Jay Janner / Austin American-Statesman via Associated Press, File
A woman is arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Texas, Wednesday, April 24, 2024, in Austin.
Sunday, April 28, 2024 | 2 a.m.
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The eyes of the United States should be upon Texas.
At least when it comes down to a university protecting its students and campus from the violence that can result from free speech that comes with a price. That price is violence.
This country has been in the grips of a movement that started with the brutal and horrific attack on Israeli citizens by Hamas terrorists Oct. 7. Since then, and since the Israeli response in self-defense against the terrorists who hide amongst the innocent civilians of Gaza, our college campuses have been inundated with organized demonstrations. Organized by a few, attended by many more.
Given the ease with which social media can gather and galvanize adherents, these demonstrations, which appear civil and peaceful at the beginning, are designed by those manipulating them to turn ugly and violent. Why? Because that is where the media goes and that is how those behind these demonstrations grow their numbers.
As well as cause chaos where calm once existed. It shouldn’t be too hard to figure out who benefits from the chaos (think those countries and those groups that thrive when America is in disarray) and who loses (think an America already divided by politics in which facts are few and emotions are heightened).
The upshot has been an obvious inability for many presidents and leaders of some of our elite universities to distinguish between what is free speech and peaceful protest, and what is the kind of hateful and bullying assemblages that threaten the physical security of students. In this case, it is the Jewish students on these campuses who must hide in their rooms, cower in their classrooms and remove themselves from campus or face violent reprisals. Just because they are Jewish. This is not America.
But as we all know and only a few will deny, this isn’t the first time in history that Jews have been subjected to mob rule and mass hysteria. Nazi Germany comes to mind as large groups of citizens allowed themselves to be led down a path of hatred and indifference. A Holocaust ensued.
In an effort to stop these hateful actions from continuing, there have been calls for the resignations of university presidents who cannot or will not keep their students safe and their campuses safer. And there have been some resignations. It seems that a fear of violating a free speech right has trumped the common sense of otherwise intelligent people who cannot tell the difference between speech and harmful conduct. One is protected, the other illegal.
Not so much in Texas. This week the organizers of the campus chaos at places like Columbia and U Penn decided to take their intimidating show on the road to the University of Texas in Austin. So what did Texas do?
Not so fast, the school said. In a responsible show of some force and maximum determination, the crowds were dispersed and college life continued.
Plenty of people will wring their hands about First Amendment rights that were almost trampled upon by those horses carrying Texas troopers, but I suspect there will be far many more parents of students and other Americans cheering for the kind of decisiveness that is expected from people charged with the safety of others.
Protest all you want, they will say, but leave your bullying, intimidating and violence-producing actions at the door. To which I say: Good on you, Texas.
What is happening on our campuses is dangerous. This is a time fraught with anti-democratic minefields designed by outside agitators and buried beneath the body politic by the unsuspecting, the gullible and the unknowledgeable.
How we respond as a country to this attack caused from without but prosecuted from within may determine our political fate long before November’s elections.
I am convinced that unless colleges and universities get a handle on this mess very quickly, the obvious forsaking of law and order and peace and calm in favor of a violent and unruly few on our campuses — where many of us send our children to learn about the world — will cause a major shock wave in the world of politics.
This is not a time for the crazy left to rule the day. Or the hateful right to cheer on the mayhem. It is a time for common sense, common decency and common values to stand up for simple concepts of right and wrong.
Antisemitism is wrong. Period.
Those who promote it and teach it are wrong. Period.
Those who allow it to fester on our college campuses and who don’t confront it are wrong. Period.
Those who support putting an end to this madness before it gets worse are right. Period.
Here's University of Texas president Jay Hartzell’s letter to his campus community following Wednesday’s activities. This what university presidents are supposed to do to keep their students — all students — safe.
It’s a matter of right and wrong. Period.
Brian Greenspun is editor, publisher and owner of the Sun.
