Pro-Palestinian protests do not automatically qualify as anti-semitic demonstrations. However, most protests do cross the line between legitimate protesting and a hate spewing ordeal. When you see a disproportionate amount of force being meted out in the current conflict that results in countless civilians being killed with nothing being done to stop this insanity, a protest is a legitimate tool for change or bringing awareness to an issue. At the same time, Jewish students across America should feel safe attending class without needing to worry about being senselessly attacked or harassed by some maniac. However, there should be space where people should be able to gather to protest while also allowing free movement of people to go about their lives as they deem fit for themselves. Especially in the United States of America.
In the case of USC, the solution to this may have be as simple as letting your chosen valedictorian speak at the graduation ceremony. Unfortunately for USC and many other universities across the US, I don’t think leadership did much to de-escalate the situation as much as they did to pour gas on the fire. USC’s decision to cancel the graduation ceremony shows that “The Emperor Has No Clothes!” In a previous post, I advocated for why USC should have let Asna Tabassum speak as it chosen valedictorian and now; with the recent events, I feel like I achieved the wisdom of a wise old man and rightfully take my place in the pantheon of great thinkers (Einstein, Newton, Aristotle). I have made it this far in life avoiding the urge to join the “get off my lawn” cabal that continues to grow its membership through chronic ignorance and hate. This new generation of “zoomers” isn’t buying your bullshit and good for them.
When has protesting ever been ok?
I want to make it totally clear that this is a new generation of thinkers out there protesting across America. Antiquated methods of putting down protests from the Vietnam and Gulf War eras will not work on these kids. They are actually “winning” when someone like Robert Kraft announces that he is going to withhold future donations (worth millions) to Columbia University. Another top donor to Columbia, billionaire investor and Omega Advisors CEO Leon Cooperman said, “These kids at college have shit for brains.” The #okboomer hashtag pretty much nails it. The only one who is losing are the universities that rely on these endowments. Here’s a strange thought I’d like to share.
Enter Hyenas
I have no idea why House Speaker Mike Johnson decided to show up and speak his mind. This moron came armed with some of his greatest hits. He said, “I am here today joining my colleagues, and calling on President Shafik to resign if she cannot immediately bring order to this chaos”. Who the F are you and WTF are you doing there? Then he hit them with, “Enjoy your free speech.” This guy should focus on more pressing issues facing the nation than making an uninvited trip to Columbia University for a press conference. Universities do have a serious obligation to protect Jewish students from antisemitism and to maintain order, but it is to their students and teachers that they must answer, not to Republicans like Mike Johnson eager to score points against woke “indoctrination” at elite colleges or to the “shit for brains” megadonors seeking to push their agendas onto institutions of higher learning.
Law and Order
The “Empire Strikes Back” when these universities send the cops in to clear the malls of protesters and write them all trespassing tickets. Let’s not forget that these are students at private universities. The universities don’t want them to get in too much trouble and put any future donations at risk. Like always, the kids protesting at state universities will have to fend for themselves. As a general rule, protests are self-governed. Outside agitators promoting their own agendas will find a platform to spew their hate and vitriol. Any media outlet will seize on the words of these buffoons to report that some idiot represents the views of the majority.
I totally agree with universities sending in the cops to arrest and clear out people. Columbia is a private university. Student protesters who pay tuition to be on private property have chosen to protest on private property. This is an issue vis-a-vis Columbia and its students that have a right (or not) to be there. Like i said, the Columbia needs to answer to its students and teachers. It doesn’t give anyone the right to just come in off the street and join them. If anyone else wants to protest, they can go through the necessary channels and permitting to protest in public and further their cause. Simply showing up to Columbia, USC or any other private university to join the party is lazy. If you feel that strongly about Palestinian rights, then show it by organizing your own protest.
This Generation Is Different
One thing that is clear to me is that these kids aren’t like my Generation X compadres at that age. These kids are well-informed. Calling their movement anti-semitic and labeling them as anti-semites is disingenuous. Every play in that playbook has been called over the years. It’s the same playbook that was used on my generation and generations before me. The defame and discredit play is not going to work this time. I think these protests are highlighting what happens when truth tumps authority. My argument follows the premise that you can support Palestine without being an anti-semite supporter of Hamas calling for the destruction of Israel. I believe it’s also important to point out that Netanyahu’s hold on power in Israel is totally dependent on and positively correlated to the continuation of his campaign in Gaza; and, god forbid a widening of the conflict to Lebanon and Iran. Netanyahu is not very much loved in Israel; but, he’s not as demonized as these kids protesting at Columbia, USC and beyond. Bernie Sanders said, “When you have a significant majority of the American people who, among other things, do not support more U.S. military aid to Netanyahu’s war machine, we’re not going to suggest that all of those people are antisemitic.”
Gen X
Gen X was the last generation to grow up without the internet. When it came time for me to get a job after graduating from college, the corporate world started to wise up because we started to get smarter with our 56K modems taking us to the information superhighway. We started to ask questions. To recruit Gen X to build their Death Stars, they brought in a pingpong table and other shiny objects to make work “fun” and made business casual a new phenomenon and threw in a Hawaiian Shirt Day once a month for good measure. You still had people bringing donuts and bagels to work and we bought it: Hook – Line – Sinker. The pay was still horrible, but a few of us got interesting titles and an even fewer number of us got lucky working at a tech start up. Not bad for a bunch of slackers. For all this hard work, we got the responsibility to help take care of our parents later in life and help pay the tab for the military industrial complex of the generation before us: the Baby Boomers.
Millennials
When the Millennials came around looking for work, the corporate world had to up their game. The millennials had everything the Gen Xers had, plus better snacks and sleep pods to recharge this group of snowflakes. The only difference is that donuts started getting cut in half and everyone started eating salads at their desks. The Millennials are now in their 30s, strapped to a mortgage and student loan debt that needs to be forgiven. They’re going to sit this one out. Gen X could still buy a house for $100K and are making their final payments on homes that are well north of $500K.
Gen Z
As for Gen Z, most of them are autodidactic and question the actual need for college. Most of them want to know what you can do for them. Their time is valuable. If they are going to come work for you, they want to know where you stand on the environment. They want to know what your DEI program looks like. This generation needs affirmation that they are not contributing to the problem. I like to think of these kids as problem solvers. I love how they call everyone out after a mass shooting by reminding us that they are the kids and y’all are the grown ups that can’t keep us safe. These kids are abandoning their iPhones for flip phones, because their time is valuable to them. They understand the technology is just a tool and nothing more.
Conclusion
In the final analysis, this generation is truly going to transform the world. I also believe that once Generation X starts taking over leadership roles and becoming more politically active will actually listen to these kids. As I see it, the millennials can’t stand Gen Z. The boomers can’t stand Gen Z. Gen X can’t stand millennials and boomers. I think the world will become a better place at the intersection of Gen Z and Gen X.
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