Professor safety threatened for opposing "Day of Absence"

[EdgarusQPFC]

A Professor at Evergreen State College has been receiving heavy backlash and threats made against him for raising questions about a proposed "Day of Absence" which would see all white students of the college not being permitted on the grounds. Brett Weinstein, a biology professor at the college was concerned over the new change to this apparently yearly event that tries to discuss topics surrounding race, apparently this will be the first time since they have done this that there would be this forced segregation and students who are white would be told to stay off campus for the duration. So he contacted the person trying to arrange this years events via email, here is the email in question.

"Dear Rashida,

When you first described the new structure for Day of Absence / Day of Presence at a past faculty meeting (where no room was left for questions), I thought I must have misunderstood what you said. Later emails seemed to muddy the waters further, while inviting commitments to participate. I now see from the boldfaced text in this email that I had indeed understood your words correctly.

There is a huge difference between a group or coalition deciding to voluntarily absent themselves from a shared space in order to highlight their vital and under-appreciated roles (the theme of the Douglas Turner Ward play Day of Absence, as well as the recent Women’s Day walkout), and a group or coalition encouraging another group to go away. The first is a forceful call to consciousness which is, of course, crippling to the logic of oppression. The second is a show of force, and an act of oppression in and of itself.

You may take this letter as a formal protest of this year’s structure, and you may assume I will be on campus on the Day of Absence. I would encourage others to put phenotype aside and reject this new formulation, whether they have ‘registered’ for it already or not. On a college campus, one’s right to speak — or to be — must never be based on skin color.

If there was interest in a public presentation and discussion of race through a scientific / evolutionary lens, I would be quite willing to organize such an event (it is material I have taught in my own programs, and guest lectured on at Evergreen and elsewhere). Everyone would be equally welcome and encouraged to attend such a forum, irrespective of ethnicity, belief structure, native language, political leanings, or position at the college. My only requirement would be that people attend with an open mind, and a willingness to act in good faith.

If there is interest in such a event, please let me know …"

A quite reasonable email and nothing hateful or aggressive in its tone, but the backlash he has recieved from students for this email has been appalling
 

Here is 15 minutes of a mob of roughly 50 students interrupting his class to protest his email, call him every name under the sun, label him as a racist and demand his immediate sacking for daring to send the above email questioning this years activities..

Is this right? does this Professor deserve such hate and anger for questioning a new approach to a yearly event? Does he deserve to lose his job over this?https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2017/05/26/professor-told-hes-not-safe-on-campus-after-college-protests-at-evergreen-state-university-washington/?utm_term=.f41fc0a6f6c2

Its gotten to the stage that he has been warned by the local police that for his own safety he should stay off campus.

 

 

I honestly believe this is completely absurd, if the Professor had done something actually racist or had a long proven history of any such acts i would agree that he should be fired, but that was the most mild mannered and respectful email, does he deserve all of this hate for that email?

 

[Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo]

He's clearly pissed off that it only covers students. Personally I'd be delighted with an extra day's holiday.

[The OP]

These days, right, if you say you're English you get arrested and thrown in jail.

[The Master]

 

[DrewDon]

Aren't we supposed to be living in a multicultural democracy? And isn't that the point? You know, the Jews, the Muslims and the racists all living together happily side by side, doing and saying whatever the hell they like?

[welshbairn]

A Professor at Evergreen State College. Who cares?

[sjc]

15 minutes ago, DrewDon said:

Aren't we supposed to be living in a multicultural democracy? And isn't that the point? You know, the Jews, the Muslims and the racists all living together happily side by side, doing and saying whatever the hell they like?

Absolutely. The demand to be heard seems to have come at the cost of the ability to listen and counter debate.

We've seen it continually in referendums and elections where candidates/Parties campaigns where they just shout one another down in a mud slinging contest. 

[BFTD]

Jez for PM IMO.

[EdgarusQPFC]

2 hours ago, sjc said:

Absolutely. The demand to be heard seems to have come at the cost of the ability to listen and counter debate.

We've seen it continually in referendums and elections where candidates/Parties campaigns where they just shout one another down in a mud slinging contest. 

Well this is it, the Professor even says to the Mob that he wants to have a reasoned discussion with them and it's not about point scoring, being right, it's about discussing the problem. They outright tell him they don't care and he is wrong, that's that and for daring to try and have a reasonable discussion he is a racist who should be sacked and fear for his safety. 

[sjc]

9 minutes ago, EdgarusQPFC said:

Well this is it, the Professor even says to the Mob that he wants to have a reasoned discussion with them and it's not about point scoring, being right, it's about discussing the problem. They outright tell him they don't care and he is wrong, that's that and for daring to try and have a reasonable discussion he is a racist who should be sacked and fear for his safety. 

Pathetic isn't it?

[Newbornbairn]

Racists.

 

[Ross.]

As the protest appears to contain only "Wid nots", I have to declare myself firmly on the side of the Professor.

He has a good point too, which helps. Well, that is if they are forcing people to observe it. If they aren't then I maintain a neutral position as a means of distancing myself from the mob.

[Sergeant Wilson]

8 hours ago, EdgarusQPFC said:

A Professor at Evergreen State College has been receiving heavy backlash and threats made against him for raising questions about a proposed "Day of Absence" which would see all white students of the college not being permitted on the grounds. Brett Weinstein, a biology professor at the college was concerned over the new change to this apparently yearly event that tries to discuss topics surrounding race, apparently this will be the first time since they have done this that there would be this forced segregation and students who are white would be told to stay off campus for the duration. So he contacted the person trying to arrange this years events via email, here is the email in question.

"Dear Rashida,

When you first described the new structure for Day of Absence / Day of Presence at a past faculty meeting (where no room was left for questions), I thought I must have misunderstood what you said. Later emails seemed to muddy the waters further, while inviting commitments to participate. I now see from the boldfaced text in this email that I had indeed understood your words correctly.

There is a huge difference between a group or coalition deciding to voluntarily absent themselves from a shared space in order to highlight their vital and under-appreciated roles (the theme of the Douglas Turner Ward play Day of Absence, as well as the recent Women’s Day walkout), and a group or coalition encouraging another group to go away. The first is a forceful call to consciousness which is, of course, crippling to the logic of oppression. The second is a show of force, and an act of oppression in and of itself.

You may take this letter as a formal protest of this year’s structure, and you may assume I will be on campus on the Day of Absence. I would encourage others to put phenotype aside and reject this new formulation, whether they have ‘registered’ for it already or not. On a college campus, one’s right to speak — or to be — must never be based on skin color.

If there was interest in a public presentation and discussion of race through a scientific / evolutionary lens, I would be quite willing to organize such an event (it is material I have taught in my own programs, and guest lectured on at Evergreen and elsewhere). Everyone would be equally welcome and encouraged to attend such a forum, irrespective of ethnicity, belief structure, native language, political leanings, or position at the college. My only requirement would be that people attend with an open mind, and a willingness to act in good faith.

If there is interest in such a event, please let me know …"

A quite reasonable email and nothing hateful or aggressive in its tone, but the backlash he has recieved from students for this email has been appalling
 

Here is 15 minutes of a mob of roughly 50 students interrupting his class to protest his email, call him every name under the sun, label him as a racist and demand his immediate sacking for daring to send the above email questioning this years activities..

Is this right? does this Professor deserve such hate and anger for questioning a new approach to a yearly event? Does he deserve to lose his job over this?https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2017/05/26/professor-told-hes-not-safe-on-campus-after-college-protests-at-evergreen-state-university-washington/?utm_term=.f41fc0a6f6c2

Its gotten to the stage that he has been warned by the local police that for his own safety he should stay off campus.

 

 

I honestly believe this is completely absurd, if the Professor had done something actually racist or had a long proven history of any such acts i would agree that he should be fired, but that was the most mild mannered and respectful email, does he deserve all of this hate for that email?

 

The Professor should arm himself with a balloon on a stick for his protection against such an intimidating, blood thirsty mob.

[ICTChris]

I hear you're a racist now Professor

[WFAANW]

I really hope anyone who takes part in that "hey hey ho ho" pish has their head smashed to f**k with a sledgehammer. Whoever started it deserves to be gang raped tbh.

[welshbairn]

I don't get why students behaving like daft students is news, especially in America in a college nobody has heard of.

[Worktheshaft]

Here is the problem with librealism right now. If you don't stand for one thing you don't stand for anything. 100% with the professor on this one.

[itzdrk]

The America experiment has run its course.  Nukes plz

[Cerberus]

The America experiment has run its course.  Nukes plz

Need to ask America for permission first m8.

[EdgarusQPFC]

One of the main reason's i bring this particular subject up is that things like this are happening in colleges and universities all over the place. 

Couple of years ago you had Bahar Mustafa, a "diversity officer" for goldsmiths in London who banned all white people from some meetings and all straight white men from another, she was accused of trying to enforce racial and gender segregation, to which she responded that because she was a person of colour(shes turkish) and a woman that it was impossible for her to be racist and sexist as those kinds of power are in the hands of the majority, not the minority. She also nearly got arrested for tweeting about killing all white men but being arrested for a tweet is ridiculous, but it does show the kind of person she is. 

https://heatst.com/culture-wars/black-lives-matter-bans-white-people-from-attending-open-meeting-event/

This is a recent one but there have been numerous examples of various 'Black Lives Matter' activists enforcing or calling for segregation at campuses and events, im sorry but Martin Luther King along with numerous others across the world campaigned to stop racial segregation and MLK ultimately died for it and now there are people who want to bring it back? Thats ridiculous.

Any form of segregation is wrong as far as i am concerned and with the climate we live in now we don't need things like this making things worse