What's Wrong with University Campuses Today?

[Infanteer]

Indeed, I think there is an obvious problem when places intended for the broadening of horizons become recruiting grounds for ideologues.

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=15855

Read the article...if it doesn't disturb you, the fact that things like this seem to be more and more common on campuses should - I remember crap like this during my stay at UBC, especially with former-NAC President Sunera Thobani hanging around.

Crap like this has become such a visible issue that Evan Coyne Maloney, the budding ante-Michael Moore, did a hour-long documentary about it (ideology, not Palestinians)

http://brain-terminal.com/video/brainwashing-101.html

As well, The Economist had an article a few weeks ago that pointed to the fact that most universities tend to be biased on the political spectrum, which leads to bias in department focus, hiring, etc, etc (which is the antithesis of university, is it not?).

Three big exclamation points in a couple weeks compelled me to bring this up.   The news article about the attack on a Student Republican group really pissed me off - is this the kind of thing we want to have happening on our campuses?

 

[48Highlander]

This is nothing new.  Those of us who view the world from the right side have grown so accustumed to accepting responsibility for the racism and opression which we're constantly being accused of that we've allowed ourselves to be silenced at the mere mention of discrimination.  Whereas those on the left, having rallied behind the causes of equality and freedom for so long, are now running rampant using those very ideals to justify violence, hatred, and discrimination perpetuated by their own.  One thing which has pleased me immensly is that since 9/11 people are finally saying ENOUGH.  We've tried to attone for our past mistakes...we've done everything humanly possible to eliminate racism and opression...we've changed the way we conduct warfare in order to spare as many innocents as possible....and yet we are still being hounded for those very thing by hypocrites who have no problem using those tactics to further their own ideals.  If the ONLY thing that comes out of this war on terrorism is a shift away from the self-flagellation being conducted in the name of "political correctness", it will have been worthwhile.

 

[mo-litia]

. . . why can the Left do WHATEVER they want for their causes and whenever a Conservative makes a stand he is painted as a bigot by the popular media?  

Oh well, I better keep quiet . . . wouldn't want to be accused of being a racist just for refusing to swallow that excrement that is known as political correctness.

vote Liberal . . . yeah right . . .

 

[Stefan Moxness]

Hi hate people like that.  These people are being fools.  Do they not realize that they are committing the actions that they are condemning? They tell the CR students to get off the campus, that they are going to physically attack, and drive them away.  Political racism, just plain racism, isn't that the same thing, it's alienating a certain group of people for whatever reason.  These nuts are doing exactly that then they say to condemn the CR for their racism. I hate hypocrites, leave people to their beliefs unless they are really harming someone through them, people should educate themselves more before they fly off into a mob, insult and threaten other people.

 

[vangemeren]

Peace activists using violence to get their point across......okeedoekee.

I'll admit it, My views are left of centre but, I can't think of any reasonable rationale to condone violent protest in these situations. I mean, we don't live in a police state, we live in a democracy. If you don't like where things are going, then use your organising abilities to run a political campaign. As with university campuses, if there are no dissenting views, then all there are, are yes men. Everything would sound like a good idea, even if it was a load of crap. The group here at my University almost got disbanded because they were acting like complete idiots. (especially after being confronting with animal rights protesters. When I got home I had the largest steak mmmm, steak)

 

[a_majoor]

Conservative magazines like NRO have also commented on this, it is a problem with western academies in general. The socialist "group think" mentality of the professors must be frustrating for the students, who are able to see the real world outside the campus does not work according to the principles they espouse. For the poorly grounded, frustration and anger can lead to "brownshirt" activities, and taking the step from Socialist to National Socialist.

Changing this will take a generation at least. Universities need to replace tenure with term contracts to break the ossification and herd mentality which cripple them. University Senates and administrations also have a lot to answer for, particularly ones like Concordia, which routinely cave when confronted by "brownshirts". Use the law to clear the courtyard of these yobs, and challenge their spokesmen to engage in serious debate. They will either pull a "Disillusioned" and simply repeat the same thing over and over, or they may look at the facts and engage in real debate. Either way, the listener and viewer will have something to work with and decide who is right.

We in the Army have few avenues of recourse, in fact with the requirement for all officers to have degrees, there is a danger of these ideas becoming entrenched in our own leadership. In the age of the Internet, sites like Army.ca and various Blogs are one means of advancing our message. Deep cover agents like Infanteer in our universities can provide information to target internet missives, and guide people to our sites. In the longer term, senior NCO's might consider taking up teaching as a post military career, or opening up "leadership academies" and "outward bound" schools to teach Canadians how to assess, decide and act.

 

[Big Foot]

I love RMC, I love RMC, I love RMC... I am so glad I don't have to put up with crap like that.

 

[nULL]

I've never understood why realists and liberalists can't just shut up. Everyone in university seems to feel the need to characterize themselves as being at the polar end of some idiotic political spectrum, and think that they are right for doing so. The Campus Conservative Club at my university looks just as stupid and pointless as the global studies club where they all sit in a circle and bash Nike. Like religion, deep rooted political beliefs have no place in learning. I go through university with a who-gives-a-fu*k attitude, why can't you all be more like me? I'm not there to broaden my horizons, I'm there to fulfill some idiotic social requirement that the air force has bought in to.

That said, if you are in math class and your teacher is preaching marxist economic policy, then it may have gone too far. If you are in political science and your professor is left/right/whatever....isn't it up to you to educate yourself to find out where you stand, and be able to identify with it?

Politics has been the cause of violence for generations. If you join a university political club, irregardless of orientation, consider the punches and the abuse an introduction to real-world politics where it isn't like C-SPAN. I mean, in the Ukraine the opposition leader was poisoned. This isn't a game. University is supposed to be an introduction to real life - or something like that.

I don't feel sorry for either the group of righties who were attacked by commie-hippies or the lefty who was hit in the face with a tear gas canister by a corrupt, evil soldier of the multinational machine. (?!?)

   

 

[a_majoor]

I've never understood why realists and liberalists can't just shut up.

Politics, as conventionally defined, is about talking and debating various points of view in order to make decisions about the allocation of limited resources. I'd rather have a lot of "talk talk talk", rather than the situation today, where the "lefties" have control over much of the channels of communication and attempt to silence the "righties" by vicious ad homeneim attacks, refusing to print/publish/broadcast the right wing point of view, or simply by threatening and using violence. Concordia University is the most notorious in Canada, but the repressive PC regimes at other universities must drive free thinkers mad, if they are silent they give tacit approval to the regime, if they speak they will be branded as "racists" or "homophobes", or subjected to the thought police as they are "investigated" for "harassment", usually a very slippery concept which can mean anything and almost impossible for the accused to defend themselves against.

For the "lefties" in the academy, they have perques and power, access to Government grants and free reign to say whatever they want with little accountability or opposition. Naturally they will fight hard to preserve this. For students, the appeal of joining the all persuasive culture within the academy as a means of insulation against a bewildering outside world (particularly one which simply refuses to operate according to the very principles they are being taught) must be simply overwhelming.

Like I said earlier, we have to operate outside the academy, joining the legions of the "pyjamahadeen" bloggers (who helped bring down Dan Rather and the Kerry campaign) who openly question the "revealed truths" of the Left and shine a bright light into the dark truths people would rather not see.

 

[Infanteer]

I'm not sure how you're equating the two nULL?  The Campus Republican's are a group much like the Campus Liberals or Young Conservatives that you see on Canadian University campuses.  I think it is good that people are willing to engage in the public sphere - if they want to take part in politics like this, then good for them.  I think that any campus group, whether it be NDP, Campus PRIDE, Bhangara, Chinese Student Society,The Judo Club, Sierra Club, The Jewish Society, or the Campus Crusade for Christ should all be able to meet, debate, and share their point of view with those who are willing.  They should also be able to do so without fear of being beaten, threatened, or screamed at by rabid morons.  These horizontal ties and sub-state groups are the grease of the wheels of civil society.

The Campus Republican's were targeted with the intent of disrupting their activities and intimidating members and levelling serious accusations towards them is bad enough - the fact that it seems to be regarded as a "outburst of positive energy" by Palestinian students is a travesty.  What do you think would happen if the roles were reversed and a "Campus for America" group shouted down a peaceful campus Islamic group as "Terrorists" and "Ragheads"?

PS: You ever find it odd that you never see any Jewish Campus groups trying to intimidate or muffle others who constantly deride Israel as "imperialists" and "murderers"?  Why should we accept it when Palestinians do it?

 

[Torlyn]

My favourite was the quote "I'd rather die a suicide bomber's death than to call myself an American!".  !!  Really?  Last I checked, this (in the US) constituted a federal offence, and was punishable by some big-time rock-breaking...  How is the university allowing this to happen?  There is no real difference between this and allowing several hundred KKK members (hypothetical) who belong to the school from marching around screaming for the heads of all of the palestinians.  How can they preach for tolerance and advocate bigotry themselves?

As for the university, this is despicable behaviour to allow to occur on campus.  When you have pictures, eye witness reports of assault (the spitting girl, fluid assault is worse than a punch) why are there no expulsions?  Why is this GUPS organisation allowed to demonstrate?  OH right...  they'd then be branded as a racist university.  I LOVE higher education.  I'm so thankful I didn't have to put up with this bullsh*t at either of the campuses I attended.  (Wow...  2 swears, I must feel stongly about this... )

Lastly, if you'd "...rather die a suicide bomber's death than to call myself an American!" renounce your citizenship, your freedom of speech, and leave the f*cking country.  If you don't want to be in America, I'm sure the Americans don't want you there either.  And while you're at it, try and have the same demonstration against the standing government anywhere else but the western world...  If you hate it so much, LEAVE.

T

P.S.  Grrr... 

 

[Tpr.Orange]

I dont know how those people managed to keep their cool...

I mean im a soldier in the army, american/canadian citizen and im jewish. The one time someone made racists comments towards me at york university, I gave him 2 foot head start and let him know what i thought about his comments and why he shouldn't have attempted to raise a hand to me...


Its disgusting that things like this can go out without any concequences or reprocussions.

 

[McG]

What's Wrong with University Campuses Today?

I would like to think it is just a loud, aggressive, and overbearing minority and not a general reflection of university populations as a whole.

 

[Dogboy]

I have some sympathy with some of those group ideas. BUT
they are just in it for the flash and TV.
people love to march and protest and sit in and such
but when the real work needs to be done their all  gone.

I also find it funny that in contreys with totally opposite sistoms. university their have people fighting to make their world more like ours.

the University's have always bin a hot bed of extremist against the status quo
always have always will no mater how the world changes

 

[Gunnerlove]

It is always interesting to sit on the fence. I look to the right and shake my head at the bunch of crazies in that pasture. Then I look to the left and have to shake my head at the bunch of crazies in that pasture. If you choose a camp and never leave you will become trapped by the ideology.

 

[Glorified Ape]

Alright, enough with the Concordia bashing. It had a riot, yes, and those involved (that could be identified as students) were punished by the school. Concordia doesn't "cave in to brown shirts". Concorida doesn't host speakers, ON CAMPUS, that will precipitate the kind of opposition that happened at the riot. This goes for both sides. It's not an unknown around Concordia that the invitation of Netanyahu by Hillel was as much a petty political swipe at the SPHR as it was an attempt to further an understanding of Israeli policy. Is Concordia's approach the most open policy? No, but it's pragmatic. The university has a responsibility to ensure the safety of ALL its students and to avoid causing the surrounding businesses and residents unnecessary costs and disturbance.

Inviting Netanyahu to speak at a university like Concordia, which has an extremely large Arab and Palestinian population, is like inviting the Grand Wizard of the KKK to speak at Clark-Atlanta University - it's just a very bad idea, no matter what lofty ideals people may like to tout as support thereof.

 

[couchcommander]

Hey All,

You are all absolutely right in saying that this kind of violence is completely unnacceptable, especially so when it takes place in a place of learning. As well, you are further correct (in my opinion  at least), in stating that everyone should be given an equal chance to voice their opinions. Stifling crticism and promoting blind faith in a cause is something for fundamentalists, not open minded groups. However, at the same time, I am no so sure if your labelling of these people as "leftist" or "socialists" is entirely correct. For that matter, labelling anyone left or right or anything of that sort is rather like trying to group together an elephant and a mouse. Viewpoints, even amongst "leftists" are incredibly diverse. Furthermore, what is left in one instance or country, is right in another time or place. I think, what you seem to be searching for, is a codemnation of a group of fanatical adolences who have yet to learn to express their opinions in an open and respectful manner. There are many cases of both "leftists" and "rightists" becoming militant, ignorant, and fanatical. Pointing fingers does not really help to solve anything.

Re: the traditionally left leaning campuses.

From my experience, in Canada (SFU being a notable exception), political science departments tend to be what would be called right. As well, the economics department, law and business faculties (at least at my university) tend to follow along the same lines. If one takes a look at departments like, for example, philosophy and sociology (there are exceptions, this should not be taken as a blanket statement), yes, I would agree there is a left leaning trend. My point; it's fairly balanced.

Finally, (my turn to send a shot across, sorry) I would distinctly refrain from saying that the neocons shed "light" on lies spouted by the Kerry campaign and other "lefists" (especially with a dark truth reference.....I would just like to remind us all of Iraq's massive weapons of mass destruction which posed such a threat that the US needed to invade...). Go look up a guy called Strauss, he is the man who thought up the doctrine behind neo-conservatism, and, putting it midly, he did not exactly promote honesty (as well as, I am told, he misunderstood Plato...). But, yes, you are right that the Kerry campaign, like any political campaign, did not ride entirely on factual evidence. However, my point in this section is just to point out that this isn't something that he alone was guilty of (ie don't point fingers).

 

[MissMolsonIndy]

I would like to think it is just a loud, aggressive, and overbearing minority and not a general reflection of university populations as a whole.

The early bird gets the worm...

In response to the problem with universities these days:

University settings only represent (while fair) a piece of the pie as far as grounds for these sorts, and others sorts of demonstrations, and for good reason: universities, colleges and other social institutions/organizations harbour thousands of bodies. It's a known fact that protests are more effective (at least to some extent, mostly in terms of turning heads, and not necessarily achieving political, economic, social ends) with more bodies behind them. So with good reason, many of these (but not all) take place on grounds heavily populated, including universities and the downtown sectors (just recently with the November 30th protests in Vancouver, Ottawa and several other locations). If I were protesting for what I thought to be a good cause, one of the first places that I would seek out would be a university campus, a public organization, or the heavily populated sectors of the city. You cannot pin the phenomenon of protesting onto universities, particularly when evidence tells us that protests are not specific to university settings: you'll realize that this isn't "the problem" (if you can even label it as such) with universities these days, but in fact is an issue emerging from all quarters of society.

Also, although I'm not entirely aware of the specific events that sparked the protests, perhaps they had good reason (maybe not through the public's eyes, but through their own)? I'm mildly convinced that one of the main reasons this forum exists, is because you disagree with the grounds on which the students were protesting, as well as the conduct of the protest. If it were an issue that the many of you deemed worth fighting for, would you be as quick to comment?

 

[Infanteer]

Also, although I'm not entirely aware of the specific events that sparked the protests, perhaps they had good reason (maybe not through the public's eyes, but through their own)? I'm mildly convinced that one of the main reasons this forum exists, is because you disagree with the grounds on which the students were protesting, as well as the conduct of the protest. If it were an issue that the many of you deemed worth fighting for, would you be as quick to comment?

The reason for this thread is that I have big problem with this kind of behaviour (from the article):

    "The previous Monday, the day before the election, the CR's were physically attacked while handing out Bush/Cheney materials in the University's Malcolm X Plaza. On that day,   Victor Traycey, one of the members of the conservative club,   was slapped by Nala Gardizi, an Arab woman student who was part of an entourage led by four Palestinian women who accused the conservative students of being responsible for the â Å“murder of Palestinian babiesâ ? due to their support for President Bush. In addition, food was thrown at the Republican college students and drinks poured over the campaign materials on their table. Gardizi harangued Victor Traycey that day and even called him â Å“a Nazi,â ? according to eye-witness reports.

    Lee Wolf, another College Republicans member, described one of the women on Monday as shouting, â Å“The only way we can defeat you is to kill as many as possible! I'd rather die a suicide bomber's death than to call myself an American!â ? He continued, â Å“In my opinion, these were terrorist threats.â ?

    On Wednesday, Gardizi was back. â Å“She was ranting that 9/11 was the fault of the United States,â ? according to Finarelli.

    The General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS) at S.F. State was staging this noisy demonstration on Wednesday as a follow-up to their Monday afternoon attack on the conservative students by calling for the complete removal of the Republican Club from the SFSU campus. Flyers were even distributed all over campus that bore inscriptions such as â Å“Don't Let the College Republicans Commit Racism and Bigotry Against Arab Women."

Not only are the statements of the students laden with hypocrisy and rhetoric (It's easy to slam the West while living under the aegis of a liberal democratic order, isn't it), but there behaviour is simply deplorable, regardless of:

A) Who they are

B) Who they're reacting against

Civil society exists for a reason - it is to present the kind of political interaction that made Wiemar Germany famous.   If Universities are going to accept this sort of behaviour as a norm on campus (or openly support it), again I ask - what is wrong with our universities?

 

[MissMolsonIndy]

The reason for this thread is that I have big problem with this kind of behaviour (from the article):

Not only are the statements of the students laden with hypocrisy and rhetoric (It's easy to slam the West while living under the aegis of a liberal democratic order, isn't it), but there behaviour is simply deplorable, regardless of:

A) Who they are

B) Who they're reacting against

Civil society exists for a reason - it is to present the kind of political interaction that made Wiemar Germany famous.   If Universities are going to accept this sort of behaviour as a norm on campus (or openly support it), again I ask - what is wrong with our universities?

Fair enough. I agree that the behaviour of those protesting was out of line.

However, you are using a case in point to make a sweeping generalization, while overlooking off campus cases that have incurred the same levels of violence. I am certain that had the protest been resituated elsewhere, the conduct of the protest would have changed very little, if at all. Universities do not openly invite and/or support radically violent protests, I cannot think of any widely accepted social institution that would; they merely provide grounds upon which students can voice their opinions.

On a further note, (and I apologize for my poor "netiquette" here, as this was added later...) All academic institutions have specific policies that counter the discrimination and harassment of students/groups of students on, and outside university grounds. See the university's website for confirmation.  

A philosopher once said that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence...

On what grounds did the university actively foster the violence that was a result of these protests?
Perhaps it is necessary to look at the dynamics of the group in order to understand their behaviour...

I think that your question should be extended to all sectors of society, as this is not a phenomenon specific to the university setting.