In the spring of 1968, Communist-led students invaded Columbia's Lowe Library, demanding no new gymnasium, no ROTC, free love, free drugs, surrender to the Soviets in everything—and amnesty for "occupying" the building to begin with.
Meanwhile, the campus athletes disapproved. They marched toward the library, announcing their intention of throwing the long-haired weenies out and restoring order.
The faculty (speaking of former and current Communists) were horrified at the idea—even though it was a library, a seat of learning, which had been commandeered and vandalized. True to Sowell's description of academics as temporizing idiots, Columbia's world-class intellectuals (and they were) encircled the building by holding hands. How sensitive. How . . . pansy.
The athletes were gentlemen. They held back, rather than tossing aside the old fools. The evil radicals stayed for days, and chaos spread from Columbia to the nation.
I heard all this as it happened, broadcast on Columbia's radio station, WKCR-FM. My father was an alum. We were ashamed just hearing about it, because we had some idea what it portended for the country's future. And the "protesters" were such spoiled, pretentious, venal, narcissistic wimps. Instead of young men, they were whiny little boys. Believe me, today's college airheads are no more ignorant or cynical than the student "leaders" of that time.
It seems that I remember some of that incident, it did hit the national news. There was so much anarchy going on on campuses at about that time it was refreshing that someone was willing to stand up to them.
dude, i almost remember the ‘60’s. almost...