Wednesday, February 18, 2015

The University of Michigan's Tolerance Problem



The University of Michigan's Tolerance Problem
Jonah Goldberg | Feb 17, 2015
I once asked my late father if he had any experiences with anti-Semitism. There weren't many. Although that was probably in part because of his scoring methodology. The Irish kids who beat up the Jewish kids in his Bronx neighborhood didn't do so because they were anti-Semitic, but because "they had to fight somebody," as my dad put it. Today, such behavior would probably be called a hate crime. So I suppose that's progress. He did tell me that the first time someone said to him "Don't Jew me" was during his freshman year at the University of Michigan. He was more shocked than offended. He couldn't believe someone he was friends with could be so stupid. Today we call such stupidity "insensitivity." Whether that counts as progress is an open question. I visited my father's alma mater for the first time last week. The University of Michigan's chapter of the Young Americans for Freedom invited me to give a speech. A banner warning the "thought police" of my imminent arrival was torn down, presumably by the irony-impaired thought police. The university has been in the news recently for such shenanigans and worse. For instance, student Omar Mahmood, a columnist for both the Michigan Daily and the conservative Michigan Review, was fired from the Daily for writing a parody piece for the Review about the oppression of the "left-handyd." In the piece, Mahmood's narrator takes a comment from a "white cis-gendered hetero upper-class man" as microaggression. "Behind his words I sensed a patronizing sneer, as if he expected me to be a spokespersyn for my whole race. He offered his hand to help me up, and I thought to myself how this might be a manifestation of the patriarchy patronizing me." The humor-deficient editors of the Michigan Daily were not amused. They claimed the column had created a "hostile environment" because one of the editors felt "threatened" by Mahmood's mockery of microaggressions. He was ultimately fired. Later, Mahmood's dorm doorway was pelted with eggs and festooned with profanity-laced notes and, oddly, a picture of Satan. The administration's efforts to find the perpetrators appear lackadaisical compared to O.J. Simpson's pursuit of the real killers. Of course, if Mahmood, a Muslim, had been attacked for something related to his religious faith, you can bet the administration would go to DEFCON 1. That's because the University of Michigan wants to be an intolerance-free zone -- so long as it's intolerance of things the administration finds intolerable. To that end, the school rolled out its Inclusive Language Campaign. It contains a list of taboo phrases that no one should use lest they give offense. The campaign is intended to be "educational, not regulatory," though some students report that they've been asked to sign a pledge vowing to avoid using such phrases as "ghetto," "that's so gay," "that's retarded" and "tranny." Students are also told they shouldn't say things like "I want to die" -- say, after doing badly on a test -- because such language can "diminish the experience of those who have attempted or committed suicide." I would have thought those who have committed suicide would be immune to such concerns. Also on the list is any effort to turn Jew into a verb. So, roughly 75 years after my dad was told by an idiot "Don't Jew me," the battle continues. I have no problem with teaching students to have good manners. I'm less convinced that the PC priesthood is winning the war on intolerance. It's absolutely true that majorities owe minorities respect. What's lost is any appreciation of the fact that minorities owe majorities respect too. That's what Mahmood was getting at. Instead, we are teaching young people that being offended is an ideological priority. Indeed, the coin of the campus realm today is victimhood, grievance and offense. An entirely well-intentioned -- and syntactically accurate -- use of the wrong word is an invitation to being called a racist, homophobe, sexist, etc. (while actual disagreement is tantamount to heresy). The burden of proof then falls on the accused, a burden that often can't be met absent re-education. And for the offended "victim," a stupid comment or even a harmless newspaper column becomes a source of trauma. Yes, words can hurt. But teaching these delicate flowers to make too big a deal out of them will likely do more lasting damage.

University of Michigan
James J. Duderstadt is a president emeritus for the University of Michigan, and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Note: Susan M. Collins is a professor at the University of Michigan, and a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Rebecca M. Blank was a professor at the University of Michigan, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and is the deputy secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce for the Barack Obama administration.
Google Books Library Project is an initial partner with the University of Michigan, a Google Inc. project, a partner with Columbia University, a partner at Cornell University, an initial partner with Harvard University, an initial partner with the New York Public Library, an initial partner with Oxford University, a partner with Princeton University, an initial partner with Stanford University, and a partner with the University of California.
Google Inc. was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank), and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).
George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Sheryl K. Sandberg was a VP for Google Inc,, and a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Joan E. Spero was a trustee at Columbia University, and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Abby Joseph Cohen is a trustee emeritus at Cornell University, and was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Andrew H. Tisch is a trustee at Cornell University, and a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Henry Louis Gates Jr. was a professor at Cornell University, an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and is a professor at the Harvard University.
Paul E. Peterson is a professor at Harvard University, and was a director of governmental studies for the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Lawrence H. Summers is a professor; former president for Harvard University, was the National Economic Council chairman for the Barack Obama administration, a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).
C. Douglas Dillon was an overseer at Harvard University, and the chairman for the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Ann M. Fudge was an overseer at Harvard University, and is a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Harold H. Koh was an overseer at Harvard University, the State Department legal adviser for the Barack Obama administration, and a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
John C. Whitehead was the chairman for Harvard University, and is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Henry Louis Gates Jr. is a trustee at the New York Public Library, and was an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Diane S. Ravitch was an honorary trustee at the New York Public Library, and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Michael S. Barr was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University, the assistant Treasury secretary for the Barack Obama administration, is a professor at the University of Michigan Law School, and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
E.J. Dionne was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University, and is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Richard N. Haass was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University, and the VP for the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Susan E. Rice was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University, the former U.S. ambassador to UN for the Barack Obama administration, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and is the White House national security adviser for the Barack Obama administration.
Strobe Talbott was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University, and is the president for the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Ben S. Bernanke was a professor at Princeton University, and is a distinguished fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
David H. Romer was an assistant professor at Princeton University, and is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Robert M. Bass is a trustee at Stanford University, and a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Steven A. Denning is a trustee at Stanford University, and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Pete Higgins was a trustee at Stanford University, and is a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Mark B. McClellan was an associate professor at Stanford University, and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Victoria P. Sant was a trustee at Stanford University, and is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Richard C. Blum is a regent at the University of California, married to Senator Dianne Feinstein, and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Saban Center for Middle East Policy is a policy center at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Haim Saban is a benefactor at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a friend of Shimon Peres.
Shimon Peres is a friend of Haim Saban, and the president of Israel.
Cyrus F. Freidheim Jr. is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
R. Eden Martin is the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and counsel at Sidley Austin LLP.
Newton N. Minow is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP.
Michelle Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.                    
Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.
Sidley Austin LLP is the lobby firm for Israel.
Thomas R. Pickering was the U.S. ambassador for Israel, and is a distinguished fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Martin S. Indyk was a U.S. ambassador for Israel, a founding director at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, and is the foreign policy director for the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Saban Center for Middle East Policy is a policy center at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Haim Saban is a benefactor at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a friend of Shimon Peres.
Shimon Peres is a friend of Haim Saban, and the president of Israel.
Richard N. Haass was the VP for the Brookings Institution (think tank), a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University, and was a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).
Richard A. Debs was a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), and a pro-bono financial adviser for Anwar Sadat.
Anwar Sadat’s pro-bono financial adviser was Richard A. Debs, and the president of Egypt.
Mohamed Morsi was the president of Egypt, and is the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Daniel C. Kurtzer was a U.S. ambassador for Egypt, a U.S. ambassador for Israel, and is a director at the New Israel Fund.
Martin S. Indyk was a U.S. ambassador for Israel, a director at the New Israel Fund, a founding director for the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, and is a the foreign policy director for the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Saban Center for Middle East Policy is a policy center at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Haim Saban is a benefactor at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a friend of Shimon Peres.
Shimon Peres is a friend of Haim Saban, and the president of Israel.
Sidley Austin LLP is the lobby firm for Israel.
Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.
AIPAC is a U.S.-based lobby group for Israel.
Wendy Senor Singer was the head of Jerusalem office for AIPAC, and Daniel S. Senor’s sister.
Daniel S. Senor is Wendy Senor Singer’s brother, and was a guest on Morning Joe.
Morning Joe is an MSNBC program.  
Eugene Robinson is a frequent guest on Morning Joe, a contributor for MSNBC, and was a co-editor-in-chief for the Michigan Daily.
Steven L. Rattner is a frequent guest on Morning Joe, and was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
James J. Duderstadt is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a president emeritus for the University of Michigan.





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