Finneran: Campus Crybabies/ Campus Cowards

Friday, December 04, 2015

Tom Finneran, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™

I need a “safe space” from pampered fools and educated idiots.

America’s enemies, of which there are many, must be laughing with glee as they anticipate the future. Such manhood on display. Not.

The stories are too numerous to ignore. The implications are too serious to ponder. We have become a crybaby nation, unable to function in any way without “trigger warnings” or “safe spaces”, utterly paralyzed by myriad “micro-aggressions”. Can you imagine a Japanese or German platoon doing battle with such mentally weak and pitiful beings? Diapers would be required, as a merciful humanitarian gesture.

The pampered fools of whom I speak are the students at various colleges across the land. The educated idiots are the professors and administrators who quiver and quake at the sheer nonsense touted by the fools. All of this of course is further proof that many “educated” people are truly nuts. Where is John Silber when we need him? Where is the university president who will calmly inform these campus terrorists that a) they have two minutes to get out of his office, b) all financial aid will be immediately terminated, and c) that expulsion proceedings actually began when the fools initiated their trespass and occupation. Has any adult ever stood up and corrected these delinquents?

Yale University might be the most amusing of them all in terms of utterly craven surrender to bullies and crybabies. It’s no laughing matter of course if you happen to be an alumnus of Yale. For its graduates at least, it has to be a spectacular embarrassment that the institution so readily degrades itself.
Consider the ironies:

Irony #1: “Privilege” is the watchword and weapon of choice of the crybabies. They denounce all aspects of privilege, somehow missing the fact that by virtue of their own admission to and presence at Yale, they are among the most privileged little brats in the whole world. Self-awareness does not appear to be a strength. Apparently it’s your privilege which must be the problem, not theirs. Can you imagine being a talented first-generation college student, the son or daughter of a plumber, being lectured about privilege by such phonies? Talk about Alice-in-Wonderland………

Irony #2: Can there be any doubt that anti-bullying classes have been a part of these pampered souls’ education throughout their school years? How then do they ignore the stunningly obvious fact that their ignorant tantrums are the essence of bullying, shouting down differing opinions, demanding obedience, and threatening harm? Happily most city kids I know figured out how to handle bullies—stare at them without blinking, tell them to get out of your way, and then give them about three seconds before you flatten and bloody their noses. Don’t forget to hand them a tissue for their tears and their snot.

Irony #3: Recent unrest on the Yale campus was caused by a “warning letter” regarding Halloween costumes. I kid you not. Halloween costumes! Can any rational adult take this seriously? Halloween costumes can apparently be offensive. Who knew? My own assumption was that children around the age of 9 or 10 had outgrown the nonsense of Halloween costumes. Yes, the Reese’s Pieces and the Snickers bars were still important, but not the silly costumes. As for grown-up Halloween parties, the wearing of a costume was viewed as a silly diversion for a few hours of laughter. I’m now informed that when my Italian friend once wore a leprechaun outfit and drank a lot of beer that he was guilty of “cultural appropriation” and “violence”. Where was my precious safe space? I guess I should have sought counseling after suffering such trauma.

Irony #4: That all this nonsense is afoot at an allegedly serious school is astounding. A college or university is supposed to provoke intellectual challenge and discomfort, exposing its students to different points of view, forcing such students to consider a multitude of arguments, experiences, and opinions. College is not daycare for infants. Nor is it supposed to be an intellectual and ideological gulag, accepting of only one point of view. More than any other place or time in a young adult’s life, college should insist upon breadth and depth of ideas. Violent uniformity can be left to totalitarian states where one is told exactly what to think.

Once upon a time Americans understood that, but that was long long ago--- before micro-aggressions, trigger warnings, and ignorance abounded.

Tom Finneran is the former Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, served as the head the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, and was a longstanding radio voice in Boston radio.