College Students Demand Power to Shape the World
While wanting college administration to feed them, monitor their health, and give them college credit despite missing classes and finals week…
Tuesday, May 7th, 2024
Dear “Take Me Serious!” Student Protesters,
Does the university monitor the health of all of its students every day? Does the university show up every Saturday morning to see if anyone got sick on Friday night when they were out partying? No.
You are adults, privileged to be allowed to study at these amazing universities, and they will (and should) treat you like adults.
Not like a high school student or middle schooler or a child.
They do not (and should not) be checking up on the health of their faculty or their staff or their Professors — or you.
I know a lot of you think you’re in an adult daycare and that mommy and daddy sent you somewhere where other people would be your quasi-parents while you figure out how to grow up.
But university is not a second opportunity to be a high school student.
It is where you embrace your adulthood and your self-responsibility and your independence. You’re there to stumble, trip, fall and get bruised as you develop the Skills of Adulthood. The training wheels are off, and you will (and should) be held to account for your mistakes and crimes, as the adults you are.
In fact, freedom from constant helicopter parents and endless micromanaging is what most college students are excited to experience!
It is a mark of respect that you are not being pampered or babied or intruded upon by other adults who are going to make “your” health their business.
If you want to do this hunger strike, go ahead.
But the California Government wasn’t showing up at Cesar Chavez‘s house and monitoring his health when he did his hunger strike to draw awareness to the plight of farm workers in California.
That’s not the way it works.
I recommend applying your study and research skills to the strength and positive efficacy offered by disciplined non-violence. Maybe start with Cesar Chavez: https://chavezfoundation.org/about-cesar-chavez/#1517518227969-596aaa83-bbbe
Cesar adopted historic strategies and tactics that were novel to organized labor. He demanded farm workers strictly adhere to a pledge of nonviolence. In 1968, Cesar’s insistence on nonviolence drew dissent from some union staff and young male strikers who were frustrated by slow progress during the grape strike and anxious to retaliate against abusive growers. Some strikers and staff left the union during Cesar’s 25-day fast for nonviolence, but he prevailed. Sen. Robert Kennedy came to Delano as the fast ended, calling Cesar “one of the heroic figures of our time.”
I missed this post when it first came out, but wish I had seen it. Mixed feelings about the demonstrations. On one hand, the students certainly have the free speech right to protest whatever they want, whether it makes any sense or not. And it rather quickly became clear from nimerous interviews of the incredibly ignorant protesters that many of them did not even know what/why they were protesting; some were obviously shocked and appalled when they learned who/what they were supporting with their "protests"
On the other hand, if these demonstrations are against school policy and involve keeping other students from attending class, or harrassing students for a variety of reasons (such as being Jewish), the protesters should be given ONE warning by school admins to disperse, and told that if they do not do so they will be permanently expelled. And then the admins should follow through and throw those who refuse to follow the rules out, and let the REAL students get back to being students. If necessary the protesters should be arrested and thrown into jail until Mommy and Daddy can bail them out.
Real world time, people! As you say, this is not a second shot at high-school. I have very little doubt that most of these protests were arranged by outside agitators, and that many/most of the student protesters were nothing more than Useful Idiots who were goaded into their actions. Regardless, their rights to protest do not trump the rights of the students who are there to actually be students. Give them a chance to stand down, and if they refuse take the gloves off.