NOWCAST News 9 at Noon
Coming up Soon
Advertisement

Editorial: Protests on college campuses
By Andrew Vrees and the Editorial Board
Editorial: Protests on college campuses
THIS IS A WMUR EDITORIAL SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD. WMUR PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER ANDREW ANDREW VREES. COLLEGE CAMPUSES ACROSS THIS COUNTRY ARE ERUPTING IN A WAY WE HAVEN’T SEEN SINCE THE 1960S. THE PROTESTS SUPPORTING THE PLIGHT OF PALESTINIANS STARTED AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY AND QUICKLY SPREAD FROM COAST TO COAST, INCLUDING NEW HAMPSHIRE, WHERE PROTESTERS CLASHED WITH POLICE AT BOTH DARTMOUTH COLLEGE AND UNH. THERE WERE 100 ARRESTS OF THOSE NEW HAMPSHIRE CAMPUSES ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THERE HAVE BEEN HUNDREDS MORE. WHAT EXACTLY ARE PROTESTERS ASKING FOR? IT VARIES. A CEASEFIRE AND END TO THE WAR THAT THEIR COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY DIVEST FROM ANY INDUSTRY SUPPORTING ISRAEL. IN A WAY, IT’S REFRESHING TO SEE YOUNG PEOPLE TAKE A STAND. STUDENT ACTIVISM ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES IS AN AMERICAN TRADITION FOR DECADES, STUDENTS HAVE STOOD UP FOR ISSUES LIKE FREE SPEECH, RACIAL INJUSTICE, AND THE WAR IN VIETNAM. THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT COLLEGE CAMPUSES SHOULD BE FORUMS FOR DISCUSSION AND DEBATE. ON THE OTHER HAND, THEY SHOULD NOT BE THE SCENE OF BLATANT ANTI-SEMITISM AND VIOLENCE FROM ANYONE. WE NEED ONLY REMEMBER EVENTS LIKE THE 1970 SHOOTINGS AT KENT STATE AND JACKSON STATE, WHERE SIX STUDENTS WERE KILLED AND 21 OTHERS WOUNDED ON THE TWO CAMPUSES. TO KNOW WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN THERE IS A DISPROPORTIONATE RESPONSE TO A PROTEST, THE FIRST AMENDMENT AFFORDS ALL OF US THE RIGHTS OF FREE SPEECH AND THE RIGHT TO PEACEABLY ASSEMBLE. ABSOLUT IS A FREE SPEECH WILL ARGUE THAT ALL SPEECH, RIGHT OR WRONG, OFFENSIVE OR NOT, SHOULD BE PERMITTED WHILE OTHERS ARGUE THAT HATE SPEECH MUST BE STOPPED AND SHOULD COME WITH CONSEQUENCES. THE FIRST AMENDMENT DOESN’T AFFORD US THE RIGHT TO TRESPASS, BREAK INTO BUILDINGS AND DESTROY PUBLIC PROPERTY. AND ALTHOUGH THE FIRST AMENDMENT DOES PROTECT HATE SPEECH, SOCIETY SHOULDN’T TOLERATE IT, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT’S TARGETED AGAINST AN ETHNIC GROUP THE NAZIS TRIED TO EXTINGUISH AND TENS OF THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS DIED FIGHTING FOR FINDING A MIDDLE GROUND ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES COULD STRIKE THE RIGHT BALANCE. BUT I SUSPECT THAT’S NEARLY AS DIFFICULT AS FINDING COMMON GROUND BETWEEN ISRAEL AND PALESTINE. KEENE SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO NH EDITORIALS A
Advertisement
Editorial: Protests on college campuses
By Andrew Vrees and the Editorial Board
College campuses across this country are erupting in a way we haven't seen since the 1960s.The protests, supporting the plight of Palestinians, started at Columbia University and quickly spread from coast to coast, including New Hampshire, where protesters clashed with police at both Dartmouth College and the University of New Hampshire. There were a hundred arrests at those New Hampshire campuses on Wednesday night. Across the country, there have been hundreds more. What exactly are protesters asking for? It varies. A ceasefire, an end to the war, that their college or university divest from any industry supporting Israel.In a way, it's refreshing to see young people take a stand. Student activism on college campuses is an American tradition. For decades, students have stood up for issues like free speech, racial injustice and the war in Vietnam. There is no question that college campuses should be forums for discussion and debate.On the other hand, they should not be the scene of blatant antisemitism and violence – from anyone. We need only remember events like the 1970 shootings at Kent State and Jackson State, where six students were killed and 21 others wounded on the two campuses, to know what can happen when there's a disproportionate response to a protest. The First Amendment affords all of us the rights of free speech and the right to peaceably assemble. Absolutists of free speech will argue that all speech – right or wrong, offensive or not – should be permitted, while others argue that hate speech must be stopped and should come with consequences. The First Amendment doesn't afford us the right to trespass, break into buildings and destroy public property. And although the First Amendment does protect hate speech, society shouldn't tolerate it, especially when it's targeted against an ethnic group the Nazis tried to extinguish and tens of thousands of Americans died fighting for.Finding a middle ground on college campuses could strike the right balance, but I suspect that's nearly as difficult as finding common ground between Israel and Palestine.

College campuses across this country are erupting in a way we haven't seen since the 1960s.

Advertisement

The protests, supporting the plight of Palestinians, started at Columbia University and quickly spread from coast to coast, including New Hampshire, where protesters clashed with police at both Dartmouth College and the University of New Hampshire.

There were a hundred arrests at those New Hampshire campuses on Wednesday night. Across the country, there have been hundreds more.

What exactly are protesters asking for? It varies. A ceasefire, an end to the war, that their college or university divest from any industry supporting Israel.

In a way, it's refreshing to see young people take a stand. Student activism on college campuses is an American tradition.

For decades, students have stood up for issues like free speech, racial injustice and the war in Vietnam. There is no question that college campuses should be forums for discussion and debate.

On the other hand, they should not be the scene of blatant antisemitism and violence – from anyone. We need only remember events like the 1970 shootings at Kent State and Jackson State, where six students were killed and 21 others wounded on the two campuses, to know what can happen when there's a disproportionate response to a protest.

The First Amendment affords all of us the rights of free speech and the right to peaceably assemble.

Absolutists of free speech will argue that all speech – right or wrong, offensive or not – should be permitted, while others argue that hate speech must be stopped and should come with consequences.

The First Amendment doesn't afford us the right to trespass, break into buildings and destroy public property.

And although the First Amendment does protect hate speech, society shouldn't tolerate it, especially when it's targeted against an ethnic group the Nazis tried to extinguish and tens of thousands of Americans died fighting for.

Finding a middle ground on college campuses could strike the right balance, but I suspect that's nearly as difficult as finding common ground between Israel and Palestine.