So At What Point, Exactly, Did You Become This Colossal Bitch?
As noted here recently, it’s remarkable just how often “social justice” activism is difficult to distinguish from spite and petty malice. If another example is needed, here’s how some educators at Marquette University plan to cope with a visit from Ben Shapiro:
Chrissy Nelson, the programme assistant at the Centre for Gender and Sexualities Studies, claimed that she “just got off the phone with one of the directors of diversity on campus” and received a suggestion to reserve a seat as a student to “take a seat away from someone who would actually go” and then not attend the event. “This is what I will be advising students to do,” she adds. “Take a seat away from a student that would be interested in going.”
Remember, this isn’t the plotting of a moody and vindictive teenager. It’s a supposedly adult member of staff. One employed by the university’s Centre for Gender and Sexualities Studies, the stated goal of which is “the pursuit of knowledge and dialogue.” And hence the attempt to ensure that no-one gets to hear a speaker with whom Ms Nelson disagrees. Before devoting her energies to sabotaging other people’s evenings, Ms Nelson majored in “sociology and social justice,” which may explain her enacting of that great egalitarian maxim, “I don’t like, so you can’t have.”
Note the unspoken but blatant disdain for any students who might wish to hear Shapiro speak and ask him questions, or who might want to challenge him on some point – an activity he encourages with lengthy Q&A sessions. Ms Nelson is quite happy to deny all of those students that chance, by overriding their preferences in an underhand manner and imposing her own, selfish will. It’s the antithesis of what a university is supposed to be about, and yet it’s an attitude that’s increasingly come to define what that institution now is.
[ Updated via the comments. ]
I have to run errands downtown in a bit, so I’ll have a look at the Center and Shattuck area while I’m there. I’m rather expecting to see slabs of plywood in that spot, that spot, that other spot, and then not a scratch for rather a lot of others, and absolutely no problem with any of the errands—
. . . and to my utter, complete, and absolute lack of any surprise, that is exactly the condition of downtown Berkeley. The intersection of Center and Shattuck has a BofA, a Wells Fargo, and Chase banks on three corners, those have plywood all over. The fourth corner and everything else within easy eyesight remains totally untouched.
For relative comparisons, the intersection to the south has a Wallgreens on one side of Shattuck, and a mini Target on the other, which the rioters missed.
Therefore, the rather apparent deduction is that the primary intent of the rioters was that Milo would get nationwide attention and subsequent support: Consider the two alternatives—
Alternative One, that free speech was practiced, where Milo and entourage strolled onto the campus, gave a talk to about 500 or so people, and strolled back off campus. Following that, if there were any reporters in the audience, there might have been a news report or two, and the event would have been a complete footnote—if even that much—and nearly completely forgotten inside of a week or two.
Alternative Two, that Milo and entourage strolled on to campus and were met by fireworks throwing fascist arsonists declaring absolute and utter opposition to any sort of free speech whatsoever, with the very clear result and possible intent being that Milo didn’t have to say a word, didn’t have to promote anything, the effective Children Of Milo(TM) guaranteed that he got to have absolute nationwide news coverage and awareness . . .
Still waiting for Penny Dreadful to say something about the rioting, beating, arson, etc.
Nothing yet. Which is odd, given her proximity.
Then not than, stupid protester.
Following the unflattering media attention, Ms Nelson has been “reprimanded” by the Centre for Gender and Sexualities Studies and the issue is being “addressed internally.”
More here.
“the intentional dumbing down of our children”
Jerry Pournelle keeps this quote at Chaos Manor:
“If a foreign government had imposed this system of education on the United States, we would rightfully consider it an act of war.”
– Glenn T. Seaborg, National Commission on Education, 1983
Therefore, the rather apparent deduction is that the primary intent of the rioters was that Milo would get nationwide attention and subsequent support:
Still waiting for Penny Dreadful to say something about the rioting, beating, arson, etc.
And… still nothing. *crickets*
And… still nothing. *crickets*
Apparently, Laurie is “still processing” what she saw. Judging by her recent tweets, she seems more concerned with making the students who wanted to hear someone speak “think again,” rather than the masked thugs who turned up carrying weapons, then exulted in violence while smashing other people’s property and punching a woman for wearing a hat they didn’t like. Presumably, it takes time to distort reality in such a way that the people doing all this, and threatening to do it again, can be construed as both heroic and the real victims.
But hey, she’s managed it before.
she seems more concerned with making the students who wanted to hear someone speak “think again,”
Well that is the point, isn’t it? To make sure that the next time Milo comes to a campus (or Shapiro, or Riley, or Fiamengo, or Hoff Sommers, etc…) that the students are afraid to go, out of concern for their own safety. Or better yet, the school will be so afraid of this kind of violence that they don’t allow the speech at all.
Also – Hal, you’re a f***ing idiot
Also – Hal, you’re a f***ing idiot
Hmmm?? You’re really going to have to expand on that one . . . at this point you’re about as coherent as the Children of Milo(TM) who came rampaging through, oh, an entire block or two recently . . .
I think its far more sinister than people appreciate.
They’re trying to legitimise political violence, for the day when Trump is assassinated. They are terrified of Trump as there is so much skulduggery that Trump is prepared to expose. (Pizzagate being just one example)
A bit belated thought here . . .
I think its far more sinister than people appreciate.
They’re trying to legitimise political violence . . .
Ehhhhnnn, No—even for the adamantly anti Trump protesters, commentary is turning up of actual protesters realizing they may need to have security details to freeze out the black bloc fascists that are causing the problems . . . and of the fascists, given that they’ve been turning up at the temper tantrum variety of screaming shitfits rather than the political movement variety of actual protest, one handy observation is that the fascists are themselves just showing up to be the toddler going for most piercing decibel levels of denial.
. . . They are terrified of Trump as there is so much skulduggery that Trump is prepared to expose. (Pizzagate being just one example)
Um, rather no again . . . Aside from such things as the Secret Service actually rather having a clue about protecting a principal, all the right wing claims of all that conspiracy are really starting to remind of the Nineteen Empties Satanic Panic fiascoes . . . In Trump’s case, my read is that the actual main churning that is going on is a matter of a hands on businessman having gotten elected to be President, and everything taking off from that—Therefore the last thing that is likely to happen will be any official and Presidential focus on twitter and FB scale political hand waving . . .