New in PJ Media:
Will UCLA and the other far-left indoctrination centers that call themselves our nation’s universities ever learn? Will they ever recall that Americans, including American students, have First Amendment rights? Will they ever admit that even those who dissent from the left’s agenda have a right to be heard and that university administrators, of all people, should respect that right?
Given the left’s consistent taste for authoritarianism, that’s unlikely, and UCLA has just shown this yet again. The intrepid warriors of the Young America’s Foundation (YAF), however, are not letting them get away with it.
Two weeks ago, I wrote an article about how YAF had filed suit against UCLA for blocking a lecture I was scheduled to give there on May 15, 2024, entitled “Everything You Know About Palestine Is Wrong.” UCLA officials canceled the event at the last minute and then disingenuously claimed that it had gone on as planned, as they allowed me to come onto campus (under heavy police guard) and speak for a few minutes with the courageous members of the YAF chapter.
That was not what had been agreed upon: I had been scheduled to give an address that was to have been open to the entire student body, and UCLA’s top dogs shut that down. They claimed security concerns, and certainly, the pro-Hamas crowd that was marching through campus would have torn me limb from limb if it had gotten half a chance. To cancel the event, however, was to submit to the heckler’s veto, as well as to reinforce the political proclivities of the UCLA administration and faculty.
That’s why YAF thus filed suit. Mountain States Legal Foundation Senior Counsel James Kerwin explained: “UCLA pretends it cares about freedom of expression, but when push comes to shove, it only allows one side to have its say. That is a violation of the First Amendment. This lawsuit will force UCLA to do what it should have done long ago: treat all viewpoints fairly and stop the campus shout-down mobs.” Yes. And one would think that with that suit in progress, UCLA would think twice about restricting the speech of patriotic students again. You would think wrong.
The UCLA YAF chapter, undaunted by its experience with my event being shut down, is bringing Ben Shapiro to campus on Monday, Oct. 21. What do you think are the chances that Ben will be allowed to speak? YAF’s Chief Communications Officer Spencer Brown stated that UCLA is “levying unreasonable time, place, and manner restrictions on students in a continuation of last semester’s unconstitutional behavior.”
There is more. Read the rest here.
Bexarkat says
Thier restrictions and arbitrary, capricious and appear to be right out of Goebbel’s playbook. UCLA, as a tax-payer funded state institution and recipient of federal funds is obliged to permit free speech and a fair exchange of ideas.
Woe be upon them after January 20th 2025 with a new ‘sheriff’ in the White House and the re-creation of a Justice Department that will actually defend everyone’s Constitutional rights.
Westman says
It is unfortunate that students and young people believe a university degree imparts a special imprimatur of superiority over others both socially and economically. The universities sold and profited from that image, leaving many would-be graduates stranded in debt and too many graduates with worthless knowledge for the workplace and heavy debts.
Looking back in history, within the US in 1970, about 14% of the population attained a college degree. Today it’s around 42%. Have humans actually become 3 times more intelligent or have universities become a business with no concern about the actual talent needs of society – becoming diploma and groupthink mills?
Aside from doctors, lawyers, and STEM disciplines, most college degrees don’t confer a pipeline into economic success. When we look about carefully, who really has wealth in the community? People who get things done, the owners of various services, those with successful franchises, and those hooked into the military-industrial-congressional-financial complex.
Would you rather be a doctor or own a military supply company or a Toyota franchise? It depends on your intent – the doctor is likely to make the least money but might feel the satisfaction of healing others and it certainly garners more respect.
There was an interesting experiment in the US South where high school kids in a labor town were trained by Chess experts and went on to win the State Championship – demonstrating that school “education” does not correlate to “smartness”.
Elon Musk discovered that Twitter was full of “deadwood” with degrees.
The current election cycle can be reduced to the “college educated” and Deep State versus the very people upon whose services their lives depend. It is insanity, like playing Russian Roulette with the nation. Hillary brought it into the open with her contemptuous “deplorables” line and the anger of the nation’s essential services workers is still growing. You might have a higher construction or car repair bill if you want to demonstrate your educational superiority. Can’t fix your own car? Somehow we forget that we are dependent.
The California University system has declined from one of the best(1960s) to a flop, creating a generation of groupthinks looking at a declining future for the woke. Some of the woke strongarming and violence might be a result of desperately trying to displace the fear that their educationally induced rainbow is being washed out by reality.
The smart students are leaving the indolent-mecca state to where taxes efficiently address real needs. If Horace Greeley was still alive he would say, “Go Midwest, young man”.
Mike says
In his well-written book “In Defense of a Liberal Education,” Fareed Zakaria gives solid reasons as to why liberal arts degrees do have real value.
Nonetheless, he acknowledges that, while not everyone has an aptitude for STEM subjects, everyone can try to improve their knowledge of math, science and computers.
I would add that training in a trade can also supplement one’s overall skills, of course. And, try to learn at least one foreign language (not Klingon or Navi, except as a hobby!).
Westman says
Yes Mike, I agree, most university courses impart useful knowledge and of course, the arts are essential to society, more essential than the society will admit or support.
The snake oil sold by the universities is that their education and wokeness training will make the students more “successful” in life and enter them into higher unique social strata. At 42% it’s no longer “special” except in discriminating minds and has become a voting block.
Who knows how many college grads would have been “healthier, wealthier, and wiser” without losing 4 years, then trying to climb the ladder of success and finding it leaning against the wrong wall.