I know a little bit about the kinds of speech that are generally welcomed on campus. I’ve been banned from a few campuses, including DePaul University; I’ve spoken at more than a few campuses at which violence broke out over my speeches, including California State University at Los Angeles, Penn State and University of California at Berkeley.
I also know that were I a student at any of these universities — and if I said, as a student, what I routinely say as a speaker — I’d undoubtedly be dragged before the administration and hit with sanctions. I’d be responsible for “microaggressions” by saying things like “Western culture is superior” and “men are not women.” I’d be responsible for “harmful language” for stating that human beings ought to be judged not based on race, but on merit.
But apparently, at the top universities in America, all of those sensitivities disappear for one specific group: Jews.
This week, House Republicans held a hearing at which the heads of major universities were grilled regarding the rise of antisemitism on their campuses. That increase ranges from threats of violence to near-riots, from tearing down hostage posters to open Jew-hating slurs.
Now, imagine that instead of antisemitism, there had been a radical uptick in anti-black racism on campus: calls for genocide, celebration of terror attacks against black Americans, physical threats. Does anyone think the respective university presidents would have sat, grinning at the lawmakers quizzing them on their actions?
But that’s precisely what happened. Here was Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York questioned the presidents University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University and MIT about genocidal language chanted on campus. None of the three was willing to say directly that calls for genocide against Jews violated university policy. All three said that context was required to answer the question.
One can make the case for free speech on campus — I can and I do — but one cannot pretend that universities protect students against harassment and then soft-pedal Holocaust-level rhetoric. It is difficult to imagine that these icons of sensitivity and diversity, equity and inclusion would be nearly so sanguine about slurs against any other racial or ethnic minority in America.
Simply put, they wouldn’t.
So, why are they so sanguine?
There are two reasons.
First, the Left — and university presidents are almost the Platonic ideal of intellectual Leftists — believes that Jews are not part of the intersectional coalition of the oppressed. By Leftist logic, Jews are part of the superstructure of power, since all success is merely a reflection of hierarchies of power, and Jews are disproportionately successful. Thus Jews cannot be victims.
Then there’s the second reason: the hard Left hates Israel. The Left hates Israel because, like American Jews, Israel is too successful in the region in which it is located. Israel, according to the Left, is a colonialist outpost of the West, and the West is evil because it too is successful — which means that it is exploitative and oppressive. Hence the Left’s rabid attachment to the idea that calls for Israel’s destruction are somehow not anti-Semitic, but actually a reflection of a more universalistic humanitarian creed.
Sure, that creed would actually materialize in the death of millions of Jews and the dominance of radical Muslim terrorism. But that doesn’t matter. After all, Israel is the real problem, because the West is the real problem — and we know that’s true because the West and Israel are successful. According to the Left, radical Muslim regimes that impoverish their citizens aren’t worth one bit of attention. Israel, by contrast, ought to be destroyed.
So, what ought to be done?
First, donors ought to pull their money.
Second, businesses ought to start hiring directly out of high school and stop treating the bizarre credentialing process of major universities as worthwhile. It isn’t. Chances are better that you’ll get a great employee by selecting a high school graduate with 1500 SAT and a 4.0 GPA than by selecting a Harvard graduate with the same statistics.
Finally, parents ought to stop subsidizing this nonsense with their own children.
The universities are corrupt through and through. Their endorsement of DEI has been a curse to reason and decency. Their politics are vile, and those politics also make the universities corrupt factories of moral depravity. It’s time to end the system.
Ben Shapiro, 39, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author; his latest book is The Authoritarian Moment: How The Left Weaponized America’s Institutions Against Dissent. To find out more about Ben Shapiro and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website.
COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM
First, BRAVO to Representative Stefanik for her tough questioning of the university presidents. Second, the way university presidents were trying to justify their handling (or lack thereof) of the antisemitism in their universities by claiming that context was required to answer the question. Are they serious? With an attitude like that they would deserve to lose funding from both their donors and the taxpayers.
Meh, so much for “safe spaces” and “DEI” (What a crock of crap just like their coexist bumper sticker)
Academia has been aligned with the Marxist Left for decades.
The lion’s share of universities no longer teach students HOW to think, they teach them WHAT to think.
Universities caved in to reactionary leftists long ago The promoting of a free independent thought free speech and freedom to examine and question is a thing of the past Why people pay and support the cesspool they’ve became is a mystery
When i applied and then went to college in the 60’s it was a requirement to getting a job that would make it possible to earn far more than just a high school graduate. I attended class to learn the subject matter being taught. Which required that the other students were there for the same reason. If they were there strictly to avoid the draft then i would find another class for the same course and switch to the one that contained the serious students. I graduated in the top 1% of my class, I applied and wanted to be accepted into Harvard’s MBA program, I was turned down and told to reapply in another year. I went onto being hired into the GE Financial Trainee Program which only accepted 7 college graduates that year of 1969. I was already familiar with much of the content of the courses that were part of the job. In those days it seems that, at least in the business school of the University, we graduated with some skills two of which were knowing the difference between a debit and a credit and being able to read a P & L. Now it appears that the once revered colleges and universities have totally changed their mission statement from graduating a group of doers to a group of haters of those that achieve their goals though hard work and tenacity. The flawed product being offered by these universities has become overpriced by the Marxists that have taken over its direction and should be recalled or better yet these institutions should be liquidated and replaced by institutions that benefit American society. If these non-taxed institutions promote discord for America then all funding and tax exemptions must be withdrawn and they should be forced to register as foreign agents whose basic business to destroy Capitalism and America as envisioned by it’s founders.
I disagree with at least one of Shapiro’s points. What the left hates more than anything, and the REAL reason they hate the Jews, is because of what the Jews and consequently Israel, represent: Acceptance of G-D’s laws. Every single thing that G-D wants, from self-defense (including guns) through responsible sex (not using abortion as a means of birth control) to keeping G-D in the public eye (including prayers in Congress), is an anathema to the Left.
Historically, we know the Left in America urged appeasement of Hitler, yemach sh’mo, until Germany abrogated it’s non-aggression pact with “Uncle Joe” Stalin. They were ok with Hitler and his plans before then, and are OK with Muslims (Hitler’s allies) exterminating Jews today.
Yup the universities are run and staffed with NAZI / KKK members. sure they claim everyone else is racist but the truth is pretty obvious.
I am Penn State ‘73. The far left wing behaviors there disgust me. It feels like I’ve never known the place. This is the action of a very minority of minorities. Unfortunately, a few of them have slicked their way into positions of authority. When I was attending, it was seen and felt in the liberal arts areas only, essentially the touchy feely part of the overall curricula. Simply not evident in the harder sciences at that time. Free and open speech still existed there. Where one had to THINK, not endlessly “feel” about things ad nauseam and expect everyone else to snap to, else they might become uncomfortable and cry.
It truly takes gall for these three university heads actually had the nerve to testify how they’re staunch defenders of the First Amendment. Oh they’re all about “the free exchange of ideas” so long as it’s in lockstep with THEIR speech and anything contrary to that is banned as “hate speech”. Oh, except of course when you’re screaming antisemitic sing-songs or chasing down Jewish students…
The truth should hurt but the new ideological left that can even shamelessly slam Jews and Israel seems sadly beyond much of that.
Eliminate all college government subsidies, eliminate the US Department of Indoctrination (Education), and remove all student loans from Government control.
In order to turn this abomination around, the following steps must be taken: 1. Fire the Presidents and the Provosts. 2. Hire new leaders from non Liberal Institutions.
3. Identify institutions that have clear pro American values that will become the source for new leaders and professors.
4.curtail all monetary assistance to those universities that produce anti American liberal graduates.
Run by the Socialist!!!
Been so since day 1 years ago ???
At the Congressional hearing these university hack presidents all should have been asked: Had it been the Klan demonstrating against Blacks and calling for their deaths, what would you do? That would have been a 180 difference! It’s easy to pick on Jews because their numbers are small, esp. after Hitler whom these pro=Hamas demonstrators seem to want to copy. Another thing: these are all women, unattractive at best. I am a woman, so tell me again why we would want a female president of the U.S.? Because it seems that women are no more ethical, principled, kind, wise or empathetic than any man would be — maybe even less so since they want to prove their bravado and “strong leadership (dis)ability by appearing tough.
Shame on these people who have decided the Jewish community has no right to exist. The Jewish people have just as much right to exist as these radical leftists who really need to learn history and stop being idiots. These universities need to have their federal funding stopped.
If we are to truly consider ourselves Constitutional Conservatives we are just going to have to swallow back that taste of vomit the speech of these students plague us with regarding their professed beliefs on the Palestine-Israeli issue. Hypocrisy is not what we should stand on as a pillar of our platform. We cannot complain about OUR speech not being allowed to be heard while demanding that those we disagree with not be allowed to be heard. Why not instead simply SPEAK BACK. Gather together those of conservative mindset and loudly profess our own beliefs. That is the intent of the First Amendment.
For Gods sake, don’t let the left win on this. The fence sitters, the undecided will see the hypocrisy and will act accordingly. If you have a liberal wondering as to the radical turn the Democrat Party has taken and is viewing the “other side” to see if perhaps they offer a better direction, DO NOT let them see a group insisting,as the radical left has, that certain speech not be allowed. DO NOT BE THEM!
Fortunately, I was blessed to attend and graduate from a small liberal arts and agricultural college where everyone, regardless of race, ethnic background, or religious affiliation, was pretty much treated alike. I am appalled by the savage treatment and threats that students, professors, and other personnel are receiving just because they are of different ethnic backgrounds, of different religious adherence, (particularly those who are Jewish), of different political persuasion, or voice different opinions. It is a travesty that should have already been dealt with, starting with expelling those members of Congress who have fomented so much of the hate and insurrections, plus ferreting out the students on the college campuses who have participated in the violence, and expelling them, and if they have student visas from other countries, deporting them back to their countries.
I will be a righteous cancel culture and call for their closure.
Public education and Universities are indoctrination camp for the Marxist Ideologies.
Ben, I have never read a more accurate and thoughtful article. It’s my wish that Isreal completely destroy Hamas and Isis so they can live in peace.
It is a shame that so many colleges and universities are being required to hire so many leftist professors. These people are ruining our young people by infusing their ideas and thoughts on them. This is why we have so many people with leftist ideas rioting and causing so much damage today. These schools are being paid great amounts of money to hire the professors and give them tenure. Somehow this must be stopped.
You’re as STUPID as you sound!
My solution:
The universities are dinosaurs. They need to become extinct!
You sound like you know a few things about ovens yourself my friend
The west including America, Israel and Europe has to be toned down from their high standard of living and give it to the Chinese, the Middle East Muslim countries, the whole African continent, the Ukraine, and poor Asian countries. The new world order.
The universities have all the answers to their antisemitism, you have to see it in context. Well I did and I have concluded that these university presidents have a hatred for the Jews and anyone who supports them or the state of Israel. First thing Trump should do as president is draft all these anti semites and have them fight in Gaza on the Hamas side. Include all those demonstrators for Hamas and the trans that are screaming Palestinians, Hamas and all Muslims will welcome them. Don’t yell your slogans follow it up with deeds and go fight there now, right now. And take ole Joe with you. Get her done.
AS Rush Limbaugh used to say, these mostly-secular “Jews” are radicals first and Jews second. Same thing for “Catholics” like Biden and Pelosi. Their “religion” is just a name plate; i does NOTHING to affect their morals.
Ben………the neo victim. He and his fellow Chosen ones at the Daily Wire have been so victimized by hatred and prejudice that now they have the burden of tens upon tens of millions of dollars they must maintain and grow in value. To cherish, like flowers, each and every bill……..a little gift from God himself.
And when is anyone going to actually look up the definition of a Semite? A bunch of Borat types from central Europe are NOT Semitic. Palestinians are semitic, Jews from Palestine are Semtic. Alas……..poor Ben is a Johnny come lately and NOT a “hated Semite”. He is a rich, spoiled and entitled little jerk that talks like a speed junkie on day 5 of bender.