Chewing the Scenery for Social Justice
Speaking, as we were, of academia’s efforts to eradicate stoicism, self-possession and any residual sense of proportion, here’s Noah Rothman marvelling at the pretension and self-flattery of a third year student at Harvard Law School. A student whose acute political consciousness has driven him to the brink of nervous exhaustion:
“Our request for exam extensions is not being made from a position of weakness, but rather from one of strength and critical awareness,” wrote William Desmond in the National Law Journal… “The hesitancy to recognise the validity of these psychic effects demonstrates that, in addition to conversations on race, gender and class, our nation is starving for a genuine discussion about mental health,” he continued. “But to reduce our calls for exam extensions to mere cries for help exhibits a failure to understand the powerful images of die-ins and the booming chants of protestors disrupting the continuation of business as usual in cities across the country.”
You see, you simply fail to comprehend the impact of chants and reclining as expressions of civil disobedience. Their moral gravity eludes you.
If the quotes above lead you to believe that Peak Hyperbole™ must surely have been reached, and camped upon in triumph, I should point out that Mr Desmond, our tearful hero, is barely getting started.
Tissues and fainting couches are available at the back.
Update:
And on the subject of student fortitude, another attempt to escape exams on similar grounds proves equally revealing. Della Kurzer-Zlotnick, a freshman activist at Oberlin College, invoked the “significant trauma” of unspecified “students of colour,” on whose behalf she presumed to speak, as grounds for delaying scheduled exams. Apparently, these traumatised students are “tired” and “hurting beyond belief,” and focussed not on their studies but “on their survival” in a racially oppressive environment. Ms Kurzer-Zlotnick’s own “privilege” as “a white, middle-class person” was dutifully confessed.
When her demand was refused, Ms Kurzer-Zlotnick rushed to Facebook to share her deep, deep feelings:
TRIGGER WARNING: Violent language regarding an extremely dismissive response from a professor. This is an email exchange I had with my professor this evening… We are obviously not preaching to the choir. Professors and administration at Oberlin need to be held accountable for their words and actions and have a responsibility to their students.
The violent and triggering language used by her professor, for which he and the entire college must be held accountable? One word:
No.
Longtime lurker, first time commenter (excuse the cliché) here. I actually find this quite encouraging as it suggests that much of the apparent madness is simply calculated. Feel like trying it on for an exam extension? Well, here’s a new line to use…
George,
I actually find this quite encouraging as it suggests that much of the apparent madness is simply calculated.
Well, I hope that over the years I’ve shown just how opportunist and self-flattering this kind of theatrical behaviour can be. You’d think it would be obvious to those with a front-row seat. And yet credulity and deference are much more common reactions. Which is perhaps not so encouraging.
Longtime lurker, first time commenter
I like it when that happens, a lot. Joining in is sort of why this place is here. It’s easy to forget that the overwhelming majority of people reading this are doing so in silence. Lurking in the bushes, as it were.
“Professors and administration at Oberlin need to be held accountable … ”
And might I respectfully suggest, Ms Kurzer hyphen, that students there also need to be accountable. The mechanism by which this occurs is called “examinations”. Suck it up, drama queen.
in addition to conversations on race, gender and class, our nation is starving for a genuine discussion about mental health,”
Mr Desmond should read this blog.
Blimey. Two lurkers de-lurking in one day. I’d better put out the good towels.
I should point out that Mr Desmond, our tearful hero, is barely getting started.
Their “cups of endurance have run over” because of the “burdens of racism and classism”.
Wait a minute, isn’t Laurie Penny at Harvard now? Is she the Typhoid Mary of overwrought prose?
Wait a minute, isn’t Laurie Penny at Harvard now? Is she the Typhoid Mary of overwrought prose?
Well, I think it’s safe to say she’ll feel right at home and conform quite nicely. Despite protestations to the contrary.
The violent and triggering language used by her professor, for which he and the entire college must be held accountable? One word: No.
These whiny posers just aren’t cut out for adult life. Who the hell would want to employ these people?
“A genuine discussion about mental health” would conclude that (a) these ridiculous little pseuds were unemployable and (b) the admissions tutor ought to be sacked.
…. when we march, when we advocate, when we demand accountability and action we are employing the analytical skills and legal knowledge that we have learned in our law school classrooms far more than we would be if we responded to a hypothetical exam prompt.
Because people often hire lawyers on the basis of their ability to yell moronic left wing slogans, their complete and utter detachment from reality and their deranged compulsion to scour every aspect of life for barely perceptible trigger words and microaggressions.
Who the hell would want to employ these people?
All that higher learning and “critical awareness” does seem to have left them rather disabled. Perhaps their parents should ask for a refund.
The violent and triggering language used by her professor, for which he and the entire college must be held accountable? One word: No.
Sounds like a five year old having a tantrum because she can’t have more ice cream.
“These whiny posers just aren’t cut out for adult life. Who the hell would want to employ these people?”
The media.
The Government.
Anything to do with education.
Charities.
There’s at least half of the economy, right there, and I’ve barely started.
Sounds like a five year old having a tantrum because she can’t have more ice cream.
Quite. And as more than one parent has realised, whatever behaviour you encourage you’ll tend to get more of. Given the second incident happened at Oberlin, where “hate crime” hysteria has been enabled by administrators, I’m surprised the professor dared to say no. I can’t help wondering if his reluctance to defer to squealing idiots will cost him something.
Who the hell would want to employ these people?
The New York Times, Guardian, MSNBC, CNN, Huffington Post,
Salon, Daily Kos, The Nation etc etc.
Countless NGOs.
And – the liberal arts faculties of most American universities.
@ Rob
Exactly.
Frightening.
Note the eagerness of the protestors to describe themselves, repeatedly, as daring and “courageous,” as radical heroes. Albeit heroes whose “cups of endurance have run over” on account of being laughed at and the general beastliness of the world. And who can’t face their exams because of the “burdens of racism and classism,” and because they’re exhausted from all that “booming” chanting they’ve been doing. While lying down.
And speaking of educators…
Some have suggested young Desmond’s work is satire. If so, we have a winner!”!
Obviously this is an occasion when no shouldn’t mean no…
@Rob & @RY, you’re leaving out the mental health profession. It is rife with such delicate flowers and they could use some legal help. This being the flaw with @Lancastrian Oik’s “A genuine discussion about mental health” would conclude that (a) these ridiculous little pseuds were unemployable and (b) the admissions tutor ought to be sacked. The people in charge of mental health are the enablers, the people who encourage this behavior.
I never got the professor’s response, because the trigger warning worked. I … I just can’t …
Someone fetch Dom a brandy. And possibly a towel.
My cup of outrage runneth over.
New York Times Makes a loss
Guardian Makes a loss
MSNBC Makes a loss
CNN Makes a loss
Huffington Post Makes a loss,
Salon Makes a loss,
Daily Kos Makes a loss,
The Nation Makes a loss
So ironically they’re all relying on some rich person to subsidise them…
Ah, young Mr. Desmond will do A-OK in the public sector grievance industry divisions of the DOJ/EEOC etc.
I found this blog post triggering and violent. Give me free stuff.
I feel an urge to once again share this.
I suppose some allowance should be made for his tender years (less, however, for his tender sensibilities) but it should be noted that this bit of purple prose was written by someone who is an editor on the Harvard Law Review. No judge is going to thank him if his briefs end up reading like that. Of course I don’t believe for one moment that he is genuinely distraught over allegations of police brutality (they are agents of an overweening State that he, as a Leftist in good standing, venerates). It’s a pretty repellent bit of shroud-waving. However, his cynical opportunism in arguing an indefensible case is the only sign of lawyerly behaviour I can discern here.
Dealing with wtp’s microaggression- after a long lie-down in a dark place with soothing vapours wafting and cold towels placed upon mine fevered brow, I would like to point to my use of the adjective “genuine”, as in the sense of “as carried out by sensible, well-educated people who are not in thrall to silly Leftist ideas”.
Nevertheless, you are forgiven, subject to spending a suitable period of reflection in the remorse chamber. Watch those triggers- these things can off at any time.
Yes, understood. And who is deciding who is “genuine”? At one time, I’d have to re-look this up from several years ago, I could point you to board-certified, licensed members of said profession who hold some significantly crazy (well, in the context of sane being within rock-throwing distance of the more stable posters here, myself excluded of course) ideas. One might consider the esteem in which much of Mr. Freud (and others) is still held today by much of the profession.
Stop disagreeing with me or I’ll see to it that someone else has you up on microcharges.
Editor of Harvard Law Review you say? Could be a future president.
Della Kurzer-Zlotnick
What’s the betting her grandparents fled genuine, murderous oppression in Europe, arriving in the US with just the clothes on their backs and worked their fingers to the bone to give her mum or dad the opportunity to gain an education, a professional qualification, and live the American dream? And then – as is usually the case of the third generation – they produce a whining, spoiled brat who squanders the efforts and wealth of her forebears in a matter of years.
Have you ever noticed that the really crazy ones always seem to “hyphenate”?
As in “board-certified” and “rock-throwing”? Yes.
. . . but it should be noted that this bit of purple prose was written by someone who is an editor on the Harvard Law Review. No judge is going to thank him if his briefs end up reading like that.
In short, judicial writing my ass.
This is judicial writing.
“One might consider the esteem in which much of Mr. Freud (and others) is still held today by much of the profession.”
To be fair, I think Freud’s ideas have generally been quietly dropped, at least in Anglophone psychiatry. This seems to be one of the cases where public perception lags significantly behind academic reality (possibly because Freud’s ideas often sound so amusingly weird).
The violent and triggering language used by her professor, for which he and the entire college must be held accountable? One word: No
Is it several kinds of wrong that this reminded me of the beginning of Battle for the Planet of the Apes? “In all our years of slavery to mankind, the word ‘No’ was the one word we were electrically conditioned to fear. An ape may say ‘No’ to a human, but a human may never again say ‘No’ to an ape.”
Sigh. I guess my brain is racist.
Via Campus Reform:
Video: Students agree to deport Americans in exchange for
illegal immigrants.
http://www.campusreform.org/?ID=6151
After some consideration, a female student decided signing the petition was best in the name of social justice.
I think it would be appropriate to pause for a monoent and give thanks that Ms Kurzer-Zlotnick wasn’t at your Thanksgiving dinner, and won’t be ruining your Christmas dinner. Some families aren’t so lucky.
I didn’t realise the author of this drivel was female. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, given that modern feminist thought apparently seeks to return women to Victorian ideals of delicacy and prudishness. “I Am Woman, Hear Me Whine!”
After some consideration, a female student decided signing the petition was best in the name of social justice.
They needed to be careful with the editing of that piece, because the amount of sheer stupidity compressed into such a short time could easily have gone critical and infected the entire US academic system.
What do you mean “It already happened”?
I would guess that both of Ms Kurzer-Zlotnick’s mommies heartily approve.
Note that current POTUS was NOT Editor of the HLR; that is a post requiring some capability and to contribute. One B. H. Obama was elected President of the Review, a ceremonial post with no editorial or content requirements. Traditionally, the President contributes one article to the review, and only one President actually never contributed that article…and you guessed who already, right ?
It is a common mistake to claim Obama was editor, because editor is a prestigious position whereas President is a figurehead.
because editor is a prestigious position whereas President is a figurehead.
So maybe that’s what has made him all confused about his current role, then?
@RY…
It seems people will sign anything.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1J8uX9_-Bg
Gads, these whiny weepy whingey little pukes really frost my buns! They’re the ones the other people at a workplace will have to carry in every conceivable way, because loading the copier with more paper will manifest as a terrible “psychic” threat to their mental well-being, and answering the phone will be considered an interruption to their precious widdle feefees. And of course they’ll be too good for a cubicle! They will NEED an office, because important mindthoughts they have!
May I have a towel …
I’ll be happy to buy a vowel,
Shake my head and scowl,
Or, hootennanny like a rednecked owl …
And of course they’ll be too good for a cubicle!
Nah. Offices are—or are shifting to be—all big open spaces with tables these days . . . .
—For confidential stuff, there are cubbyholes here and there to duck into for short periods, have the meeting, then back to your desk in the middle of all the others, or one goes for a walk around the building or so, and then back to the desk . . .
Stop RAPING ME with your blog.
…loading the copier with more paper will manifest as a terrible “psychic” threat to their mental well-being.
This sort of thing has been in full swing in the public sector for a long time. A few years ago, my ex’s best friend got herself signed off from her civil service job for an entire month with stress. The reason? She’d taken to using the flexi-time system to work 11am-3pm days every Monday and Friday, and her manager had the audacity to ask her to make up some of the lost hours. She explained that this constituted intimidation, triggering panic attacks.
Possibly of interest. Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry on leftist groupthink and the decline of social “science”:
@The original Mr. X, re Freud….Perhaps, but to my point in general I give you this conclusion from the study linked in the article David just posted:
http://the-good-news.storage.googleapis.com/assets/pdf/psychology-political-diversity.pdf
Thus in regard to @Lancastrian Oik’s comment I would like to point to my use of the adjective “genuine”, as in the sense of “as carried out by sensible, well-educated people who are not in thrall to silly Leftist ideas”. Where does one find such sensible, well-educated people?
Hi.
Hi.
Hullo.
Yeah, L.O. I like to think the same but 4 out of 5 psychologists (and 4.99999978656765 out of 5 other educated social scientists, I’ve run the numbers) likely disagree.
That article on political diversity in social psychology (linked by wtp) is excellent.
Students aren’t the only special snowflakes on campus …
The update must be one of the best exchanges I’ve read here.
The update must be one of the best exchanges I’ve read here.
It does set a new benchmark for impossible preciousness. And to think, when I started this blog I wasn’t sure I’d get much use out of the ‘psychodrama’ tag.
Just reading that Duarte et al. paper (CUP, in press) right now – absolutely brilliant – thanks so much for that link.
Nik,
A tiny particle of the academy is belatedly catching up with something that’s hard to miss and has been known for quite some time, and illustrated repeatedly, chiefly by people outside of academia. Yay.
OT Re: The Sony hacking…
http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2014/12/19/obama-says-sony-made-a-mistake-i-wish-they-had-spoken-to-me-first/
Because if somebody is able to intimidate folks out of releasing a satirical movie, imagine what they start doing when they see a documentary that they don’t like or news reports that they don’t like. Or even worse, imagine if producers and distributors and others start engaging in self-censorship because they don’t want to offend the sensibilities of somebody whose sensibilities probably need to be offended.
I don’t need to imagine that. It’s exactly the cultural environment that has been allowed to develop under our present political/media class.
In other news, the basis for the “I’ll ride with you” meme appears to be untrue. Shocker.
Re: Shocker
Confession time.In my Facebook status, I editorialised
Or to put it another way – lied.
Reading through the rest of it is painful:
Tears sprang to my eyes and I was struck by feelings of anger, sadness and bitterness.It was in this mindset that I punched the first status update into my phone, hoping my friends would take a moment to think about the victims of the siege who were not in the café.
The victims of the siege were in the café.