So at Columbia University with one of the most lauded
Journalism schools the Dean and other University officials are telling students to not speak out or speak their opinions on Palestinian rights, Ukrainian issues or support for the student who was arrested. The students are being told to think about their education and how it could be affected because the university says it cannot help them. Notice that I am not talking about hate speech and that Columbia today was talking about speech on rights of and support for Palestinians, Ukrainians etc. in general.
So we get to see one of the most craven acts of cowardice by these officials who rather than defend their students 1st Amendment rights are encouraging the students to sell out those rights and speaking up for people in order to "not have problems for themselves".
Yes in my long life I have heard this kind of cowardice from some "leaders" before. It was in the '50's and '60's as we fought for civil rights and against Vietnam. Many of us came to realize that if we sold out in order to get the sheepskin we would really be covering it in a rotted, stinking coating of hypocrisy that would be there and could never be removed. We would not only have turned our backs on those we could speak about but also showing the world that the lofty education, principles and supposed achievement was a farce.
Every morning that mirror would hold the face of the one who "saved themselves" at the expense of others. So too it will be for the Columbia officials who certainly were being closely watched today by the Regents and people in the cabal of Crumb The 1st. They will have "passed the test" by urging people to "be silent" and to think of themselves. The students know what was implied to them today. We knew it long ago as well. Some will resist and speak out. Some will swallow their tongue and maybe get a good job someplace where they can buy all kinds of nice things.
But all of those nice things will never erase what you did to yourself when you sold out your rights. Those of us from long ago saw people stand up and we saw people sell out. The ones who fight are the ones to celebrate. The ones who sell out apparently will have a welcome place in leadership at Columbia School of Journalism and university administration across the country. But the question will be the same now as it was long ago. When the time to choose comes do you stand up or do you cower and sell out?
Selling out never defended anybody or made anything better. Standing up is the only way to do both.
= new reply since forum marked as read
