<p>When colleges invite guest speakers they should have the right to express their beliefs. No matter what your political view is, charging a stage and throwing punches is inexcusable behavior. The incident has been nationally televised and shows how “open-minded” Columbia students really are. </p>
<p>Quote:
“We were aware that there was going to be a sign and we were going to occupy the stage,” said a protestor who was on stage and asked to remain anonymous. “I don’t feel like we need to apologize or anything. It was fundamentally a part of free speech. … The Minutemen are not a legitimate part of the debate on immigration.”</p>
<p>I know I commented on your thread in the Columbia forum too, but I’m distressed and offended by your catagorization of the entire Columbia community–although this time you’ve chosen to leave out that part where you call Columbia students “barbaric monkeys.” Clearly that was not a shining moment for the university, but the actions of a handful cannot be used to impugn the ethics and principles of tens of thousands. These students are also residents of New York City, does that mean that all New Yorkers would do the same? No, of course not.</p>
<p>The incident shows how hypocritical people can be. Columbia is an Ivy League university and is supposed to mold an environment that encourages diversity of thought and tolerance. Watching the video – the students involved did behave like “monkeys” and it gives the PERCEPTION that the university is close-minded. The bottom line is – there should have been arrests made and Columbia needs to address its security and its etiquette with guest speakers.</p>
<p>The protesters silenced speech today but, in the long run, they’ve done far more to publicize this issue with their behavior than the speech would ever have done. I hope Columbia takes strong action to deal with this.</p>
<p>EDIT: NJRes - I don’t think it matters whether they were students or not. It was a Columbia event and it’s the university’s responsibility to make sure people are safe. Of course, they might not have anticipated this protest but, in light of this event, they can’t ever say that again. Columbia is on notice that free speech is in peril and must plan for added security costs as a result.</p>
I agree. The protesters behaved disgracefully.<br>
I agree with this, too, although it is not clear that Columbia could have anticipated the disruption. I would have anticipated some heckling but not the mayhem that was captured on video.</p>
<p>“but I’m distressed and offended by your catagorization of the entire Columbia community”</p>
<p>The Minutemen were invited by the College Republicans, the speeches were given in a Columbia venue, and they received assurances from Columbia Security that security would be provided (security doesn’t seem to even be present in the video). The administration has been silent and done nothing to discipline the Columbia students who disrupted the speech. Sorry, but Columbia has to take responsibilty here.</p>
<p>Embarassing and horrible behavior by Columbia University students. I don’t care what their political leanings are, have some respect for speakers on campus and address the differences of opinion during question and answer time in a respectful fashion.</p>
<p>A small group of people – who are probably associated with Columbia University, although we can’t be sure of that – was responsible for this disgraceful, embarrassing, and illegal behavior.</p>
<p>This does not mean that all Columbia students are scum. Nor does it mean that all Columbia students are intolerant. It simply means that one particular group of students did something wrong (and that Columbia Security does not exactly have its act together).</p>
<p>“These students are also residents of New York City, does that mean that all New Yorkers would do the same? No, of course not.”</p>
<p>I am a conservative resident of New York City and I can tell you with absolute certainty that this type of behavior is completely normal here and happens all the time. I work in Times Square and there are people protesting, voicing their opinions and collecting anti-Bush signatures for various things several times a week and they are rude, aggressive and out of control. I have even been spat upon when disagreeing. and you know what? I’m a really, really tiny person with a very soft voice, so I know it’s not me who is intimidating.</p>
<p>I think it would be correct to think that the “liberals” on campus feel they are entitled to enforce their views…**by any means necessary<a href=“a%20phrase,%20though%20worn,%20they%20are%20often%20fond%20of”>/b</a>. </p>
<p>Whereas, it would be true to suggest that only dozens were involved with storm-trooping the stage, it would be equally true to say that this act of intimidation was applauded by the couple hundred or so Columbia students in the audience. The students, in lock-step (notice I did not say ‘goose-step’), obviously approved and in their applause endorsed the intimidation and aggression practiced on the ‘opposing political view’: “tolerance and diversity” defined.</p>
<p>It is perhaps unfair to blame Columbia University for the assault. </p>
<p>The students who bum-rushed the stage–a liberal-academic mini-coup of sorts–may have been outsiders, however unlikely it seems. But my bet is that these effete hooligans would have been applauded and whooped-on for their “social-action” at any one of the Ivies (if you want to put your money where your mouth is, try it where it will not be considered great entertainment to be applauded and whooped for).</p>
<p>Few liberal students would, I believe, condemn these anti-free-speech tactics. They would, rather, justify them, understand why the students behaved the way they did whilst recalling their raison d’etre: “no justice no peace” or in more creative group-moments, something simple that rhymes. </p>
<p>It will be interesting to see what the university does to condemn and implicate these, now tiresome, ‘liberal’ student tactics by effete liberal bullies.</p>
<p>For justifications by liberal parents: see above ^^^.</p>
<p>FountainSiren, you are truly generalizing here…now it isn’t ALL Columbia students…you have gone one step further and claim all liberal students, all liberal students at all Ivies would applaud such behavior or engage in it themselves. That is a broad brushstroke. THESE particular students were very disrespectful as were the others in attendance. Characterizing all Columbia students, all liberal students, all Ivy students doesn’t seem fair. Not all liberal students would engage in these anti free speech tactics that this group did at Columbia.</p>
<p>By the way, I don’t get the security at that event. On the video, it looks like someone is in uniform standing there. Hard to say.</p>
<p>I will wait, with baited breath, the condemnations of liberal groups on campus…and not just Columbia’s campus, but any campuses.</p>
<p>My point in the above post is not that “all liberal students” would act the hooligan, in fact few would, but that those that do are not condemned by liberals for the offense against free speech on campus–at the least–and worst, are most often applauded, and always completely rationalized.</p>
<p>As we all implicitly know, if the political leanings were reversed–a pro illegal-immigration forum, officially sanctioned by the University violently disrupted–there would be outrage on campus, on cc and in the media, and comparrisons to the Nazis and KKK.</p>
<p>I am always prompted to let out a bellylaugh when I hear someone describe Columbia as a liberal or far-left wing campus. This isn’t 1968 and the “Days of Rage” folks. And it hasn’t been that way for a loooong time.</p>
<p>As for the reports about the latest incident, with apologies to Bill O’Reilly, I wouldn’t be surprised if the shenanigans were initiated by the Spartacus Youth League, the marxist misfits who have been wandering though the campus like tumbleweed [never taking root] for ages. As I recall, some of the most vocal SYL members weren’t even enrolled students; all three of 'em.</p>
<p>Yes, the incident was a serious breach of civility and democracy. Columbia should do everything it can to identify people who committed assault and battery. But to bring out the nicksticks and crack any heads within arms reach…? To condemn President Bollinger and the entire university community a day after the incident with no investigation…? Nonsense.</p>