Columbia University has fallen

[putnam6]

The more I read and watch about what's happening in universities like Columbia, the more I think we should test the water for nerve agents that target the prefrontal cortex. How did we produce so many children who are incapable of basic critical thinking skills. Sigh.

I read elsewhere, nothing academic just another forum's thoughts, that the angst of the American youngest generation goes through cycles of change each decade, but can not ever outgrow that awkwardness of youth nor tame the rebellion in them.

Some handle it better than others, and then other factors and variables come into play. In times of economic struggle or societal hardship, the immature and those without coping skills get washed up in thier form of rebellion is. 

The late 70s had the Punk Rock into the Goth/EMO phase for example. There are other groupings but it's always that lowest percentage that is the squeaky wheel. 


Our saving grace this generation has no stamina, LOL take out thier cell phones and they wouldn't know what to do

Not to mention most protests had significant counter-protesters in the same age group demographically.

Just for fun here is Claude AI's thoughts on the effectiveness of protesting... now honestly look at where these protests stand now, I'll highlight where they may have failed and where they may have succeeded.

So far all positives and negatives are embedded in these protests to certain degrees and the degree varies from location to location. 

I like what the University of Minnesota reporter said about National implications, I paraphrase but she said the protests had no national goals it was solely to make the student body more aware. So if that was the goal it succeeded


https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2...s-00155672

Alex Steil (University of Minnesota): Yes, there has been a stark rise in antisemitism on campus. Of 122 bias reports this year at the university, 42 are reported against Israel or tagged as antisemitism. Sixteen were reported as against Palestine or as Islamophobia.

 Jewish student organization, “Safety, in this moment, is relative.” They mention how they don’t feel safe walking around campus, seeing mentions of armed revolution or the globalization of the Intifada. I have not heard of the same type of incidents with Palestinian/Arab students.

 although protestors are still saying on social media their numbers are in the hundreds. As a proportion of our overall campus, it is a fraction of our roughly 55,000 students.

the visits from our city council members and other legislators seemed to make little impact. In at least our instance, it seems that our protests are more student-led, student-oriented and focused on our university rather than the national scale. Our members of Congress weigh in, and that’s fine. But it seems like the students who are protesting are focusing on change it feels like they can make — calling on their university, potentially folks they have talked to before in different subject areas — rather than continue to petition at the national level.

https://claude.ai/

 Here are some key considerations:
Potential Positive Impacts:

• Raising awareness about important issues on campus and in society TRUE
  
• Giving a voice to marginalized groups and highlighting their concerns TRUE
  
• Pressuring administrators to enact policy changes or make concessions TRUE
  
• Building solidarity and activism among students TRUE
  
• Serving as a catalyst for broader social movements TRUE
  

Potential Limitations:

• Protests alone may not achieve all demanded changes if leaders refuse to capitulate TRUE
  
• Disruptive tactics can alienate potential supporters TRUE
  
• Media framing may minimize or distort the protest messages TRUE
  
• Student turnover makes it hard to sustain prolonged movement momentum TRUE
  
• Lack of clear goals and unified leadership can undermine impact TRUE
  

There are many historical examples where student protests played a major role in changing campus policies and even larger political/social change (e.g. Free Speech Movement, anti-Vietnam protests). But there are also cases where protests had minimal effect or backfired to some degree.
Ultimately, the success of any given campus protest depends on thoughtful strategies tailored to the situation and deft navigation of complex power dynamics. Reasonable people may disagree on tactics and what constitutes "real" change.

But civic activism is essential for a healthy democracy. TRUE