<p>@psalcal - There is a fundamental distinction I would take: all your examples are people rising up against government. </p>
<p>Dartmouth is a private college, and people do voluntarily pay money to go there and thus do have a right to expect a certain level of service, as they are paying for it. These protestors, to some (maybe many), interrupt that level of service.</p>
<p>Dartmouth and any other private college has no required obligation to behave a certain way toward these students beyond not breaking the law. The protesting students are free to go to another school. </p>
<p>Your examples are public issues for which there was no freedom to go elsewhere if one did not like what is being done to you. </p>
<p>I do see this as a private versus public institution issue. </p>