Damn those outside agitators! That seems the conventional reaction this week to pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses. It’s nothing new. Violence at Black Lives Matter protests was similarly blamed on “outside anti-racist agitators,” when evidence suggests the violence was more often the work of Proud Boy types. Various right-wing shenanigans have been regularly attributed to Antifa, somehow skipping by the inconvenient reality that “Antifa” is shorthand for anti-fascist and that members of Antifa, if there is such a thing, show up to resist right-wing fascism, not practice it.
While I agree with most of your observations, I would caution you to look at Jim Kenyon's comments with a skeptical eye. In my reading of him over the years, he has displayed a misogynistic bias that is over the top. It would be one thing if this were only evident in the case of Dartmouth President Sian Beilock, but he has displayed the same attitude for other women who lead local organization (e.g., Joanne Conroy at Dartmouth Health and Kerry Artman at the Carter Community Building). Kenyon has been called out on this by several readers of the Valley News, but here is a particularly well-researched op-ed on his sexist treatment of Beilock vis-å-vis her predecessor, Phil Hanlon:
I am in full agreement with you about Joe Biden: He is stuck in his late-20th century view of Israel's need for unquestioned support and afraid to weaken his already shaky voter base for the upcoming election. Israel had every right to defend itself, but how many Palestinians must die to make up for the slaughter on October 7th? All of them, apparently, and that ratio is indefensible.
Point well taken, Stan. His schtick gets tiresome with the incessant sniping at Dartmouth generally and the town of Norwich - even if he's often right.
Steve- I was glad to see you mention Dartmouth and the link to Jim Kenyons article this morning. I was paying only passing attention to things before it hit home in the Upper Valley. I was appalled at the swiftness and excess of the response. Compare that to the way UVM has handled things (so far).
While I agree with most of your observations, I would caution you to look at Jim Kenyon's comments with a skeptical eye. In my reading of him over the years, he has displayed a misogynistic bias that is over the top. It would be one thing if this were only evident in the case of Dartmouth President Sian Beilock, but he has displayed the same attitude for other women who lead local organization (e.g., Joanne Conroy at Dartmouth Health and Kerry Artman at the Carter Community Building). Kenyon has been called out on this by several readers of the Valley News, but here is a particularly well-researched op-ed on his sexist treatment of Beilock vis-å-vis her predecessor, Phil Hanlon:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/28/metro/help-wanted-nh-journalism-without-sexism/?p1=BGSearch_Overlay_Results
I am in full agreement with you about Joe Biden: He is stuck in his late-20th century view of Israel's need for unquestioned support and afraid to weaken his already shaky voter base for the upcoming election. Israel had every right to defend itself, but how many Palestinians must die to make up for the slaughter on October 7th? All of them, apparently, and that ratio is indefensible.
Point well taken, Stan. His schtick gets tiresome with the incessant sniping at Dartmouth generally and the town of Norwich - even if he's often right.
Steve- I was glad to see you mention Dartmouth and the link to Jim Kenyons article this morning. I was paying only passing attention to things before it hit home in the Upper Valley. I was appalled at the swiftness and excess of the response. Compare that to the way UVM has handled things (so far).