protesting Virgil Goode's speech against illegal immigration at UNC-Chapel Hill. They seem to be every bit as tolerant as the Carolina blue fascists that violently ended Tom Tancredo's attempted speech last week.
It's a sad commentary on the state of education and intellectual discourse at Chapel Hill, but sadly a kind of intellectual bullying that has become a favored tactic on the political left.
Presumably one day in the future this protestor or another one like her will brag about having the university with the cleanest-burning ovens.
1
I went to college there...and this is nothing new. Waking up in Old West to protests at the Chancellors office was just how I liked to spend my mornings too...
taxsong.com
Posted by: TBW at April 22, 2009 10:21 PM (iYKSb)
2
So..when do we push back?
Posted by: Cow Rie at April 22, 2009 10:51 PM (3lMDb)
3
That's the hard question; their vile and noxious behavior is intrinsic and derived from their sick worldview just like the anarchists who protest world economic summits; illegality comes naturally to them ... they are scum-punks.
The time to push back is in November; perhaps candidates should run advocating harsh Federal penalties for inteferring with free speech.
The alternative is so show up and fight back; I dream of it, but don't want to do it.
Maybe derive some satisfaction in that these idiots are using their youths for these activities and this worldview; they will suffer statistically and over time for their depravity and predations.
Tancredo is a really cool guy; I heard him speak in a very casual setting in February.
TMD
Posted by: The Masked Defender at April 22, 2009 11:12 PM (2LPPA)
4
We had a similar situation at UTexas/Austin two weeks ago when David Horowitz tried to speak. A gang of some 20 thugs shouted him down, refused to let him be heard, for about 20 long minutes while a large crowd waited. Finally, university authorities threatened the leftists with arrest, and things quieted down.
Believe me, if protestors were interrupting a UT football game, they would have been grabbed and expelled from the premises within a few seconds. It wouldn't have taken 20-25 minutes.
Posted by: Robert concord at April 22, 2009 11:20 PM (H6hvs)
5
As a history major, I took a class on Cuban history, taught by a one Perez. The guy was an extremely charismatic lecturer but with a straight face, tried to defend Castro and cited a 99% literacy rate, equal healthcare, etc, among other outrageously inaccurate claims... his speeches on the exploits of the daring Castro revolution were singed into the minds of his students.. most Chapel Hill kids start left and move leftward.. it helps your grades as well. Writing a solid conservative paper will earn you a C-bomb in no time.
Posted by: USMC guy at April 22, 2009 11:23 PM (1hPpH)
6
It's the same with gay marriage, global warming, and all other kinds of issues. You go to bed to a debate and wake up to a "settled matter." Take the "wrong" side and the VLWC treats you as if you'd just said the world is flat - except that they'd actually be tolerant of anyone who said that.
Posted by: Chris Roberts at April 22, 2009 11:30 PM (kYSVV)
7
One way to "push back" is to find out the names of the faculty members involved and then publicize their involvement.
Another way to "push back" is to find smart people who know how to discredit people and then have them ask the other side (broadly construed) questions on video for Youtube:
http://24ahead.com/s/question-authority
So, if you're a college student and someone who doesn't support enforcement of our laws is coming to your campus, instead of standing around outside with loopy signs, go inside and ask the speaker a question designed to make them look bad. Then, upload their response to Youtube.
Posted by: 24AheadDotCom at April 22, 2009 11:33 PM (CmcMj)
8
For libertarian reasons, I'm a free immigration, open-borders advocate. I believe that--all else being equal--people should be allowed to travel where they want, contract freely for goods and services, and live freely on property that they've bought, leased or have been invited on. I don't believe basic concepts of "liberty", "due process" and "free markets" should be limited to imaginary lines drawn on a map of North America 180 years ago. Our current immigration system is a Kafkaesque nightmare that makes "legal immigration" impossible and creates a servant caste out of immigrants who have attempted to do so in good faith. The tough talk on immigration from otherwise respectable conservative politicians and pundits would stop quickly if they've seen what I have: Immigration detention centers that resemble concentration camps, full of detainees imprisoned first with questions asked later, without right to counsel, with a 1-2 day notice of the most important trial of the lives; spouses and families broken apart, jobs and contracts fallen through, victims of female genital mutilation sent back to 3rd world hellholes because of paperwork screwups 10 years ago, children brought across the border by their parents who grow up without any citizen papers and end up literally as "people without a country". etc., etc.
That being said, these protest were despicable, puerile and narcissistic. You don't change anything (or at least anything for the better) by terrorizing and shouting down people. There are principled, reasoned arguments that can be made effectively on this issue to the people who matter. But they can't be made if you're going to behave like Code Pink wackos with some half-assed ideas of what civil disobedience means or entails.
The moral of this story is what happens when the hard left--or other wacko, fringe elements--are allowed to claim a side in a debate as their own. What should've been protesting turns into rioting. What should've been op-ed columns and blog articles turns into stupid one-liner banner slogans. What should've been appeals to the better angels of our nature turns into screaming accusations of ordinary citizens being fascists and racists.
Posted by: TheAbstractor at April 22, 2009 11:39 PM (cuj5b)
9
For libertarian reasons, I'm a free immigration, open-borders advocate. I believe that--all else being equal--people should be allowed to travel where they want, contract freely for goods and services, and live freely on property that they've bought, leased or have been invited on. I don't believe basic concepts of "liberty", "due process" and "free markets" should be limited to imaginary lines drawn on a map of North America 180 years ago. Our current immigration system is a Kafkaesque nightmare that makes "legal immigration" impossible and creates a servant caste out of immigrants who have attempted to do so in good faith. The tough talk on immigration from otherwise respectable conservative politicians and pundits would stop quickly if they've seen what I have: Immigration detention centers that resemble concentration camps, full of detainees held without any idea of their court date, without right to counsel, with a 1-2 day notice of the most important trial of the lives, spouses and families broken apart, jobs and contracts fallen through, victims of female genital mutilation sent back to 3rd world hellholes because of a paperwork screwups 10 years ago, children brought across the border by their parents who grow up without any citizen papers and end up literally as "people without a country". etc., etc.
That being said, these protest were despicable, puerile and narcissistic. You don't change anything (or at least anything for the better) by terrorizing and shouting down people. There are principled, reasoned arguments that can be made effectively on this issue to the people who matter. But they can't be made if you're going to behave like some Code Pink wackos with some half-assed ideas of what civil disobedience means or entails.
The moral of this story is what happens when the hard left--or other wacko, fringe elements--are allowed to claim a side in a debate as their own. What should've been protesting turns into rioting. What should've been op-ed columns and blog articles turns into stupid one-liner banner slogans. What should've been appeals to the better angels of our nature turns into screaming accusations of sub-human activity.
Posted by: TheAbstractor at April 22, 2009 11:40 PM (cuj5b)
10
If you are a thinking human being, cancel your print media and cable TV to take away the MSM megaphone and their propaganda.
Visit conservative group and "push back" by sticking together in numbers wherever you go whenever you can and promote YOUR CAUSE over the leftists. Don't be defeated.
Visit your school political meetings and VOICE your opinions at their councils.
Join conservative and moral groups.
"He that lives on HOPE will die fasting."
B. Franklin
Posted by: yyysguy at April 23, 2009 12:02 AM (MGDtq)
11
So what do you do?
Stop hiring leftists, stop doing business with leftists, stop buying from leftists, stop hanging around leftists. Let them believe whatever they wish - just don't support them.
Posted by: jimobr at April 23, 2009 01:27 AM (YgjLI)
12
not good. simply not good.
Posted by: Paul A'Barge at April 23, 2009 01:52 AM (s/VrA)
13
It's worse than you think. A lot of students, particularly the smart ones at the big universities learn quickly from these types of displays that their opinions, if contra the default far left one, are not welcome and in fact will be shouted down. It's not only a form of bullying that stops conservative participation in college, but conditions students for later life to just go along to get along in the political arena.
Until people who love liberty stand up and face down the bullies, the universities will continue to use taxpayer funds to run a nursery for leftist radicals and the socialist politicians.
Posted by: K at April 23, 2009 02:04 AM (ESyOe)
14
Dear Abstractor,
I have been a Libertarian since the party was formed. You are missing a point. As long as our freedom is impaired by the tax-and-buy-votes policies of the thugs in DC, we cannot have open borders because it puts us in deeper tax-slavery to those that wish to be our political masters. We need to get our house in order before we throw away the locks.
Posted by: Richard Roark at April 23, 2009 02:04 AM (m115B)
15
The most effective way to push back is to bust some agitator heads so they'll get the message.
Posted by: sestamibi at April 23, 2009 02:27 AM (UFNnW)
16
I like The Masked Defender's idea: Harsh penalties for people who interfere with others' right to free speech.
Posted by: Evil Pundit at April 23, 2009 04:18 AM (lYXvT)
17
The place reminds of the fictional college in the movie, PCU
Posted by: HarrisonS at April 23, 2009 08:05 AM (yapiR)
18
"... cleanest burning ovens." A wicked acute remark, perfectly capturing the spirit of "The World Without Us", the tenor of Enviroreichsminister Goreing, the actions of ALF and abortionists, and all else who hate human beings so.
Brilliant, Yankee!
Posted by: ALEXISTAN at April 23, 2009 09:18 AM (EWEg2)
19
Nothing new... when my dad was finishing his 45-year career as a history prof at a large US research university in the late '90s he lamented that exactly this sort of culture had developed among liberal arts students and faculty after the late '60s antiwar protests. The politicization of liberal arts via grievance departments (Afro, Chicano and Womyn's Studies were his '70s favorites) and the rise of Colleges of Education within universities further hastened the decline.
His generation prided itself on leaving their personal politics out of the classroom. That ethic is unheard of today.
The solution? Take my dad's advice to my brothers and me... any intelligent young person can read the canon and educate himself. The tools at his disposal today (CDs of great lecturers, etc...) make it even easier than when I was a student 20 years ago. However, it's nearly impossible for a poly sci major to pick up Tipler's Physics or even a fundamental calculus text and teach it to himself. Even the CDs of great lectures can only impart a superficial qualitative understanding of math and science.
Steer your children toward studying mathematics, hard science and engineering at university. Guide them throughout their adolescence and college years in individual study of the classics, humanities and art history in order to become educated in the arts and literature. In that way they'll truly be educated and able to function in our society. And they'll have an even greater competitive edge on arts grads.
I cringe on behalf of undergrads such as those at UNC when I hear today's young adults, allegedly educated at elite unis, spew gibberish and fail to understand how easily we can demolish arguments formed in environments in which students and faculty simply rebreathe their own fetid exhalation. At the age of 43 I do it as sport; it's both personal entertainment and a noble public service.
Posted by: Andrew at April 23, 2009 09:42 AM (JSVX+)
20
Hey, easy everyone with the "students and faculty" accusations. These were a handful of punk students who clearly have a left wing axe to grind. You can find kids like this on most campuses. But we should be clear that the UNC faculty is NOT in support of such behavior (even if some of their political views agree).
I am an alum who has never received any mail from UNC that wasn't a solicitation for donations. So I was shocked to receive THIS apology from the Chancellor after the Trancredo Incident:
"I want to express how disappointed I am in what happened last night when former Congressman Tom Tancredo wasn't able to speak when a protest got out of hand, and our Department of Public Safety had to take action...(clipped)...On behalf of our University community, I called Mr. Tancredo today to apologize for how he was treated. In addition, our Department of Public Safety is investigating this incident. They will pursue criminal charges if any are warranted. Our Division of Student Affairs is also investigating student involvement in the protest. If that investigation determines sufficient evidence, participating students could face Honor Court proceedings....Carolina's tradition of free speech is a fundamental part of what has made this place special for more than 200 years. Let's recommit ourselves to that ideal."
The following incident resulted in the arrests of six punks, who are now also probably facing Honor Court charges and likely suspension if not expulsion from UNC.
The UNC "faculty" and administration is handling this in an appropriate way.
Go Heels!
Posted by: Blue Heaven 1 at April 23, 2009 10:47 AM (+KXmZ)
21
I was extremely disappointed in the coverage by News 14 yesterday. They called Goode a "right winger," which simply shows there massive left wing bias. And stated tat Tancredo was against immigration, not illegal immigration. Shockingly, when I wrote them, they did not respond. Go figure.
Posted by: William Teach at April 23, 2009 11:11 AM (7yTel)
22
A protestor at the Tancredo event sums up the thuggish behavior with daring honesty when she admitted, "I don't believe a lot of change in this country have come through debating and being happy and talking to people."
And yet, that's our new foreign policy.
William Teach, Tanc is opposed to much legal immigration. He offered a moratorium bill while in Congress.
Posted by: Pablo at April 23, 2009 11:58 AM (yTndK)
23
I would remind "Blue Heaven 1" that talk is cheap, and Chancellors are well paid to speak at length. It is the actions that his administration takes that will determine whether or not the civil rights of future speakers, and their listeners, will be supported or transgressed.
As long as the perception exists that his administration permits or condones such behavior as we have witnessed in these two incidents (and, I must admit that it would seem that these are only the visible tips of the proverbial ice-berg), then a regime of thuggery will prevail at UNC, and at other institutions of "higher learning" that do likewise.
Posted by: AD at April 23, 2009 12:49 PM (S+QWU)
24
At least he was able to do his speech without those miserble brown shirts trying to stop him with their usial thuggish tacists
Posted by: Flu-Bird at April 24, 2009 10:55 AM (A/2W8)
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