If you had not heard yet, Leadership Institute Field Representative Hayden Williams was attacked and beaten at Berkeley. The conservative was tending a table for Turning Points USA when Zachary Greenburg and a second unidentified individual approached him. An altercation ensued that was caught on video.
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Greenburg is charged with two counts of felony assault, criminal threatening, and (I believe) destruction of property.
Hate Crimes for Thee But Not for Me?
Williams (the victim) had signs on his table that read “Hate Crimes Hoaxes Hurt Real Victims” – a reference to the Jussie Smollett case – and another saying “This is MAGA Country.” Which leads me to ask, why the police didn’t charge Greenburg with a hate crime?
I think Williams wonders the same thing. In a USA Today Op-Ed, he goes yard on the campus culture and its tolerance for intolerance of ideas and speakers on the political right.
“I’ve seen the intolerance and hate towards conservatives on our college campuses with my own eyes,” Williams, who is an employee of Campus Reform’s parent organization, writes, “and the only difference between what happened to me on Feb. 19 and every other day is that the event was caught on video.”
Williams went on to cite several past examples, as reported by Campus Reform, in which conservative students on campus have faced verbal or physical assault, social rejection, or suffered academic persecution, simply because of their viewpoints. The reason for this, Williams says, is “because young liberals believe they are on the morally righteous side in a culture war.”
We’ve no shortage of examples and commentary on these pages about the intimidation war waged by the left. Mob rule. Conservatives who are afraid to speak up or speak out. Institutional, ideological oppression. And blatant attacks on free speech.
Berkeley, to its credit, has been trying to do better. And they did condemn the assault. But the endless whining about one-sided coverage of this particular event ignores why they have to deal with this in the first place — years of progressive social-justice intimidation against center-right speakers culminating in riots and property damage.
Selective ‘Bravery’
College administrations like Berkeley pretend they are brave by promoting the social-justice identity politics curriculum. But they are teaching students to silence or shut out ideas with which they disagree. Calling political opponents racists and bigots for having different views. Advocating mob tactics to force conservatives and Republicans into hiding..
Do you know what would be brave? College Presidents, Deans, and professors standing up and speaking out against the intimidation and protests before they happen. With conviction, especially when they disagree.
And how about suspending or expelling the snowflakes who get out of hand instead of the guy who wore the hat or shirt or used whatever everyday words “like American” that triggered them?
Conformity is not Equality
Genuine calls for equality come with great responsibility. Equality of time, opportunity, and for ideas. The chance to speak, disagree, and debate. To be able to express your views without fear of threats or violence. And how about a commitment to due-process and real justice on campus for your students?
Entire colleges have gone under from just a sliver of the negative coverage Berkeley has earned. Lacking huge endowments, they are unable to weather such storms. Maybe if they stopped treating a majority of the population like lepers and invested in courses with degrees people can use that wouldn’t happen?
Hayden Williams is the victim of a culture created by universities and marketed by the media and the left. We see it from the Jussie Molletts. The Nathan Phillips. And the jump to judgment by the left.
That has to end. And I don’t think you have it in you.
Image Credit: Everipedia
