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""Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual.""
Posted on 11/13/2015 10:26:44 AM PST by randita
Protesters want the school president to denounce the actions of students who displayed "All Lives Matter" and "Free Speech" posters.
They also demand he warn the student body that in the future "racially insensitive" speech would merit disciplinary actions.
Students at Amherst College are demanding that the school's president accede to a list of demands that would effectively eliminate free speech on campus.
The demands, which were presented in person Thursday evening to college President Biddy Martin, are outlined in a letter published by Amherst Soul, which also notes that the students expect action to be initiated within "24-48 hours" and completed by Wednesday, November 18 (roughly six days after they were first issued). If those deadlines are not met, they warn, "we will organize and respond in a radical manner, through civil disobedience."
The ultimatum grew out of a sit-in held earlier in the day as part of the "Stand with Mizzou" movement, during which members of a variety of student organizations on campus collaborated to identify the actions they believe must be taken in response to the "legacy of oppression" at Amherst, notably through the creation of "safe spaces" and the criminalization of "offensive" sentiments.
"We have begun this movement, Amherst Uprising, in an effort to change the status quo for a more just and inclusive environment within our campus," the letter states. "We demand that Amherst become a leader in the fight to promote a better social climate towards individuals who have been systematically oppressed."
First, the students demand that both President Martin and Board of Trustees Chairman Cullen Murphy issue statements apologizing to those impacted by "injustices including but not limited to our institutional legacy of white supremacy, colonialism, anti-black racism, anti-Latinx [sic] racism, anti-Native American racism, anti-Native/indigenous racism, anti-Asian racism, anti-Middle Eastern racism, heterosexism, cis-sexism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, ableism, mental health stigma, and classism."
Anticipating a negative reaction to their letter, the students also insist that the campus police department "must issue a statement of protection and defense from any form of violence, threats, or retaliation of any kind resulting from this movement."
More specifically, they want President Martin to denounce the actions of students who displayed "All Lives Matter" and "Free Speech" posters, and to warn the student body that in the future, "racially insensitive" speech would merit disciplinary action.
Not content merely to purge the school of opinions with which they disagree, the students also demand that they be given time off from class and that the school’s mascot be expunged.
"Dean Epstein must ask faculty to excuse all students from all 5 College classes, work shifts, and assignments from November 12th, 2015 to November 13th, 2015 given their organization of and attendance at the Sit-In," reads the eighth item on the list. A few bullet points further down, they add, "Dean Epstein must encourage faculty to provide a space for students to discuss this week's events during class time."
Regarding the school's mascot, the students want Martin to release a statement by Friday at 5:00 p.m. "that condemns the inherently racist nature of the unofficial mascot, the Lord Jeff," and to follow up by encouraging the removal of all related imagery from campus.
Lord Jeff is a reference to Amherst's namesake, British Field Marshal Jeffery Amherst, who some historians believe encouraged the distribution of smallpox-infected blankets to Native Americans with whom the British were fighting during the French and Indian War.
After the list of demands concludes, the students note that they will require further, as-yet unspecified, action from the administration, as well.
"Please acknowledge that all of these statements of apology are not the end all - that they are only a part of short-term healing and by no means achieve all of the goals we will set forth," the letter states. "We are in the process of finalizing long-term goals which we hope to collaborate on regularly with all members of the community."
Campus Reform is currently awaiting comment from Amherst on President Martin's response to the students' demands, and will update this story once the statement has been provided.
Why do people go there?
Or the name of the town!
Taking that firm a stance would require courage and a spine; two items not readily in evidence in academic “leadership” at the moment.
I never thought I’d live to see the day when a simple,bland comment like “All lives matter” would be controversial.
Insanity.
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An excellent illustration of irony.
It looks like it’s still there. It’s directly affiliated with the RNC, which already means “squish”, but on top of that, “Republican” in Massachusetts means a very different thing from “Republican” in a Red State.
It’s PC to the max and it’s what preceded Hitler.
Folks need to wake up to the dangers of PC.
As you say, “All lives matter” is controversial?
Since when is the value of every human life not important?
In Dictatorial Communism and the archipelago they aren’t. In Benevolent Capitalism and Constitutional Republics it is.
we weren’t very nice... he he he
Innocent people are already being hurt.
Students are paying big money to attend classes to learn something. All this campus chaos is disrupting the learning environment. Non-leftists are probably concerned for their safety when going to class. Surely the faculty & staff must be fearful.
These students need to warn the college that it will be sued for lost class time & the dangerous environment on campus. Students & parents have paid in advance for their classes, & they damn sure have a right to attend classes without fear of intimidation & wasted class time.
College presidents need to step up to the mic & tell these anarchists that is is they who are the haters, they are the ones creating “unsafe spaces”. They are the cause of fear on campus, & it will not be tolerated. That their demands are not only unreasonable, but that their method of presenting them (riots) is unacceptable. They should be put on immediate notice that they will be arrested for their crimes, & expelled from the school.
And if 90% of these jackasses drop out or are expelled, the schools will be a far better place.
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""Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual.""
Nothing like biting the hand that feeds them! Hilarious.
I hope those who have kids going to college will chose wisely these days.
Time to start kicking some bad apples out of Amhearst. Either that or capitulate and let the far lefties run the college.
Time to pick up the trash and put it in the proper place,the dump.
Thanks for the ping; visuals; thread. National Socialists, Marxists, Mohammedans, secular totalitarians - united they stand. War - anyway, anywhere. They are also running for the highest office in America.
The universalism of Islam, in its all-embracing creed, is imposed on the believers as a continuous process of warfare, psychological and political, if not strictly military - The Jihad, accordingly, may be stated as a doctrine of a permanent state of war, not continuous fighting. Majid Khadduri; The Quranic Concept of War
“”Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual.””>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Then Obama will rue the day he ever obscured his forged birth certificate in Hawaii.It might even mean his death. So be it.
It worked with gay marriage, why shouldn’t they try it again?
I agree
I vote for kicking...
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