Liar Education
Last week, a video forwarded to me by a congregant confirmed that there exists a disgusting disconnect between school and university. Institutes of “higher” learning have shown time and time again that they are dismal failures capable of sinking to the lowest depths in three specific areas.
It’s been years now since the American public has been sent the never-ending exhortation that within the hallowed confines of school, a policy of zero tolerance is enforced. While one can cogently argue that such a policy has all too often been taken to the extreme and to the absurd, school administrators along with teachers throughout this great nation, will brook no behavior deemed to be unacceptable – no ifs, ands or buts. End of discussion.
How is it that the policy of zero tolerance enforced with seeming abandon in schools suddenly is transformed into a policy of zero intolerance once our youth enters college? Students are able to and are permitted to say anything they desire within the confines of campus. Want to label Israel as an apartheid state? No problem. Want to accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being a modern day Genghis Kahn with blood dripping from his hands? Go for it. Want to compare the State of Israel with Nazi Germany? By all means. Your friendly neighborhood university guarantees you that right and will protect you from anyone who wishes to stifle your mindless and reckless incitement. When it comes to freedom of speech, that which was denied to nine year old Johnny in grade school, is granted and at times even encouraged a decade later, as nineteen year old John is now a sophomore at some highly regarded university where students are free to make any vile, vicious, irresponsible and dangerous accusation they wish.
How is it that school teachers can and do lose their jobs for any inflammatory remarks, real or perceived, that they make in front of students? Any and all apologies and groveling on the part of the teacher who quite possibly either misspoke or was misunderstood are to no avail. Yet, a college professor has every right to hurl any invective he or she wishes, especially if that invective is directed against Israel? A Chemistry professor has every right to make the claim that Israel is the most oppressive country in the world. A Philosophy professor has every right to say that Palestinian refugee camps (a misnomer, they are cities) are modern day Concentration camps. A literature professor has every right to make baseless claims that Israel is practicing genocide against the Palestinians. Perhaps I’m mistaken, but the issues that exist between Israel and the Palestinians are of a political and military nature. I fail to see any connection between the problems that confront the Israelis and Palestinians and Chemistry, Philosophy and Literature.
How is it that for decades now, school students have been subjected to the same monotonous, moronic mantra of “I don’t care who started it” when teachers refused to, or were simply incapable of distinguishing right from wrong, or perpetrator from victim? That same monotonous moronic mantra is heard on college campuses as well, with one caveat however. When it concerns Israelis and Palestinians the “bleating” has become: I don’t care who started it. Israel is to blame.
Lux et Veritas, Light and Truth has been the motto at one of the leading universities in the country. How ironic, given the disgusting disconnect between college and school, students pursuing higher education are in many cases being exposed to darkness and lies.