So I almost began this article with "once upon a time," given the ridiculous fairy tale you're about to read. Understand: by "ridiculous," I don't mean "funny."
No, this tale is not only antisemitic, but the New York University School of Law (NYUSL) likely concocted an excuse (lie) to hide behind its antisemitism.
The university has announced the cancellation of a Federalist Society event featuring conservative legal scholar Ilya Shapiro, according to two people familiar with the matter and emails obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. The talk was scheduled for October 7, the anniversary of the horrific terrorist attack by Hamas militants inside Israel, who brutally slaughtered 1,200 people and took some 250 Israelis hostage.
Shapiro — a staunch critic of anti-Israel activism on campuses and author of "Lawless: The Miseducation of American Elites," which tackles rising leftism in education — was to be the keynote speaker.
So why did NYU cancel the event?
University officials cited security concerns and the potential for protests tied to the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, atrocity. Uh-huh.
In other words, the university bowed to anti-Israel protesters before an event even happened. Even worse, it demonstrated to activists that all they have to do to cancel or suppress free speech that supports causes and entities they abhor is basically just continue to exist as is.
Penelope Fernandes, the law school's director of institutional programming, wrote to student organizers in a September 10 email obtained by the Beacon:
For security reasons, and because we anticipate an increased likelihood of demonstrations and protests connected to the anniversary of the October 7, 2023 incidents in Gaza, would it be possible to host Mr. Shapiro on another date? If you can change the date, please let us know.
I'll answer the question: Of course it would be possible — to allow the event to go on as scheduled.
How so?
By campus security and law enforcement officers, en masse, if necessary, demonstrating to pro-Hamas and antisemitic radicals that their hateful protests will not be tolerated. Instead, we see yet another example of the left bending the knee to radical activists. How has that worked out, so far?
When the Federalist Society refused to back down, insisting that the event go on as scheduled, NYU administrators announced the event wouldn’t happen on October 7, regardless.
Associate Dean Megan McDermott blamed “great demands on resources and personnel,” while spokesperson Michael Orey insisted it wasn’t canceled, just “rescheduled.” Yet NYU’s own calendar now lists the event as “canceled,” according to the report.
The move sparked allegations of a “heckler’s veto” — a situation in which a party that disagrees with a speaker's message is able to unilaterally trigger events that result in the speaker being canceled — and hypocrisy, of course, given that the university is somehow planning to host multiple events that week, including a seven-hour symposium.
Crafty devils, aren't they?
Meanwhile, the radical left continues its death grip on the no-longer-hallowed halls of academia.
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
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