocking of the ordinary business of the university, no canceling of classes, no intimidation. If they feel deeply enough to be expelled and arrested, trusting that they will be proved right by time, they can do that. Personally, I think they will regret it, but then, I was careful not to get arrested in 1969 when I marched in the streets of DC. I don't go nuts.

The incompetent leaders of these universities need to remember that the spread of student uprisings in 1968 obeyed the epidemiologic rules of contagious spread.  Prevention needs to be practiced. When student uprisings occur, reaction is just around the corner.  Although, as a friend pointed out, 2024 is far from 1968.  The country is divided, but not on fire.  Still, as a householder who had the Oakland fire come within three blocks of his house, I'm convinced that making sure fires are well put out is a good practice.

What should Jews do?  Unlike the Jewish fascist government in Israel -- Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir and Smoltrich are basically the Killers of the Jewish Dream -- righteous American Jews should call for debate, call for civilized discourse, positively acknowledge the right to free speech, and at the same time call for enforcement of law, and express their own willingness to let the law be enforced. They should also tell the administrators that if they don't enforce the law properly, they will be forcing Jews once again the protect themselves, and any blood will be on the hands of the administrators. Jews will not be bullied. You do it, or we will. Schmucks.

Budd Shenkin