Trump Teaches Columbia Common Decency

Universities are sprinting from “We Will Not Cower” to appeasing Trump demands for decency? Ivy’s Columbia is one now promising Team Trump it will finally take steps to fight anti-Semitism rampant on campus that should have been made long time ago?

The WSJ’s editorial board opines as much in its “Columbia Learns a Hard Lesson.” Bluntly argues the editors, “The university betrayed its Jewish students – and its core mission – and is now paying the price.” Among other things, the Trump Administration withdrew $400 million in funding & issued a long list of demands as the price of restoring the money. Columbia’s president Katrina Armstrong, “seemingly agreed to everyone in an extraordinary four-page letter to the school community” as many wokesters in academia wailed it was an “act of surrender.” Exactly. Now, masked protesters let alone rioters will be held accountable, antisemitism will be called antisemitism & professors won’t be allowed to take sides on political controversies du jour. Moreover, Columbia will have new rules on academic studies, admissions & faculty hiring.

Meanwhile, we’re told, “with much of their funding at stake, [other] schools are quietly hiring lobbyists & reaching out to politicians amid Washington’s [long overdue] quest to rein in academia.”  But, let’s face it. As the WSJ warns, the real test will be in the implementation of common sense and common decency that shouldn’t have required the Trump ultimatum. And, No. 47’s fairness enforcers will surely be watching Columbia & these so-called institutions of higher learning as to whether they learned their lesson or need another one, two or three.

Davd Soul