When most people discuss the state of the average American college campus in 2016, they are told that they are bastions of tolerance, inclusiveness, and safe spaces. It is the one place where the free exchange of ideas can be found. Now that we have visited Fantasyland, we can talk about what sort of place State U really is.
While protestors like Black Lives Matter are welcomed and students are encouraged to participate and “understand” their protests, if you are a member of the military, a Christian organization, or the worst of all, a Conservative, your college experience tends to be vastly different.
While all of this has been common knowledge among Conservatives for decades, what is not so well known is that among liberals, progressives, or whatever they are calling themselves today, their discrimination of the Jews has become totally acceptable.
The Coordination Forum for Countering Antisemitism recently posted an article on their website from “The Tower” magazine chronicling the experiences of two Jewish students, one of Iranian descent at the University of California Berkeley. Yes, that Berkeley.
The Jewish students attended the “Students of Color Conference”, a gathering of those interested in all things social justice. Thinking that not only could they support groups like Black Lives Matter, but they could relate the plight of Jews around the world. Not so much.
As the discussions turned towards the Middle East, and tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, the comments made by those at the conference became increasingly anti-Semitic, and were cheered by the crowd. It soon became clear to both that their support of Israel was not the problem; Jews were the problem.
This was not the first time these students had encountered antisemitism on Campus. While in the cafeteria on one occasion, “Hitler did nothing wrong” was seen carved into a table.
While this kind of blatant hatred seems unbelievable at a place like Berkeley, it is real, and it can be found on many college campuses.
The article also told the story of a Jewish student at the University of Missouri who last fall wanted to participate in protests of racial incidents by Black Lives Matter. He stated that as fellow protestors became aware that he was Jewish, that somehow his support did not count.
While groups like Black Lives Matter want to claim exclusive victimhood status, hate crimes against Jews are on the rise, and at all places the bastions of liberalism, college campuses.
The most current FBI report on hate crimes found that of crimes motivated by religious hate, 58.2% was targeted at Jews. Why isn’t the Left talking about this? Is it because they are so busy making sure that Muslims are not offended? The majority of American Jews tend to be liberal leaning and vote Democrat. Can Democrats really afford to alienate a usually reliable bloc of voters this election cycle?
It is beginning to appear as though Jewish college students need their own safe space to protect them from all of those tolerant Liberals.
