Posted on 03/13/2017 10:17:45 PM PDT by aquila48
There’s nothing like a little violence to focus the mind. I am the Middlebury College professor who ended up with whiplash and a concussion for having the audacity to engage with the ideas of Charles Murray, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.
Though he is someone with whom I disagree, I welcomed the opportunity to moderate a talk with him on campus on March 2 because several of my students asked me to do so. They know I am a Democrat, but the college courses I teach are nonpartisan. As I wrote on Facebook immediately after the incident, this was a chance to demonstrate publicly a commitment to a free and fair exchange of views in my classroom. But Dr. Murray was drowned out by students who never let him speak, and he and I were attacked and intimidated while trying to leave campus.
In the days after the violence, some have spun this story as one about what’s wrong with elite colleges and universities, our coddled youth or intolerant liberalism. Those analyses are incomplete.
Political life and discourse in the United States is at a boiling point, and nowhere is the reaction to that more heightened than on college campuses. Throughout an ugly campaign and into his presidency, President Trump has demonized Muslims as terrorists and dehumanized many groups of marginalized people. He declared the free press an enemy of the people, replaced deliberation with tweeting, and seems bent on dismantling the separation of powers and 230 years of progress this country has made toward a more perfect union. Much of the free speech he has inspired — or has refused to disavow — is ugly, and has already had ugly real-world consequences. College students have seen this, and have taken note: Speech can become action.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Ms. Stanger,
President Trump has not demonized Muslims as terrorists. He demonized Muslim terrorists. Can you not perceive the difference?
Very little of the press you refer to is “free”. Describing it as a “hive mind” is far more accurate a description.
You claim President Trump is intent on destroying the separation of powers in the US. How so? Is his rescinding of President Obama’s often clearly unconstitutional orders some sort of attack on separation of powers? Is ordering that existing laws be enforced also that sort of attack? I would argue that insistence that laws be enforced as written strengthens the legislative branch, not weakens it.
Has President Trump done anything further than simply state his disagreement with certain rulings certain judges? Has his administration defied any court orders? Is he not free to state his disagreement, so long as he complies? Who is the censor here?
How many Trump supporters have actually engaged in instances of public violence? How many anti-Trump persons have done so?
Shall I continue?
They’ve met with incredible success shutting down free speech, and the election of Trump set them back (and they know it).
Their violence is in “safe” areas; they are powerless outside of leftist bastions - which they rarely visit anyway (preferring to safely watch Hollywood mock it from their living rooms).
But the good professor SAID; "President Trump has demonized Muslims as terrorists ..."
This mantra is FIRMLY affixed in the Liberal mind as well as the FACT that Sarah said, "I can see Russia from my house."
Rich elite liberal kids who never had to work a day in their life and will never have to work in the future. After their students days are over they can become full time protestors living off of their trust funds...
Meet me again at Kent State!
Basically she’s saying:
Leftist violence is all Trump’s fault.
Talk about brainwashed.
So ending up in the hospital isn’t enough? I wonder what she’ll think when some dissenter ends up in a coffin?
I did feel sorry for her, but not anymore.
Allison YOU ARE GUTLESS. You’re afraid of your peers. Shame on you for your pusillanimous response to FASCISM.
Alison is smart and has the background sufficient to understand Murray’s writings. Most professors don’t have that background. However, if Alison wants to keep her distinguished professorship she can’t betray her liberal/Marxist colleagues.
I suspect Alison is a bit of a publicity hound. She knew inviting Murray to Middlebury would result in a protest and maybe get her invited to appear on ABC, CNN, etc. Her plan backfired. Her friends attacked her. LOL
How any parents would send their child to this cesspool is beyond me. And pay $60,000 to do it!
Having seen "her" photo in #21 -- we definitely have reason to doubt your above assignment of "gender"... '-)
It puts me in mind of the aftermath of the disruption which caused Trump to cancel a rally in Chicago. The first similarity, of course, was that no Republicans were causing the disruption and violence.But the other salient point, to me, was Senator Cruz’ reaction to the disruption. First - like this professor - he criticized those (Democrats who were ultimately outted by Project Veritas) who caused the disruption. But second - again, like the professor - Senator Cruz criticized Mr. Trump. That was an unforced error on Cruz’ part; when the topic is violence either political considerations are moot or you are complicit in the violence.
I doubt that the professor wants to be associated with Sen. Cruz. But by mentioning political rationalization of the violence at all she is amply justifying that association.
Yep, you need to hold a clear line rather than muddying things up and seeking to “understand” like the battered professor does in her piece.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.