It’s very hard for me to see what’s going on right now on the college campuses at Columbia, NYU and Yale and stay quiet. It’s just wrong. And it would be equally wrong if it were any other group causing a ruckus like this. At many of these protests, American flags are burned and evil chants and threats are spewed. Americas died preserving the right to wave that flag and for the right of these kids to demonstrate. College administrators should say, “NOT ON MY WATCH. Their responsibility is to protect the rights of ALL students. Students or anyone has the right to peacefully protest, absolutely. However, when their protests infringe on the rights of other or they stop traffic or everyday life in an area, that’s absolutely wrong and they should be arrested and fined. Period. Why these universities are allowing such chaos is unbelievable. And the tents? Who paid for those? They look rather new and many look the same. Are all of those protesting students? Lots of questions to be answered.
Robert Kraft, Columbia alumni and owner of the New England Patriots has pulled his support to the University until the chaos stops (however, he will continue to fund the Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life on campus for students and faculty). Money DOES talk and good for Kraft. As parents, your money matters and your students’ tuition matters. If we had kids in college or we were looking at colleges, I would be paying attention to how these colleges were handling these events. You see, when you subsidize something, or you allow a particular behavior, you are giving your approval of that activity. I would be concerned for my child’s safety and the kind of experience they would have on these campuses where administrators are unable to manage student behavior.
These are schools that usually attract the best and brightest of students. I would not be surprised if they don’t loose students or applicants due to this activity and the administration’s lack of ability to manage what’s going on. Students who attend and alumni should be concerned about this and make their feelings known if they are unhappy with what is going on on their campuses. Alumni should follow Robert Kraft and pull donations. If I had a student at one of these colleges, I would pull them and find another school. Where are the adults to manage these situations?
Interestingly, I wonder how many of these student really know what they are protesting against. Are they aware of how the Hamas treats women? Are they aware of the events that happened in Israel in early October? Do they know the history of the Middle East? Do they know what would happened to them if they protested in a Hamas controlled country? If these students feel so strongly about their cause, I wonder why their faces are covered and why many of them will not talk to the media? If they are so supportive of Hamas, maybe they should go live in a country where they control the government? How about a field trip to Gaza to help the non-Jews of who reside in this part of Israel. It is sad that Gaza has been destroyed, but it was in bad shape far before the Israeli army retaliated after the events of early October. Hamas was selected by the people of Gaza to be in control. The Jews were told to leave by the Israeli government. Gaza is a strip of land on the Mediterranean Sea. Rather than make this area a land of desirable real estate, Hamas took over and dug tunnels and took supplies meant for the people who live there. Do these students know that? It IS tragic how the innocent people in Gaza have been treated. There is a difference between the Palestine people who live in Gaza and Hamas. Hamas is a terrorist organization. For students to support a terrorist organization is wrong. The Jewish students have the same right to be on a college campus that anyone else does. These students who do not respect fellow students should be expelled. This is not how things are done in the United States. These students do have the right to protest, but not when they prevent other students from getting through their day and getting their education.
It is important for parents to be in the loop of their adult children’s college experience. Yes they are adults, but your job isn’t done when your child turns eighteen. They need you in a different way as they they move into adulthood. Know what your kids are doing, what they are involved in and who their friends are-remember “We are the average of the company we keep” and your kids are the same. Explain to them that there are consequences of their choices. There’s a lot our there for your kids to get caught up in. Talk to them about safety, the importance of the buddy system and common sense. Remind them that good choices can lead to many…Great Days 🍎
