The Internet today has been simply aflame with stories and articles about the complete meltdown of sanity at Missouri University (or Mizzou if you prefer) over one of the precious students finding themselves offended by something.
Sadly, however, exactly what it was that offended the students was rather elusive. On the other hand, their response to these alleged offenses was utterly evident. For our convenience, the best organized of the student protesters drafted a list of demands, including the termination of the university’s president, which they apparently think might solve the problem of these precious snowflakes being offended.
As if these progressive protesters could be satisfied by anything at all.
Don’t believe it? Take a good look at the list of some of the demands of the students that have named themselves Concerned Students 1950, a title which makes reference to the first year black students were admitted to MU.
- I. We demand that the University of Missouri System President, Tim Wolfe, writes a handwritten apology to the Concerned Student 1-9-5-0 demonstrators and holds a press conference in the Mizzou Student Center reading the letter. In the letter and at the press conference, Tim Wolfe must acknowledge his white male privilege, recognize that systems of oppression exist, and provide a verbal commitment to fulfilling Concerned Student 1-9-5-0 demands. We want Tim Wolfe to admit to his gross negligence, allowing his driver to hit one of the demonstrators, consenting to the physical violence of bystanders, and lastly refusing to intervene when Columbia Police Department used excessive force with demonstrators.
- II. We demand the immediate removal of Tim Wolfe as UM system president. After his removal, a new amendment to UM system policies must be established to have all future UM system president and Chancellor positions [sic] be selected by a collective of students, staff, and faculty of diverse backgrounds.
- III. We demand that the University of Missouri meets the Legion of Black Collegians' demands that were presented in 1969 for the betterment of the black community.
- IV. We demand that the University of Missouri creates and enforces comprehensive racial awareness and inclusion curriculum throughout all campus departments and units, mandatory for all students, faculty, staff, and administration. This curriculum must be vetted, maintained, and overseen by a board comprised of students, staff, and faculty of color.
- V. We demand that by the academic year 2017-2018, the University of Missouri increases the percentage of black faculty and staff campus-wide to 10%.
- VI. We demand that the University of Missouri composes a strategic 10 year plan by May 1, 2016 that will increase retention rates for marginalized students, sustain diversity curriculum and training, and promote a more safe and inclusive campus.
- VII. We demand that the University of Missouri increases funding and resources for the University of Missouri Counseling Center for the purpose of hiring additional mental health professionals — particularly those of color, boosting mental health outreach and programming across campus, increasing campus wide awareness and visibility of the counseling center, and reducing lengthy wait times for prospective clients.
- VIII. We demand that the University of Missouri increases funding, resources, and personnel for the social justices centers on campus for the purpose of hiring additional professionals, particularly those of color, boosting outreach and programming across campus, and increasing campus-wide awareness and visibility.
Interesting list of demands isn’t it? In theory, of course, the students of MU, or any other college or university, are only going to be there for four years. The demands have the tone of individuals who plan on making this a career. They are essentially demanding to be the people running the asylum.
But fast-forward about 15 years. These same students are now in their mid-30s and working at actual careers for which they are paid, receive benefits, perhaps even explore the middle rungs of management. What happens when they are passed over by senior management for their next promotion? After all, senior management is not looking and has never looked to please every employee. Senior management is looking to find the one, best performing employee available to them for whatever promotion came up. They are not in the business of trying to make everyone happy and have them fulfill whatever personal fantasies they have. With the background, and the on-site training they have received at old Mizzou this week can you imagine the utter chaos?
Can you see scores of employees who are offended, hurt, damaged psychologically or have some other cause for being annoyed suddenly “protesting” and demanding that the CEO of the corporation that employs them resign from his or her position forthwith. No doubt, these same employees will encourage the janitorial staff to refuse to pick up garbage from the offices of senior management until such time as the CEO does resign.
Seriously? Do you think this could never happen? The protesters in this particular event at MU, or Yale or any other branch of academe, are children. These are not mature, knowledgeable individuals who have life experience that quietly whispers a question in their ears that sounds remarkably like “Are you a complete idiot? What good will this protest actually do? At college they might have listened to you, but here you’ll be escorted out the door by security!”
Does it appear that there might actually be some problems at the MU campus? Of course the answer to that is yes. But equally there are problems on every campus. There are problems whenever people are told to ignore boorish behavior around them. And ignoring those who insult you is frequently the only rational response that’s available. And the politically correct crowd invariably react the same way.
First they ignore the fact that the boorish, hurtful and non-PC behavior might have been invited by their claims to superiority. Then they blame those who they believe either have the power, or at least should have the power, to force a change in someone’s behavior. They’re big on forced behavior modification, unless, of course, they are the ones being forced to change their own behavior.
Yes, most of us abhor those who use words that are no longer considered acceptable in polite society to identify others. But apparently, these out of control students (and a large number of faculty members) have never learned to deal with their impulses or other people with whom they disagree as adults. So they continue to behave as spoiled children. They create ridiculous lists of “demands”.
I’m sure that they will damn me for describing this behavior as equivalent to a five-year old making a demand of their parents and threatening to “hold their breath until they turn blue!”
They should have been treated as a child would have been treated, which would be having mom or dad responding to such a demand by simply saying, “Fine. Get back to me when you look like a Smurf.”
