The University of Virginia in an Uproar Again—Over a Single Faculty Hire

James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal ^ | August 17, 2018 | John Rosenberg

[reaganaut1]

With the memory of last August’s violent alt-right protest and counter-protest still raw, the University of Virginia is again under siege.

The new invasion actually began a few weeks ahead of schedule. “As grim anniversary nears,” the Chronicle of Higher Education began its coverage in late July, and Inside Higher Ed also emphasized “the approaching one-year anniversary of the white supremacist march on Charlottesville.” Nor has attention been limited to academic circles, with both Huffington Post and Talking Points Memo, for example, reporting objections to the “unconscionable” new invasion.

Unlike last August, however, when hundreds of white supremacists, many of them armed, descended upon what Jefferson called the “academical village” of Charlottesville, this year’s invading alien force consists of only one unarmed man, Marc Short. Until recently, Short was President Trump’s legislative director. He’s been offered a position at the Miller Center, an affiliate of UVa that specializes in studies of the presidency and public policy.

The reaction in the UVa community to Short’s hiring was fast and furious. A protest petition was immediately circulated—in just a few days signed by over 2,000 academical villagers.

Although the protesters detest everything about Trump, their white-hot outrage is reserved for Trump’s comments last August when, as Inside Higher Ed put it, he “infamously blamed” the violence at Charlottesville on both sides. In the view of the petition signers, the fact—and it is a fact—that violence clearly came from both sides does not absolve Trump and those who do not sufficiently repudiate him from the crime of claiming moral equivalence—that the violent alt-left (antifa) protesters were as bad as the alt-right protesters.

[McGavin999]

Ok so any university that gives in to these babies should have their federal funds cut in half. After all, they surely wouldn’t want the money from all those Trump supporters.

And if one of my kids pulled that crap, they would find their suitcase packed and sitting on the curb.

[a fool in paradise]

so there is an academic blacklist. Commies suck. For 70 years they’ve told us how wrong it was to blacklist card carrying Communists in league with Joseph Stalin and the KGB.

They’ve also denied Soviet influence in media, academia, political office, protest movements, labor strikes, antiwar marches, riots, terrorism, and elections for 70 years. But now “collusion” because Trump won.

[fella]

I am ashamed of the university of my home state.

What was once a center of free speech and open debate of all ideas has been transformed into a hate filled intolerant lynch mob.

[Soul of the South]

” OK, so any university that gives in to these babies should have their federal funds cut in half.”

Cut in half? How about cut all federal funds? It is long past time to end all federal support for public education. Terminate the Department of Education and let the states individual determine which functions of that department they wish to assume (and tax their citizens to support) and which are not needed. End the federal student loan programs and let the private sector and/or the state governments be responsible for making student loans and collecting what is owed.

These historian academics at the University of Virginia apparently do not have the intellectual curiosity to read and understand the principles on which the University was founded. Thomas Jefferson, the founder, wrote about his University, “This institution will be based on the illimitable freedom of the human mind. For here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it.”

Jefferson would be appalled by members of the university community seeking to ban an individual from the campus due to his “speech”, beliefs, or service to an administration. Jefferson would have encouraged healthy debate of the issues, not banning a person or idea, no matter how repugnant.

[metmom]

Ok so any university that gives in to these babies should have their federal funds cut in half. After all, they surely wouldn’t want the money from all those Trump supporters.

Yeah, they're opposed to Trump.

Until they want something.

[softengine]

My thoughts exactly. I expect it will only get worse from here on out. I am glad that we are finally standing up to these ogres, but I worry that it will be too little, too late.

[cyclotic]

My daughter lives in Charlottesville. I refer to it as Berkeley East. She’s one of six known conservatives in the city.

Toxic liberalism has poisoned the college and the entire community with their mental disorder