My DC's Graduation Location was Just Switched to Accommodate the Encampments on Campus...I'm Angry!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I mean, that does suck, but so does Gaza not having any universities anymore and having thousands of students killed.

That does suck, but please tell me (I"m not OP) how these encampments are helping the cause.

The same way students helped end the Vietnam war with protests and helped South Africa end apartheid. Citizens of Israel are also protesting with much bigger crowds against Netanyahu. Protests have always been a way to, well, protest against something. Nothing new.

Sure, they're protesting against . . . wait for it . . . their own government. The Swarthmore (and other US college) protestors are protesting against the Israeli government, which cares not at all, or that their university's endowment has investments that relate in some way to Israel. It's complete nonsense.

I'm a liberal, and the fuzzy-headed logic you used annoys me almost as much as the far right wing. You (and the protestors) make us all look bad, and undermine what are valid criticisms of US policy because it's so easy to dismiss you as an ineffective doofus.

Would you have said the same about the protests for divestment in South Africa?
In so far as billions of our tax monies are being used to support the mass slaughter Palestinian children, I support the college protestors. Yes, there are some protestors out there who are stupidly, ignorantly, parading Hamas flags, etc., etc., but unlike you, I can appreciate the efforts of young adults here.
As for the moving of the graduation. I empathize, OP. I graduated from Swarthmore in the mid-90s when we still had graduation in the amphitheater. I think of the families who have flown in to watch their children graduate on what truly is an exceptionally beautiful campus. I'm sorry. It would have been gracious of the protestors to agree not to protest during graduation exercises.

Absolutely.

I guess some people are comfortable admitting that they stand on the wrong side of history. Ironically, you may have been one of the many Americans who agreed with US policies turning Jews away during the Holocaust.

Oh, I see. You equating thinking that the protests are performative and pointless with supporting the things they are protesting against? You are incapable of making that very significant distinction in your mind?

Or perhaps is it you really can't argue with the statement that that the protests are performative and pointless, and so have to divert the discussion?

Protests are not performative and pointless, otherwise hardline regimes like those you find in Iran and China wouldn't crack down on protestors. Any serious student of history understands that protests are powerful for myriad reasons. It's hard to think of significant shifts in modern history that weren't accompanied by protest - civil rights, independence movements, suffrage, Vietnam...

Good lord. No, of course not all protests are performative and pointless. Quite the red herring you have thrown up there. But these protests, which are not disrupting the Israeli government or society, and not even disrupting the US government function are the definition of performative and pointless.

Let's try a little thought experiment - do you think protests and encampments at a French or English university demanding the university divest itself of all investment in the US because of its treatment of African Americans would make one iota of difference? Of course not.

Surely a "serious student of history" such as yourself (snort) can see that.

They are most certainly eroding the support for Israel here within the US during an election year. Think a little harder.

Most people are smart enough to know the protesters, despite their noise, are a pathetic, petulant, manipulated minority participating in their generation’s equivalent to streaking.

If that's what you have to tell yourself to justify your support of genocide then so be it. But most of the world disagrees with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Makes me appreciate Dartmouth for calling the police after protesters pitched an encampment. The schools - like Swarthmore - that have caved to the disruption that a handful of protesters are causing are pathetic. And yes, this class in particular should get to experience a traditional graduation ceremony. Canceling or moving these events does absolutely nothing for anyone in Gaza. It's performative nonsense and affected colleges need to develop a spine.

This

+1

-1 . Dartmouth and Swarthmore are pretty dissimilar when it comes to their political values and histories. Arresting protestors at Darthmouth is in line with the school's values; arresting protestors at Swarthmore would violate the school's core identity.

The “core identity” of Swathmore is to let inmates run the asylum? Are you serious?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean, that does suck, but so does Gaza not having any universities anymore and having thousands of students killed.

Hamas is to blame for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, that does suck, but so does Gaza not having any universities anymore and having thousands of students killed.

That does suck, but please tell me (I"m not OP) how these encampments are helping the cause.

The same way students helped end the Vietnam war with protests and helped South Africa end apartheid. Citizens of Israel are also protesting with much bigger crowds against Netanyahu. Protests have always been a way to, well, protest against something. Nothing new.

Sure, they're protesting against . . . wait for it . . . their own government. The Swarthmore (and other US college) protestors are protesting against the Israeli government, which cares not at all, or that their university's endowment has investments that relate in some way to Israel. It's complete nonsense.

I'm a liberal, and the fuzzy-headed logic you used annoys me almost as much as the far right wing. You (and the protestors) make us all look bad, and undermine what are valid criticisms of US policy because it's so easy to dismiss you as an ineffective doofus.

Would you have said the same about the protests for divestment in South Africa?
In so far as billions of our tax monies are being used to support the mass slaughter Palestinian children, I support the college protestors. Yes, there are some protestors out there who are stupidly, ignorantly, parading Hamas flags, etc., etc., but unlike you, I can appreciate the efforts of young adults here.
As for the moving of the graduation. I empathize, OP. I graduated from Swarthmore in the mid-90s when we still had graduation in the amphitheater. I think of the families who have flown in to watch their children graduate on what truly is an exceptionally beautiful campus. I'm sorry. It would have been gracious of the protestors to agree not to protest during graduation exercises.

Absolutely.

I guess some people are comfortable admitting that they stand on the wrong side of history. Ironically, you may have been one of the many Americans who agreed with US policies turning Jews away during the Holocaust.

Oh, I see. You equating thinking that the protests are performative and pointless with supporting the things they are protesting against? You are incapable of making that very significant distinction in your mind?

Or perhaps is it you really can't argue with the statement that that the protests are performative and pointless, and so have to divert the discussion?

Protests are not performative and pointless, otherwise hardline regimes like those you find in Iran and China wouldn't crack down on protestors. Any serious student of history understands that protests are powerful for myriad reasons. It's hard to think of significant shifts in modern history that weren't accompanied by protest - civil rights, independence movements, suffrage, Vietnam...

Good lord. No, of course not all protests are performative and pointless. Quite the red herring you have thrown up there. But these protests, which are not disrupting the Israeli government or society, and not even disrupting the US government function are the definition of performative and pointless.

Let's try a little thought experiment - do you think protests and encampments at a French or English university demanding the university divest itself of all investment in the US because of its treatment of African Americans would make one iota of difference? Of course not.

Surely a "serious student of history" such as yourself (snort) can see that.

They are most certainly eroding the support for Israel here within the US during an election year. Think a little harder.

Most people are smart enough to know the protesters, despite their noise, are a pathetic, petulant, manipulated minority participating in their generation’s equivalent to streaking.

If that's what you have to tell yourself to justify your support of genocide then so be it. But most of the world disagrees with you.

No one is supporting genocide stop being a moron.

Most of the protestors are not students.

We live in the United States of America where protesting is legal thank god.

In 2025 after trump wins there will be no protesting you moron.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Biden will be very affected. He NEEDS the young vote. That is why he tried so hard on the student loan forgiveness. Young liberals will not vote for Trump. But his stance toward Israel means many won’t vote for him either. This is problematic and the kids in the encampments know it. They are getting a lot of press.

This is simply not true. Try asking an actual young liberal.

You can be angry about a policy, make your voice heard, and still know the greater threat that comes from opting out of your civic right and duty to vote. Being a part of the political process means voting and advocating for your causes -- not one or the other. Rarely is a voter 100% satisfied with the person they vote for, simply because there will always be more to the story of actually governing, there will always be compromise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, that does suck, but so does Gaza not having any universities anymore and having thousands of students killed.

I don’t have a kid in college and I would be disappointed in the graduation being moved. However, I’m glad these protests are happening.

Invite them to YOUR lawn then. Your country club then. Your private school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC attends Swarthmore College, and I just got a notification that they have decided to move the graduation off campus 30 minutes away to accommodate the encampment on campus! This angers me because this class has already lost so many traditions because of COVID-19, and now they will lose another because they prefer to allow protests. I just think it is really unfair and they should have taken into consideration that this class has already lost so much due to the pandemic. Plus the school is having to spend money unnecessarily to rent a space large enough for all of the graduates and families. Enough already!

children are being murdered every day by genocidal maniacs and yours is graduating from college.

get over it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC attends Swarthmore College, and I just got a notification that they have decided to move the graduation off campus 30 minutes away to accommodate the encampment on campus! This angers me because this class has already lost so many traditions because of COVID-19, and now they will lose another because they prefer to allow protests. I just think it is really unfair and they should have taken into consideration that this class has already lost so much due to the pandemic. Plus the school is having to spend money unnecessarily to rent a space large enough for all of the graduates and families. Enough already!

children are being murdered every day by genocidal maniacs and yours is graduating from college.

get over it.

This is true, Hamas is killing children every day. Sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC attends Swarthmore College, and I just got a notification that they have decided to move the graduation off campus 30 minutes away to accommodate the encampment on campus! This angers me because this class has already lost so many traditions because of COVID-19, and now they will lose another because they prefer to allow protests. I just think it is really unfair and they should have taken into consideration that this class has already lost so much due to the pandemic. Plus the school is having to spend money unnecessarily to rent a space large enough for all of the graduates and families. Enough already!

children are being murdered every day by genocidal maniacs and yours is graduating from college.

get over it.

This is true, Hamas is killing children every day. Sad.

Sort of like the Jews killed themselves during the Holocaust? You're sick!

[Anonymous]

University of Tennessee tolerated none of it. Arrested any protestors after warnings due to them not having the required permits. One graduate smuggled in a Palestinian flag and was booed off the stage by the 6000 people in attendance. I don’t know why these liberal colleges, who undoubtedly have major endowments from Jewish donors, put up with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:University of Tennessee tolerated none of it. Arrested any protestors after warnings due to them not having the required permits. One graduate smuggled in a Palestinian flag and was booed off the stage by the 6000 people in attendance. I don’t know why these liberal colleges, who undoubtedly have major endowments from Jewish donors, put up with it.

Because their woke, spineless administrators are afraid of their own shadows.

A similar shout out to Tulane, who also scooped them up and shut them down before they could ruin graduation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, that does suck, but so does Gaza not having any universities anymore and having thousands of students killed.

That does suck, but please tell me (I"m not OP) how these encampments are helping the cause.

The same way students helped end the Vietnam war with protests and helped South Africa end apartheid. Citizens of Israel are also protesting with much bigger crowds against Netanyahu. Protests have always been a way to, well, protest against something. Nothing new.

I think you mean the same way that students helped elect Nixon as president. So Bravo because these terrorist are going to give us Trump.

Yep. This really sucks.

The student protests in the past did not help South Africa end apartheid or the US get out of Vietnam. At all. Educate yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, that does suck, but so does Gaza not having any universities anymore and having thousands of students killed.

That does suck, but please tell me (I"m not OP) how these encampments are helping the cause.

The same way students helped end the Vietnam war with protests and helped South Africa end apartheid. Citizens of Israel are also protesting with much bigger crowds against Netanyahu. Protests have always been a way to, well, protest against something. Nothing new.

The students didn't achieve that. And very different issues. Stop with the CNN talking points if you aren't au courante to have an educated view on the situation

Why, did CNN have a special on student protests? The students contributed to the end of the Vietnam and apartheid. There aren’t any current US student protests as historic as those two until now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swarthmore has a long tradition of peaceful protest. Moving the graduation to allow the protests to continue is better than canceling graduation the way other institutions did.

If the protest is peaceful, why did they move the graduation?

I don’t know much about the Swarthmore protest, but if there is really no confrontation then they should have just moved forward as usual.

Because the PR optics of having thousands of visitors realize that a once prestigious school has turned into a daycare for spoiled, dirty children hurts fundraising.

I believe the encampments are on the lawn that was supposed to be the location for graduation. They used to use their amphitheater, but moved it to the lawn some years ago for accessibility reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:University of Tennessee tolerated none of it. Arrested any protestors after warnings due to them not having the required permits. One graduate smuggled in a Palestinian flag and was booed off the stage by the 6000 people in attendance. I don’t know why these liberal colleges, who undoubtedly have major endowments from Jewish donors, put up with it.

Can anyone even find the University of Tennessee on a map? And being Jewish does not equal support on what’s happening in Gaza. Blindly following a leader no matter what he does is dangerous. Example, half of Republicans believe Putin is a good guy because their leaders told them so.