The Irony of Conservatives Attacking Universities for Policies Conservatives Pushed on Them
[Image courtesy wayhomestudio on Freepik] Recently the news has been full of stories about politicians being outraged on behalf of Jews over the way universities are tolerating antisemitism. The top headline in the New York Times on the day I am writing this is, "As Fury Erupts Over Campus Antisemitism, Conservatives Sieze the Moment." Subtitle? "Republicans have been attacking elite universities for years. After a tense Congressional hearing last week, many on the left are joining them." This framing is extremely misleading. As someone who teaches at a large state university, let me explain. With war raging between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, many people have been protesting on behalf of Israelis and Jews, and Palestinians and Muslims, which is fine. There's also been a huge rise in hate speech directed at people on both sides, which is not. Some of this is taking place on college campuses--and college administrations have been doing little if anything to stop i...