Most of you, like me, have read how conservative speakers are being harassed and shut down on numerous college campuses. Sometimes violence is involved, such as at Berkeley, while other times “only” intimidation and disruption take place.
Not surprisingly, when a society rewards bad behavior, we get more of it. Since the protesters have not been arrested and/or expelled following these events, suppression of conservative speech is increasing.
My husband and I got our personal taste of this at Cañada College in San Mateo, CA, this past Tuesday night. He was invited by students to give a speech about the morality of business and we soon found that the following notice, revealing the facility of language and depth of discourse one expects from college students, was circulating on campus.
The students who had invited us assured us that security measures were being taken and that a large turnout was expected, though they were expecting some protestors.
We arrived and while my husband was taken to a back room, I circulated among arriving students and community members. As people entered the auditorium a few girls stood quietly by the stairs leading to the venue, holding signs of protest. I thought that was a perfectly civilized way to express opposition, no matter how misguided.
One of the girls actually had a number of different sign with quotes from my husband and I was impressed with the effort she had made rather than using generic material. We got into an interesting conversation when I began to question what exactly she found offensive about the specific quotes she was parading. For example, one of the quotes spoke of women being born with a limited number of eggs while men’s sperm doesn’t share that limitation. I asked if she felt the biological fact was incorrect, which she didn’t, though she thought that suggesting that this might make women and men act differently was wrong. Let’s face it. This is a young student —seventeen? nineteen?—with limited life experience who has, sadly, fallen for the lies being fed to our youth. She hasn’t, as my husband and I have, sat with thirty-five year old women in tears asking why no one told them when they were younger that they might desperately yearn to have a baby one day. She was open to a discussion of her various signs and I actually felt sorry for her. How can you expect a student to defend her ideas when she has been taught what to think rather than how to think while being shielded from different views ?
Still, if this was the extent of the protests, there would be no problem. The speech began and while a few seated young girls (this was a different group than the ones who had been outside) held up signs, including vulgar ones, everything was going along fine. That changed when about half an hour into the speech these girls stood up and began repetitively chanting about eight or so words. I don’t remember the slogan, but it had something to do with Fascism. Their actions suggested that they favor that philosophy though I think their words suggested otherwise. With the rampant historical ignorance among college students, it’s likely they have no idea what Fascism is, since forcible suppression of opposition is one of its mainstays.
As these three girls continued to stand and shout, my husband asked one of them what she wanted. She ‘asked’ a question about health care and he said that he would be happy to answer it within his talk so could they please sit down and stop disrupting so he could continue. That clearly wasn’t part of their agenda so they continues standing and repetitively shrieking their mantra. At this point a few more girls came in the other side of the auditorium and joined in the screeching. Security stood to the side with folded arms. End of speech.
The rest of the audience was understandably annoyed at being held hostage. There was an attempt to outshout the protesters and a number of people approached the girls pleading with them to leave. Meanwhile, security stood to the side with folded arms. When the event organizers questioned why they didn’t do anything, the response was that they were there so that if things turned violent they could shut the event down. Eventually, after quite a few people had given up and left in frustration, some almost in tears, the organizers circulated word that participants should stealthily leave and take circuitous routes to get to a different room where my husband would give his speech. That is what happened.
Cañada College, like most institutions of learning, has a student code of conduct. Here are two excerpts:
“Students enrolled at Cañada College are expected to conduct themselves as responsible citizens and in a manner compatible with the functioning of an educational institution.”
“Any student [not behaving according to the code] may be subject to disciplinary action, including suspension and/or expulsion.”
To give the bullying students credit, they did not wear masks as violent protesters at Berkeley have done. Masks both increases the intimidation factor and represents cowardice, just as they historically did for the Ku Klux Klan. The professors and other students at Tuesday’s event have identified the irresponsible citizens who acted in a manner incompatible with the functioning of an educational institution. Many of these fellow students were in shock that people whom they considered friends could behave so reprehensibly. I believe that complaints are being filed, though I admit that I would be shocked to hear that serious disciplinary action is taken. The protests here have been empowered by other, larger and better known, colleges that have chosen to side with suppression of free speech and thuggish behavior.
I know how my husband and I felt Tuesday night. I can only imagine how it feels to be a conservative student on campus, being intimidated, insulted and silenced daily. These brave students, many of whom affiliate with YAF (Young America’s Foundation), the organization that helped arrange for my husband’s speech, need and fully deserve our support.
If you have something you wish to politely say to the college’s administration, here is some contact information.
Barbara Bucton (Executive Assistant to President)
buctonb@smccd.edu
(650) 306-3239
Deborah Joy (Executive Assistant)Office of the Vice President, Student Services
joyd@smccd.edu
(650) 306-3318
A student that believes in the oppression of other students should not be entitled to the same rights to a platform to express said belief at school as a student who believes that they should not be oppressed. Stop putting those two beliefs on the same ground. One violates other students rights to safety on campus while the other simply demands for the same rights to be safe on campus as students who are not subject to oppression. NOT THE SAME AT ALL. And those students who demand that a school not give oppressors a platform are not being “shielded from the real world”, as critics are so keen to claim. They are literally having to fight for their right to not attend schools who give platforms to people that question their rights to exist. Meanwhile you’re crying that you are being questioned for being a bigot. The life of these students is realer than you will ever have to know. Both YAF and Lapin are racist, homophobic, Islamophobic, and clearly classist based on this speech. I’m beyond appreciative that those protesters held you and the college accountable for your bigoted actions and words. Comment all you want. I’m not planning on coming back to Rabbi Lapin’s page just so I can read them, so it’s futile. Boohoo that people didn’t like what you have to say. Your feelings getting hurt doesn’t get you killed. Racist, Islamophobic, classist ideals do.
Hello Susan! We met briefly at Canada during the “event”. We chatted for a few minutes while your husband tried to speak over the protestors. It was a very discouraging night for freedom!
There was a very interesting article posted in the San Mateo Daily Journal. It is a very hopeful article about protecting political speech.
Hi Mary Anne, I think you left shortly before word went out to move to another room. I was sorry that you missed the speech. I did read the article in the San Mateo Daily Journal and responses to letters to the administration speak of consequences to the students. I tend to be skeptical but did ask them to let me know if anything is done. We’ll see. I enjoyed meeting you.
These college professors and rude students and useless zombie guards will all wake up only after they drive us into a communistic society – then they will actually have something to complain about, but it would be against the law with a penalty of death in our Fema concentration camps to do so. Meanwhile they eat lots of black German chocolate cake and think life is so darn unfair.
I have snail mailed Mr. Lapin, David Barton, and Glenn Beck an awesome proposal idea to get Mr. Lapin’s work universalized to actually educate all persons with one of your classes as “Spiritual Education: The Understanding of Money.” Yes, you will be in Every public and private school – kindergarten thru college.
Hope you will like it and move forward.
Good luck. I have your backs. We care. Now lets eat cake.
Dear Rabbi and Susan Lapin:
I truly enjoy your podcasts, emails and Susan’s Musings very much.
But while listening to the podcast about the experience in San Mateo California it brought to mind something that over the years I thought I had completely forgotten.
I was at a college in 1960, North Central College, in Naperville, Illinois. It is a religious college. One day during an assembly of the entire college, we were blessed to have the wonderful singer, Miriam Makeba perform for us instead of the usual. Miriam was a wonderful singer and her music was echoing throughout the hall. Halfway through her performance some students became irritated and began hurling insults at this woman. They continued hurling and she continued singing. However, there came a point in time where it was impossible to sing and also it was seen to be impossible that any of the faculty would do anything about it. At that time there were no security guards in colleges in venues such as this.
Miriam stopped singing and things hushed down. The hecklers stopped heckling and she began to cry. She said she felt sorry for those students who did not give her the chance to perform and who ruined it for the rest of the students. The rest of her speech, however, is lost to memory, or lapse of memory. She walked off the stage in silence.
After her departure the Dean of the school came on stage and shamed all of us for what some irritated, unruly students had done. This was the first time I had witnessed any kind of dissent and I do have to say that at that time I felt fear. More than that I felt complete shame even though I did not participate in this behavior, but shame for this wonderful woman who came to give to us. I cannot tell you what happened to those riotous students as nobody seemed to know what happened to them, but they were still on campus. Miriam Makeba will always have a special place in my heart for her suffered humiliation and my shame.
Dear Susan and Rabbi Daniel,
I love your work as it gives me a lot to think about (usually I get to the point, where I must agree with what you’re saying).
However I feel that I should point out, that recent biological research of Jonathan Tilly indicates, that the numer of oocytes isn’t final. Lots of them probably form during woman’s life.
Whole scientific community doesn’t agree with Tilly’s findings (yet), but his reserch seems quite credible.
God bless you,
Julie
The only truthful statement on the card was Capitalist…..Having learned of u2 while living/working there in San Mateo on radio, have learned much, not always agreeing but changing as I find in time ‘YOU ARE CORRECT’.
With that said, we are heading toward ‘1984/Brave New World’, as I hunt for ‘John Galt’….
GOD BLESS u both….BIG HUGS 2u2
Thank you, Susan, for your thoughtful post. I am especially refreshed and encouraged by the comments and reactions. There is so much wisdom and understanding represented here. I wish I knew each of these people commenting and could walk and talk with them. My life be so enriched knowing them. Thank you. Now I will go finish reading. And thank you for the book “Thou Shall Prosper.” I am going to read that again too.
At least the protesters’ flyer got one thing right when they called you a capitalist!
Susan here: I am going to reply to this before the comment appears because I think it is what is called a “teachable moment.” I read Lyna’s comment as humorous and friendly. I believe I am right. I think that H completely misunderstood it. H, I hope you don’t mind, but I am going to approve you comment because, while I could be wrong, I think it is so important that when we think we are being insulted or offended we stop and ask if we could be misunderstanding something. So, I appreciate your emotional defense of my husband and myself but I think that there was nothing to defend and had there been something to defend a conversation rather than an attack might be more helpful.
Wow mr and mrs Lapin are such terrible people for helping thousands of people change their lives for the better! What have you done except for mock others in a snooty tone? I notice that mockers rarely are people who makes other peoples lives better. Mockers are selfish consumers who do nothing but indulge their craving for their idiotic display of anger to get attention. You try to make everything about you and hurt other people and you know what it seems that you enjoy hurting people. You dont do anything out of love for others. All you have in your mind is hatred and destruction. It is so sad.
My letter to the leadership of the college
Dear Cañada College Leaders,
I’m writing to express my concern and dismay regarding the “protest” at Rabbi Daniel Lapin’s lecture on April 25, 2017. My daughter, who is a Cañada student attended the lecture to complement the ethics class in which she is currently enrolled.
A handful of rabble-rousers set out to destroy the evening for not only Rabbi Lapin and his wife, but for the nearly three score other attendees. They hurled insults at the Rabbi who did his best to dispel the rising tension. Campus Security was called but did not remove the disruptive “activists.” This must be curtailed before it escalates to violence and/or damage to property. Protests should not disturb the speaker and attendees, many of whom came from some distance to attend—my daughter drove over an hour. If there is to be a protest, it should be in front of the bookstore or in another appropriate place.
Another disturbing aspect of this protest was that it was not relevant to the speaker’s topic. He was discussing money and NOT politics, race, corporatism, islamophobia or white supremacy. Yet this was what the agitators were shouting out. Furthermore, they claimed to be expressing their right to “free speech” while denying Rabbi Lapin his right to speak freely. They rudely interrupted him and ignorantly resorted to name-calling. The mortified attendees were embarrassed and angry at the surly students. Afterwards many felt compelled to offer apologies to the Rabbi and his wife.
I would like to see the Campus Security educated on how to peacefully diffuse these types of situations before they become violent, rather than wait until fighting breaks out. I know that we all want everyone to be safe. Freedom of speech is one of the most important of our Constitutional rights. This unfortunate event, however, was not about the first amendment and was utterly unwarranted and deeply disrespectful.
Cañada College, like most institutions of learning, has a student code of conduct. Here are two excerpts:
“Students enrolled at Cañada College are expected to conduct themselves as responsible citizens and in a manner compatible with the functioning of an educational institution.”
“Any student [not behaving according to the code] may be subject to disciplinary action, including suspension and/or expulsion.”
These reprobate students should be “subject to disciplinary action” for their reprehensible behavior.
If you care to read what the Rabbi’s wife, Susan thinks: https://rabbidaniellapin.com/the-canada-college-core-curriculum-bullying/
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I hope you will strive to allow a voice to everyone at Cañada while maintaining peace and respect for all.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Stockbridge
Cañada College, A.A. class of ‘83
Stanford University, BA class of ’86 International Relations
Graduate work: geopolitics and social engineering
I have so enjoyed reading all your comments. I have not responded individually due to lack of time. Please don’t mistake that for lack of appreciation or interest. There are some wonderful points being expressed.
I saw your husband speak in Dallas several years ago and his ideas were thoughtful, well-considered, well presented, and stimulating! If he had been allowed to speak, perhaps the protesters may have learned how absolutely exciting it is to consider ideas and to try to achieve understanding of various viewpoints. Please keep trying!
What a disgrace! These uncivilized barbarians must be the darlings of their parents. I wonder how they treat their parents and authority in general? Sir, madamme, i applaud you for stabding up for what is righg. We are living in the last days indeed!
2 Timothy 3King James Version (KJV) [full text deleted by moderator. People are welcome to look it up.]
My choice is to quit “thinking”, or fight back. I’m short-tempered and angry at my values being treated unfairly. San Diego Unified schools are obliterating any suggestion of continuing “white” values to the very same people that paid to build them! (Another example of hundreds across the US and Canada.) The young college student protesters will very soon have families, jobs, and positions that will reinforce these “name calling” hateful policies with no regard to civil society. Quit making me think!
Todah, thank you Rabbi and Susan Lapin for being brave enough to do and take this chance. We certainly need more brave souls like you to get out there and make a difference. To let the bullies know we will not be bullied or intimidated into silence. I’ve been that one hold out conservative on college campuses and believe me it is horrible; the intimidation. shunning, cruel. And I got that treatment getting a B.A. in Human Development ! and Counseling!! Show to Survive College as Conservative…lol I graduated by the Grace of haShem.
Andy…the Rabbi and his wife were guests there,. he was Invited to Speak…the Protesters wouldn’t let him.The rabbi asked what they wanted…they just wanted to yell and scream. They didn’t want him to speak. Well, they needed to go get a platform of their own, the students came to hear the Rabbi speak…not them yell…No one won except the fascists who forbade his speech and the students were robbed for hearing him. .
Miss Susan, I am appalled at the treatment that you and the Rabii received Canada College. Unfortunately it is not solely restricted to the left coast. Even here in the South we have allowed our young men and women to forget their manners. To protest outside the venue is one thing, to continually interrupt the program is quite another. One is never going to change a person’s mind with blind protest. All it does is solidify the idea that the other side is wrong and is bullying.
I have found that a free exchange of ideas is vital to the freedom we enjoy in this country. No one race, culture, religion or region is without its warts and frogs. Each also has viewpoints worth considering when developing one’s beliefs. Here in in the city I live in is a somewhat successful Jewish attorney who speaks out against Israel every chance he is presented with. While I do not agree with his views, I respect the fact he speaks from his heart, if not from his brain. I would no more interrupt his speeches than I would do so in church. My generation was taught to listen first, and then respond, respectfully, thoughtfully, respectfully and forcefully.
Rudeness and disrespect has no place in a free society.
William Brower
Susan (and Rabbi), your magnificent response to the latest Rent-A-Mob episode heartens and inspires us all. It was great to hear that the Rabbi was able to give his talk after all in a more quiet setting. Words sometimes fail in the face of these Alinsky tactics; “Fret not thyself because of evildoers” (Ps. 37) is at least a good start. I, too, have “Thou Shalt Prosper”. It may be that you touched one or more of these misguided students with your quiet questioning. Thanks!
I’m frustrated and angered with what I hope is a righteous anger. Yet, because my feelings are somewhat raw after just reading this, I hesitate to write what I really think. I do remind myself, however, that the children I’ve brought into this world were not brought here accidentally but for a time such as this so I should not fear. Be brave and take heart for God in His providence will have the final say.
Dear Susan,
I am sorry that you and Rabbi Lapin had to endure such blatant disrespect! Young people who feel they have license to behave that way in the first place begins early on in their home life and is fostered by permissive parents. This in turn provides fertile ground for the teachings of Marxist leaning professors whereby they are able to shape these youth into lemming-like drones parroting the tripe they are being fed in these institutions. Sadly, colleges and universities are being overtaken by these leftists and as history has proven, they are the breeding ground of what eventually morphs into insurrection and anarchy.
Hi Susan
As a student, albeit a slightly older one, within the bay area college system, I can very much relate to what you have mentioned. Other than my math class, where numbers do the talking, most of my other classes, particularly in Speech and English, have been with teachers, whom in one way, shape or form, try and indoctrinate their students. For example, in both classes, the teachers made clear their liberal political opinions right away. The English teacher did so when she suggested that Carly Fiorina, was as she put it, “vile” and why would anyone vote for her. Mind you, opinions are fine with me, but this teacher, rather than attacking Fiorina’s politics, instead attacked her character. There was no substance to her argument, if you could even call it one. In speech, that teacher who LOVED the Rachel Maddow Show, and of which he garnered a lot of his information, kept bringing up how at Trump rallies, he was tried of seeing so many people of color getting beaten up, which as it turns out, many of the troublemakers were said to be paid by Soros. Point is, from the get go, the teachers laid down THEIR political views, which to students, we aren’t dumb, we know it’s the teacher’s way of saying, “hint hint ” my way or the highway, at least where your grade is concerned. Sadly, in knowing this, students, instead of thinking for themselves, which MOST, if not all, really want to do, fear their grade will be sacrificed. For most students, especially those of us who pay out of pocket, have to make a choice, go long with the teacher or think outside of the box, possibly risking our GPA. As someone who considers themselves Independent , it’s almost become an art form pretending to be a liberal, at least where my essays and or speeches have been concerned. Truth is, for years I was a Democrat, but now, tired of politics on both sides of the spectrum, I switched over and became an Independent. Nowadays, I say I don’t for people, I vote policies, policies that work for my household.
Yes, today most professors reek. I highly suggest, until we get rid of tenure and until our government stops shlling out millions of our hard-working tax payors dollars at these colleges, that people simply stop going to college. You are not learning anything to better yourselves. Simply choose an industry you are interested in. Whether it’s Nursing, Dentistry, Plumbing, Chemical Engineering, Car Mechanic, choosing a trade school will actually benefit you and your future. The professors in colleges are mostly greedy and selfish with small demented minds – which is why they sat in Mr. Lapin’s audience and smiled while letting their students be loud and annoyingly rude during his helpful speech last weekend.
Skip college. Go to trade school.
H suz, we live in Mendocino Co if you are aware of any Jewish resources in the area? Things have gotten worse, in the years since this original post. I can relate to your experience and think that Trump had this affect on allot of people surprised by the growing fascist tendency in society. He was also a democrat!
I can hardly see how the students believe that this is right or will accomplish anything except to show their stupidity.
https://youtu.be/9cq-MNlQDKs
They believe it is “right” because they believe that their feelings and opinions are “right.” When they meet the real world, it will be a slap upside the head to many of them. It’s no wonder that millennials say they aren’t adults until they reach 30. Some of us “oldsters” were making adult decisions and living independently at age 16.
They only believe they become adults at age 30 is because that propaganda line from “the experts” started in the year 1987. These young mindless adults now believe this since they have heard it their whole life. Also, along with this line of proaganda, “the experts” also stated that all college and high school kids normally experiment sexually with members of their own gender – that it is normal for them to kiss their friends of the same sex. Again, this all started in 1987. My friends and I who worked in the mall were digussing all these creepy things “that experts say”, and obviously knew it was all wrong. 30 years later – now todays kids actually believe this garbage to be normal, therefore throwing a disruptive disturbance in our society.
Is the Tower of Babel falling again? Thank you, Susan, and blessings for your work and being willing to put yourselves out there and take the abuse. And mainly, to be a role model in how to live and contribute in today’s society of decadence. So sorry that this happened to you.
Susan – you provide a profound statement worthy of being a key talking point in this discussion:
“How can you expect a student to defend her ideas when she has been taught what to think rather than how to think while being shielded from different views ?”
Though I am saddened by your experience, I am proud of you and Daniel’s unwavering and bold efforts to promote such a healthy, workable world view…so much so that you have showed up on the misguided left’s radar!!
My dear Susan,
I am so sorry that this happened to you and your husband.
While it is happening and probably for a few days afterward, it is bewildering and hard to process being treated so disrespectfully.
You will come to terms and continue to go where you are invited. (Maybe with less enthusiasm if there seems to be a danger of violence breaking out) How very frustrating to think that security was only prepared to react to violence. Good grief.
But in the end l am happy to know that you and Ranbi Lapin were together, that he didn’t have to suffer this “silencing” alone. That gives me comfort.
Best regards.
Yes, Marilyn, I totally agree with you. May our Lord heal any hurts that Rabbi and Susan have endured. And may He continue to bless their ministry to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, and hearts that are open.
Very sad! Has it reached critical mass? How do we reverse this ignorance since these people seem not to listen?
What’s so bad is this ignorance is creeping into the science and engineering departments… I see students conflating the scientific method with religion, politics, opinions, morals and it is all leading to pseudoscience and silliness with no factual basis… no such thing as “settled science”… informed opinion is okay as long as it is based on truth and defensible by empirical methods…
“He was invited by students to give a speech about the morality of business…”
What a shame that these student protesters denied themselves an opportunity to hear what I believe would be a very thoughtful and enlightening speech.
I have read (and own) Rabbi Lapin’s book, “Thou Shall Prosper.” There is much in the book that these students could benefit from. One part of the book discusses the aspect of charity and giving. Paraphrasing, when you give charitably (tithe) you open a channel to God’s blessing. It’s true and it works!
Given that the subject of the speech was “morality of business,” I’m assuming, and pretty sure, the Rabbi would’ve mentioned charity/tithing in his speech.
The message regarding charity made a difference in my life.
It’s quite possible that these student protesters will face some sort of financial struggle in the years ahead. Simply by listening to the Rabbi’s speech, they would have heard about the blessing of tithing. It’s a very simple yet powerful message. Tithing can help them not only succeed but, through their positive action of giving, also greatly benefit society.
SAD!!!
Further proof that modern “education” is a sham. Less learning, more indoctrination.
To quote the film ‘The Princess Bride’: You keep using that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means.”
The protestors not only fail on the freedom front, but also on history and grammar/vocabulary. As a spelling weirdo, I do not doubt there were spelling and punctuation errors on their signs too!
Makes me want to bring a red pen to an event to correct and grade their signage.
Back in the late 1960’s I attended YAF meetings, only then it was styled Young Americans for Freedom. This organization served as a foil to the leftist Students for Democratic Society, which we lampooned as the Sandbox Dictatorship Society. Perhaps your YAF is the same organization? In any case, you seem to have rubbed shoulders with the proletariat, those willing pawns and victims of socialism, and with their Thought Police, who will enforce popular adherence to the Narrative and silence opinions dissenting from the Party line.
But you inspire me write a 21st Century Devil’s Dictionary (with profuse apologies to Ambrose Bierce), otherwise known as Lefty’s Lexicon. I humbly submit the following entries to words from the rabble-rousers’ memo card:
Misogynist (n) – One who recognizes the inherent differences between males and females, biological, psychological, behavioral and developmental.
Islamophobe (n) – One who thoughtfully and realistically assesses the effects of Islam and its adherents on Western Civilization.
Homophobe (n) – One who values sexual attraction and its resultant relationships between males and females as a cornerstone of society.
Capitalist (n) – One who seeks to survive by the work of one’s own hands and not have the fruits of his labors confiscated by a Mega-government, to distribute to others less willing to work
To this I would add:
Racist (n) – One who recognizes differences, biological, but especially sociological and cultural, between major varieties of Homo sapiens.
It seems that in many respects this state has already seceded from the Union to form the People’s Democratic Republic of Kaliforniastan, You were treated just like Coulter and Shapiro and several others, who also witnessed the lamentable death of Free Speech on college campuses (campi!). It’s too bad that the Sandbox Dictatorship Society is still alive and kicking.
I think the youth and young adults of today have forgotten their manners as well as there morals and values. They think it’s their God given right to have potty mouths and be physically violent towards others and it’s ok. Gods way is you have a right to voice your opinion about everything you want but God’s laws dictate our actions word’s and deeds. We are accountable for what we do and say to the governing authority’s.
I hope Glenn Beck mentions this on his show. This is outrageous. Many colleges invite anti-Israel speakers on a routine basis.
My son attends a Catholic university and is forced to “play along” with the lay secular progressive faculty otherwise he fail their classes. As it is, he has had his grades knocked down by liberal faculty members who blame him for all the world’s ills because he is a male. This group of professors are anti-business, anti-male, anti-Trump, anti-American. They sincerely believe their agenda is the only acceptable way to run the country and will not tolerate discussion of any other viewpoint.
Most of the school’s board of directors are successful businessmen who donate substantial amounts of time and money to the school. The secular progressives despise the very hand that is feeding them.
I cannot understand why these professors remain in America if they hate our country so much.
Maybe he should be attending somewhere else, instead of supporting a university that is antithetical to his worldview.
How would Rabbi have any idea this would happen? Answer than one, Thomas Hammett.
Dear Regina–
Thomas Hammett was addressing his remarks to “Average Joe”, the writer of the previous letter, not to me. He was asking why Joe’s son attends a university whose values clash with his own.
Cordially,
RDL
Your son might enjoy checking out Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, MI.
I heard about this happening, so I came to check out your response, as I was interested in your view point. I’m not really understanding how what they did was wrong. What is wrong with the decision to protest? Most of the audience might have been happy with what your husband represents, but these students were uncomfortable with him being invited on their campus, so they protested. They had their reasons, so shouldn’t we support them for practicing their right to protest?There might be limitations on campus, but those limitations have sometimes limited speakers like your husband as well, so they are arguably too strict.
Mr. Cohen,
Have you ever heard of dialogue? Rude behavior which ultimately shut down the Rabbi’s speech is a tool of fascism. Universities should be a place where exchange of ideas happen, not what is going on today.
In the 1960’s we were taught so often ” I may not believe in what you say , but I will fight to the death for your right to say it ” wow is that belief long gone….I cannot believe an American actually believes in the right to shut someone’s speech down . Karen Jones
Correct! Rabbi and Susan have brilliant and educated minds! One could gain a wealth of insight by listening to both of them even if you disagreed! What a lost opportunity for these college students to broaden their mind and thinking!
Press on Susan and Rabbi!
Andy, you need to study up on fascism and how it works. That last century of history is rarely, if ever, taught in school. Read up on the rise of fascism and their tactics. The fascists are those that stifle free speech. Free speech is protected except for a couple of very narrowly defined instances.
In short, the fascists are the students stifling the speech. Young people are wholly ignorant of socialism. Is sure sounds good, but check out Eastern Europe in the 1950s-70s and how they lived. It was awful! People standing in bread lines, rationing of goods, etc. If you want it in entertainment, check out Moscow on the Hudson. It gives a true picture of life under thd oppressive form of socialist and communistic government.
Hi Paula,
I admire the kindness in your spirit in offer words of advice aimed to enlighten Andy. When it comes to the American political Left, here is probably no word in the English language that gets thrown around more freely by people who don’t know what it means than “fascism”. Although Andy didn’t use this “f” word, he clearly takes the side of ANTIFA, which the left would have us to believe stands for “anti-fascist” (in practice, however, it stands for “anti-First Amendment” — you know the old saying, if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck . . . ).
Stanley G. Payne, considered by many to be the leading living scholar of fascism, wrote in 1995, “At the end of the twentieth century, fascism remains probably the vaguest of the major political terms.”
My own view is that fascism is primarily a secular religion. As such, we waste our breath trying to educate the True Believer, since faith is too often impervious to facts. Rabbi Lapin, as it happens, is currently in the process of updating his first book (1999) titled America’s Real War, in which he does a truly masterful job of defining secular religion as distinct from faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Until, Lord willing, that revised and updated edition becomes available , might I suggest that you get yourself a copy of Jonah Goldberg’s 2007 book titled Liberal Fascism (the term liberal fascism, by the way, was coined by H.G. Wells in a speech in 1932). I was completely floored by the way Jonah Goldberg was able to pack so much political history AND insight into 405 pages, and was left with the feeling that he was deserving of a Ph.D. on this subject by the time I had finished reading his book.
Anyway, it’s so nice seeing your comment here as another among many bright lights in Rabbi and Susan’s virtual congregation.
Dear Sir, I am searching for Jewish community/resources here in northern CA and found this old post. I will find the book, America’s Real War. Almost every other Jew I know is very much aligned with the modern liberal ideology, and will no longer speak to me except to slander. They are women, and for the most part single -separated, as i am, from their faith. The Jewish identity alone does not give pause / if anything it is used as a high horse. Things have gotten worse..
Sarah, just to let you know that America’s Real War is available as an ebook or physical one from our webstore: https://rabbidaniellapin.com/product/americas-real-war-ebook/
A civilized protest is about providing a counter point to a speaker with whom you disagree. What these students did was not that. What they did was shutdown the Rabbi’s right to free speech and the other students’ right to listen. Your rights end when they begin to infringe on the rights of someone else. For example, I have the right to property, but I must do so through consensual transactions. My right ends when I try to steal that property from someone else.
-Well stated.
Mr. Cohen I’ve read your comment several times and still can’t believe that you think what they did is okay. You actually want us to praise their actions. Do you also think we should praise the acts of terrorist too? If they are uncomfortable with the speaker they simply should not attend. No one forced them to go. Stay home! Your thinking is exactly what’s wrong with our society today, doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past.
Andy,
I suppose you are being sarcastic. Right? You say the demonstrators were uncomfortable? To what extent should we as a society (not to mention individuals) go to make these demonstrators comfortable? Is there considerations to be made for those not demonstrating? Since when is “They had their reasons” a justification for such behavior?
The students who did not want to have such a speech on campus ought to have just stayed away from it. To deliberately attend only to disrupt ‘free speech’ comes from only one source, satan himself. The Lord Jehovah save us from such ugly and stupid behavior !!!
I am unable to comment properly for lack of words to express my astonishment and disgust at their behavior and my my admiration to you both for the way you acted and reacted…..our world is spinning out of control if these are to be our future leaders in society!!
I am unable to comment properly for lack of words to express my astonishment and disgust at their behavior and my my admiration to you both for the way you acted and reacted…..our world is spinning out of control if these are to be our future leaders in society!!
David Zwebner…you took the words out of my brain!!!
My sentiments exactly.
Approved speech is no longer free speech. This is all too reminiscent of what my family escaped ( legally) from the island prison of Cuba. A slippery slope that these misguided students don’t realize or worse.
“It is not Fascism if we do it”. Yes it is no matter what color shirt you wear.
Oh Susan! I am sorry this happened to you. The modern academy has produced monsterous fruit. Proverbs 12:15 may offer timeles comfort:
דֶּרֶךְ אֱוִיל, יָשָׁר בְּעֵינָיו; וְשֹׁמֵעַ לְעֵצָה חָכָם.
The way of a fool seems like it right, but the wise listen for cousel.
The YAF who invited you (and who heroically keep inviting conservative speakers to offer a counterpoint to the liberal drumbeat on campus) are seeking counsel. Good on them and such a shande the security guards couldn’t or wouldn’t ensure an atmosphere in which your husbands wisdom would be heard by those eager to hear.
— Tikvah in
Massachusetts
And just imagine how Jewish students feel on campuses anytime they want to do an Israel related event.
How sad that they choose to disrespect anyone who doesn’t agree with them, unlike you and your husband. I’ve heard a number of interviews with your husband and people with whom he doesn’t entirely agree; he was always respectful, always heard them out, never belittled or bullied.
I’m very happy you both weren’t hurt. Heard this on the news.
I love both of your writings and
Thank God that you are not weary in well doing! Blessings to you both dralr
quite horrific. Though no one can say that the handwriting is not on the wall