Follow-up on Universities and First Amendment
Part of the pressure from the government to universities is a cutoff of funding if they don't clamp down more on protests.
A few additional notes following up on “Did Columbia University Violate the First Amendment?” in which I wrote: “It's commonly argued that private groups cannot break the First Amendment, but there's an exception: If there's "entanglement" between the private entity and the government. It looks like there was.”
Empire swallows everything. It weaponizes everything. From human rights to feminism, to biomedical research to the university….
Columbia calling on the police effectively paved the way for other universities to do so, most notably University of Texas (which is public) and Emory (which has extensive ties to the CDC).
As I saw videos of “security” forces brutally throwing students, media workers and even professors to the ground, I was reminded of Karl Marx’s adage, "When the train of history hits a curve, the intellectuals fall off." 1 The video above is a manifestation of the fascist underbelly of US society, usually unseen or ignored by many liberals...
Many US police forces have received training from Israel, see Jewish Voice for Peace report: “Deadly Exchange: The Dangerous Consequences of American Law Enforcement Trainings in Israel.”
Vanessa McCray reports: “In an overwhelming vote Friday afternoon, the faculty senate for Emory University’s College of Arts and Sciences decided to hold a college-wide no-confidence vote in President Gregory Fenves.”
Reader M Miller makes several great points including: “I wonder if government entanglement with a private entity (in this case Columbia University) also ensues from grant support, in which case there are more strands to the web.”
Elizabeth Ferrari notes that the government pressuring of Columbia President Minouche Shafik extended beyond Congressional hearings and included statements on X:
Which was of course ridiculous, not least of all because the student protests had tons of Jewish students and had Seders. But he persisted:
And, per M Miller’s comments, Speaker Mike Johnson threatened Columbia’s federal funding:
As did Rep. Elise Stefanik, who notably is on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and on subcommittees on Higher Education and Workforce Investment and Workforce Protections. She’s also on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and particularly ironically, the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.
Possible resource is a timeline, though it’s by Fox.
I first recall coming across this quote in Matthew Lasar’s book Pacifica Radio: the Rise of an Alternative Network. He applied it to himself.
It's obvious to me, especially with the report, Deadly Exchange, where the intent of our government is headed. Not looking good for America. I do hope they know better than to do a Kent State on the student protestors.
It's very clear that there is entanglement between the private universities and the Federal Government, as well as local governments. This no longer can be depicted as private actions which are not covered by the First Amendment. Of course, there are other issues, such as academic freedom, following set rules, due process for depriving students and faculty of their civil rights, contractual rights, etc.