French advocates a middle road between comments like Steven Thrasher's, which simply endorse students' passion as prior to thought, and administrations that have called the cops on the students (and then there's Mike Johnson's cynical trip to Columbia to call for the National Guard!--didn't go so well at Kent State and Jackson State, did it?). He advocates setting "content-neutral" rules for student protest, without taking sides, so that demonstrators are given appropriate spaces for their rallies, while declaring other spaces, methods, and times out of bounds, so that other students can attend classes without harassment and are not kept awake by drums outside their dorms in the middle of the night. These rules apply equally to pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
I am please to learn that Northwestern has adopted a similar approach, adding several "interim addend[a]" to the student code of conduct that are very much what French recommends. I've been vexed with NU because of the stadium deal, but I think they got this more or less right:
I would add that David French is not on my end of the political spectrum. He is a conservative and I'm not. I disagree with him on important matters of policy (e.g., the permissibility of abortion). But he is an intellectually scrupulous and lucid writer. I learn more from him than from gung-ho liberal columnists who tell me what I already believe.
Mr. Hayden, you too are an intellectually scrupulous and lucid writer. Keep it up!
I a glad you saw this quote from the journalism professor and felt compelled to comment. It didn’t sit well with me either.
My mother graduated from Medill in the 70s and was an editor on both Chicago newspapers. She would be horrified.
This is why people have lost faith in journalism. And why substack has become the go to place for independent news. Thanks Tom for staying true to your values!
And this is why I read your blog. Your transparency and openness to alternate interpretations comes across in your writing. Thank you and keep up the good work!
An educational post! I had assumed "FAIR" meant "Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting." Discovered that organization still exists, but your link goes to "Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism." Which is of interest.
Thank you for this clear and thoughtful essay. It reaches conclusions similar to those of David French in his op-ed in the NYT:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/28/opinion/protests-college-free-speech.html
French advocates a middle road between comments like Steven Thrasher's, which simply endorse students' passion as prior to thought, and administrations that have called the cops on the students (and then there's Mike Johnson's cynical trip to Columbia to call for the National Guard!--didn't go so well at Kent State and Jackson State, did it?). He advocates setting "content-neutral" rules for student protest, without taking sides, so that demonstrators are given appropriate spaces for their rallies, while declaring other spaces, methods, and times out of bounds, so that other students can attend classes without harassment and are not kept awake by drums outside their dorms in the middle of the night. These rules apply equally to pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
I am please to learn that Northwestern has adopted a similar approach, adding several "interim addend[a]" to the student code of conduct that are very much what French recommends. I've been vexed with NU because of the stadium deal, but I think they got this more or less right:
https://www.northwestern.edu/leadership-notes/2024/northwestern-enacts-interim-addendum-to-student-code-of-conduct.html
I would add that David French is not on my end of the political spectrum. He is a conservative and I'm not. I disagree with him on important matters of policy (e.g., the permissibility of abortion). But he is an intellectually scrupulous and lucid writer. I learn more from him than from gung-ho liberal columnists who tell me what I already believe.
Mr. Hayden, you too are an intellectually scrupulous and lucid writer. Keep it up!
I a glad you saw this quote from the journalism professor and felt compelled to comment. It didn’t sit well with me either.
My mother graduated from Medill in the 70s and was an editor on both Chicago newspapers. She would be horrified.
This is why people have lost faith in journalism. And why substack has become the go to place for independent news. Thanks Tom for staying true to your values!
And this is why I read your blog. Your transparency and openness to alternate interpretations comes across in your writing. Thank you and keep up the good work!
An educational post! I had assumed "FAIR" meant "Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting." Discovered that organization still exists, but your link goes to "Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism." Which is of interest.
Thats the correct link. It is a long story
I did not doubt that it's the link you intended. I just clicked the link to check my assumption, and was corrected.