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.
This is just the latest campaign by Obama's "Organizing for America" to try and stir things up. Fortunately, that group (and the myriad other ones that he has been shoveling taxpayer money into) are all run by complete morons.
Like the Ferguson protests, Baltimore protests, Trayvon Martin thing, and others... this will fizzle out and they'll move on to something else.
Only another year or so of this crap.
Ableism is usually defined as discrimantion against the handicapped. Given the nature of these students, though, it probably means discrimination against the incompetent or stupid.
In a weird way I am getting a perverse delight in the way these administrators are unable to control the monster they created; as you said.
The school has sold the students the rope that the students are using to hang them.
I agree. In a sane society when people act like total fascists because of a hoax there should be a huge backlash. But the liberals have gotten away with it, they will want more and more and more until they are forced to stop, if that day ever comes.
Who even pays attention to these morons? Some paying attention to them, stop taking their demands seriously, and they’ll go away.
I am disabled but I have never been discriminated against. I don’t what these fools are talking about.
The problem is that a lot of these drug-induced flatlining vermin still manage to vote.
The simple answer to this is the reply, “Or you’ll do what?” The answer is a terroristic threat and is a felony.
They left out "wishing this mob of illiterate brats would just shut up and open a book-ism". Count me in.
Isn’t it about time for some rubber bullets to fly?
At least they should be spanked...
These guys need to move to another country.
OK. We suspend free speech. Now shut the fork up and try to learn. BTW, all of you on scholarships, free rides for athletics and student jobs, YOU ARE FIRED. Have a nice day.
I also bet a good number of the parents of the devout lefty agitators have no idea what their little heads full of mush are actually doing. I recall in the 60s there was a riot at my college, the police came and drug off a few of the worse. Of course mommy and daddy of one of the worse of the bunch complained to the police chief their little brat could never have assaulted a cop. The police had film or a tape of the incident and pointed out the little brat trying to hit a cop with a board. Case Closed.
schadenfreude- pleasure derived by someone from another person’s misfortune. (especially if it is brought on by one’s own actions)
The hardest thing most of these students do is get admitted. After that they only have to pay the bill. The biggest loser is the person who hires these lunatics.
I have to admire these punks. If you go and review the promises of the Nationalists Socialist Party in November of 1932....the twenty-five odd platform items are all pieces that this crew would readily support.
As much as they get all hurt and furious over the Nazi swastika...they have effectively become the Brown Shirts and act like Nazis.
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