Defining free speech

[crimsonaudio]

 

[Its On A Slab]

School employees who knowingly want to guide minor children in ways contrary to what their parent would want are creepy to say the least.

We live in an age where many biological parents are in no way fit to bring kids into the world. And those kids end up mainstreaming in our school systems. At this point, the teacher is faced with trying to instill values that they are not getting at home.

A special ed para that I know had a kid who was having a problem coming to school. A truant. When his parents were brought in for counseling, the Dad whined, "Why do kids have to go to school in the 1st place?"

The kid was SPED not due to any lack of intelligence or handicap. He was SPED because he was allowed to languish.

 

[AWRTR]

We live in an age where many biological parents are in no way fit to bring kids into the world. And those kids end up mainstreaming in our school systems. At this point, the teacher is faced with trying to instill values that they are not getting at home.

A special ed para that I know had a kid who was having a problem coming to school. A truant. When his parents were brought in for counseling, the Dad whined, "Why do kids have to go to school in the 1st place?"

The kid was SPED not due to any lack of intelligence or handicap. He was SPED because he was allowed to languish.

That example, though sad, is an apples to oranges comparison to what we are dealing with when it comes to transitioning kids or similar things.

 

[Huckleberry]

That example, though sad, is an apples to oranges comparison to what we are dealing with when it comes to transitioning kids or similar things.

There is no mass effort to transition kids in the sense that educators are trying to influence them to choose one gender or another. That’s a conservative boogeyman that doesn’t exist. Teachers and others are supportive of children who are questioning their sexual orientation or experiencing gender dysphoria, especially those who come for help/advice because they’re afraid of what their parents might say or do. To ignore these children or set them on a course for abuse (or worse) at home would be despicably cruel.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Welp, looks like allowing anti-Semitism has claimed yet another victim....this time, the Interim President of Columbia University. Who replaced the former President who fell for similar reasons.

The news cycle is saying that it's because she "caved" to Trump administration demands.

The demands most cited on non-Fox news outlets consisted of not allowing masks at protests and having increased security and installing a monitor over two academic departments whose treatment of Jews in general and Columbia's Jewish students in particular is, to put it mildly, suspect.

Given the recent history on that very campus, none of those are particularly onerous. I've looked at the most liberal outlet I could find -- the Rolling Stone -- and found no other demands specifically referenced.

I did find citations of nine total demands, so I looked up the letter. In addition to the specific ones cited above, the rest mainly require compliance with pre-existing law.

Here's a link: 31325-letter-to-columbia.pdf

So to the presidents of universities (elite or not): How stinkin' hard is this?

Students, faculty and outsiders can protest all they want about any topic they want. What they can't do is threaten or intimidate any individuals or groups, or disrupt campus operations. They also can't shout down, disinvite, or otherwise silence speakers with whom they disagree. They can have equal time to put forward their own ideas, but don't get to squelch others.

If they do any of those things, they're subject to legal and/or academic consequences.

Apparently, if the protestor wears a mask that consists of a white hood with a pointy top and holes cut out for the eyes, it's abhorrent and the wearer deserves whatever happens....up to and including violence upon their person. But if it's a surgical mask that equally well disguises the wearer from prying eyes who would enforce consequences on threats, intimidation, actual violence or disruption of campus operations, well, banning that is several bridges too far.

Holy moly....does anybody have any common sense anymore?

 

[CrimsonJazz]

How Obama and Biden paved the way for Trump's attacks on universities

"Universities were bending over for federal funds long before Trump," writes Laura Kipnis.

reason.com

While some of the protesters at Columbia illegally occupied buildings, prevented other students from attending classes, or otherwise impeded legitimate school functions in violation of campus policy, the heavy-handed measures being imposed on the university will almost certainly lead to a crackdown on nonviolent speech. Some protesters are already facing severe sanction and even deportation. There is no question that the threat of losing funds will compel Columbia's administrators to police anti-Israel expression in a manner that is careless and inconsistent with the campus's stated commitment to academic freedom.

"Historically, there is no precedent for this," said Zimmerman. "The government is using the money as a cudgel to micromanage a university."

Zimmerman's concerns about free speech are well-founded. But he is flatly incorrect to state that this has never happened before. Trump is following the exact precedent set by his two predecessors—Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama.