Editor's Letter
THURSDAY, APRIL 26
FRIDAY, APRIL 27
SATURDAY, APRIL 28
Pursuing Campus Civility
Second of two parts
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debate breaks apart into uncivil behavior — effectively, when
academic integrity and civil discourse become compromised.
ur campuses of higher education can't get so caught
Local Implications
up in defending academic freedom and free speech
At Wayne State University in Detroit, tensions between Jewish
that they ignore the pursuit of responsible, intel-
and Muslim students have escalated in the wake of hateful
ligent and civil speech. Therein lies the crux of what Jewish
stridency and intimidation on the part of pro-Palestinian
students, parents and leaders can do
activists. Following a contentious week that featured a closed-
to corral the recurring rustle of anti-
door meeting between Jewish students and several adminis-
Semitism and anti-Zionism at univer-
trators to discuss student concerns about anti-Semitism and
sities nationwide.
security, including a "Go home, Jews!" cry by the non-campus,
A perfect storm caused a break-
pro-Palestinian group Anti Racist Action, President Irvin
down in the safeguards meant to
D. Reid wrote in an April 5 letter appearing in the campus
guard against such uncivil conditions.
newspaper, The South End: "We always have
An expert on the
room for free speech, but we have no room
anti-Jewish senti-
for the rhetoric of hatred."
ment infiltrating
He went on to say: "Disagreement
campuses under the
between and among people of different
cloak of opposition
backgrounds, preferences, orientation or
to Israeli govern-
beliefs cannot be avoided. In a university
ment policy calls this dynamic "a gross
setting, however, disagreement must lead
manipulation of the campus environment."
to discourse; neither side is free to be dis-
Aryeh Weinberg has led a research team
I 1-4( WI
respectful of the other. No matter how pas-
probing the political and prejudicial under-
ii:fiRAEL
sionately one feels about a particular issue,
currents in American education since 2001.
or how fervently one holds a particular
He cites three trends undermining campus
belief, any form of disregard for other per-
civility: a political culture, with roots in
sons is inappropriate."
the campus upheavals of the 1960s, that
This Anti-Racist Action sign
I welcome Wayne State's belated but
stresses protest; fiscal and administrative
displayed on the WSU campus
necessary promise to develop a campus
inattention, creating bureaucratic quag-
speaks for itself.
program promoting tolerance and civility
mires that hinder attempts to seek redress
under the direction of Dean of Students David Strauss. It's
from the university; abdication of moral leadership by those
incumbent on the larger Jewish community, and all people of
entrusted with the university's well being.
good will, to assure its timely introduction and success.
"It's within this environment that anti-Semitism has
entered the campus," said Weinberg, a fellow at the Institute
for Jewish and Community Research in San Francisco. He and Bolstering Protections
On a national front, Weinberg further recommends: ensur-
Institute director Gary Tobin co-wrote the myth-shattering
ing that avenues for student redress are publicized and work;
2005 book The UnCivil University.
reinforcing that no university or public funds are used to
promote hate in words or action; involving all stakeholders in
Stirring Echoes
campus life — not just students or administrators, but also
In a troubling message on a March 26 visit to Metro Detroit
parents, alumni, trustees, lawmakers and taxpayers.
sponsored by StandWithUs-Michigan, Weinberg distilled the
Clearly, Jewish students, whether inside or outside the
essence of the Institute's groundbreaking study.
classroom, should not fear speaking up as Jews or discredit-
"The unfortunate reality," he declared at a community
ing absurdities about our ancestral homeland. They should
forum at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, "is that while the
university is a place that ardently defends the rights of minor- strive to engage in dialogue with reasonable people who
might come around if they had a better understanding of
ities on campus, it has become paralyzed by the inability of
Israel.
campus leadership to explain to the campus community that
We all must be relentless in dousing the wildfires of hatred
political differences do not warrant hateful speech and action
or
bigotry toward Jews at American universities. It's not just
on campus.
a
Jewish
problem; Americans of all backgrounds should
Anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism on campus take converg-
be
alarmed.
Whatever our beliefs, we share basic American
ing forms. All share a fundamental goal: marginalizing Jews
values
surrounding
civility. The consequences of incivility
and demonizing Israel through misinformation. Examples
on
campus
are
enormous.
Areyeh Weinberg passionately
include: excluding or targeting Jewish students or Israel sup-
described
them
as
"an
indication
of a deep gash in the fab-
porters in public settings; rejecting Jewish nationalism and
ric
of
the
public
trust
—
evidence
of a deeper malaise that
exhorting that Zionism equals racism; undermining the
afflicts
the
university:'
Holocaust by branding Israelis the new Nazis; claiming that
Jews are imperialist warmongers who control America; the
O : Is it possible to separate hate from free
silencing of pro-Israel speakers through violent protest.
speech?
Campus controls on anti-Semitic rhetoric or images should
I-- fa
be no more or less than those on hate speech aimed at blacks
Z Z Can we assure the viability of student
or gays. The burden falls on administrators, who hold the
O O redress?
public trust, to determine when the fine line of spirited
as
W
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THURSDAY 10-9
April 12 • 2007
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