Ayn Rand Commentary: Campus or Battleground?

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.org the subject of today's discussion.
Is campus are battleground at a park.
On the events at Columbia University in late.
A paler 1960 8 in the summer of 1965.
In my essay on that caching in this didn't rebellion which dealt with the first major explosion.
On a cow its campus at the University of California at Berkeley.
I wrote that the main ideological purpose at the student rebellion vice crock to condition the country to accept farce.
As the means up settling political controversies if the university's the supposed fidel's.
Our bodies and knowledge scholarship civilization can be made to surrender to the rule abroad.
Fart the rest of the country is coke.
Close book the rebellion at Columbia University is an eloquent in the station at my contention.
Out that purpose my team meeting the so-called.
Student activist to discuss it today.
I have invited as my guest speaker mister Robert S to who is a young instructor in Columbia University's Graduate School of Business.
And the candidates but adapted in the department.
Out he's 30 his analysis up this shouldn't have billion was published originally.
In Barron's magazine in late May and was subsequently repainted in over 50 newspapers throughout the country.
Ladies and gentlemen mister robert hasn't.
A larger-than-life portrait of Karl Marx.
Dominated the entrance to a classroom building a red flag flew from its rooftop chains by the doors have other buildings and chanting mobs roamed across the campus the scene might have been the University of Bonner.
Or Peking it wasn't it took place just a few express stop from wall street.
At Columbia University where from April 23rd to 30th student left to see is Nakia 55 university buildings.
The siege tactics which disrupted Columbia.
And brought it normal activities to a halt represent represent the latest assault by revolutionary movement which aims to seize first the universities and then the industries in america the rebels are members of Students for a Democratic Society.
As the yes in nationwide organization.
With chapters on over 250 campuses originally.
When STS began as an outgrowth of the socialist.
League for industrial democracy it repudiated communism as an authoritarian system and excluded communists from its membership.
However in 1964 and 65 STS sought to broaden its power base by forming united front with communist youth group although SDS continue to describe its objectives in such murky phrases as quote participatory democracy close quote the real tender ads up its velocity can best be seen and intellectual heroes Karl Marx and multi tone in its action hero.
Ernesto Che Guevara an enid slogans.
Scrawled across the embattled Columbia campus quote Lennon one castro 1 and we will win too.
Close quote STS is hardcore membership at columbia is fewer than 200 out of seventeen thousand eight hundred students.
But after it sees campus buildings barred faculty and students from their offices and classrooms.
And held the Dinos hostage its ranks were swelled by several hundred sympathizes.
Including many outsiders St S launch its assault on columbia after failing peacefully to attain to overt political objectives on campus.
The first the severing of columbia's connection with the Institute for Defense analyses a government-sponsored consortium which performs research and analysis related to national defense and domestic riot control STS complain that Colombia's affiliation was aiding america's quote imperialist aggression close quote in vietnam while at home I DA's studies in riot control.
Well-designed suppressed demonstrations by anti-war group second they demanded a halt to the construction of a new German Morningside Park.
Which adjoins harlem on land leased to Columbia by the City of New York.
St as claimed the columbia was guilty of quote institutional racism.
Close quote that the universe he was poaching upon territorially Jason negro community and that the separate entrance for the part at the gym set aside for use by the.
Neighborhood children constituted quote Jim Crow close quote in fact.
The columbia gymnasium had been warmly endorsed by over 40 Harlem community group when it was announced eight years ago it would occupy only two.
The thirty acres and Morningside Park its presence.
Would create an atmosphere of safety in an area which is now the territorial muggers and attics separate entrances would be necessary because Columbia students would enter from the heights.
On which the university is located while harlem residents would more convened leery to the gym to the park which lies some two hundred feet below the issue is not wanna bigotry but a geography.
STS spokesman claimed truth-telling that they had sought to arouse the Columbia community.
Into opposing the gym and I D A ok they admit that their campaign was a failure which they ascribe to student and faculty apathy.
And to the administration's refusal to hear and to heed their policy recommendations St as rebels then resorted to their ultimate political weapon the initiation of physical force believing that they had a moral right to do so.
Because they were quote acting in a good cause.
Unquote in the past they had released many trial balloons to test this technique.
First they had obstructed an ROTC ceremonies.
Then they had staged sit-ins in the officers have university administrators.
And most recently they had prevented recruiters for business firms.
And from the CIA from interviewing on campus in each case the consequence had been a polite rap on the knuckles.
A verbal reprimand totally devoid of significant penalties such as expulsion or criminal prosecution.
On April 23rd ap trying to block construction.
The gym side St as demonstrators and the militant negro allies members are the student afro-american society return to campus.
At the urging their leaders they march on Hamilton Hall the main classroom building a Columbia College they were determined to barricade themselves in.
Until the University met their demands an unexpected Fisher occurred within the ranks of the rebels.
Who claim to be united in their opposition to racism.
The Negro milken's ordered the whites to get out.
And STS complied STS then proceeded to capture a basal operation in its own.
The rebels foresees the administrative offices a president grace and Kirk in library and later three more classroom buildings.
Most students react with bewilderment an outrage they demanded to know why the campus police had not been called in.
And why the rebels were allowed to receive reinforcements up manpower and food they witness caravans a little bear is marching across campus with cartons of supplies.
As if the destination were country picnic.
Many students also wonder why the administration had not ordered the cutting off electricity.
Water and telephone service inside the building held by the says that was known that they were making xerox copies a president Kirk's letter files and will formulating their strategy with outside allies my phone the administration's failure to act.
To take prompt action evidently sprang from a number of motives first fear a bad publicity second uncertainty about the morality abusing the police to uphold law and order.
Third reluctance to make a decision which might prove unpopular.
Was some other faculty or students or alumni.
For anxiety that members of the Harlem community.
Might march on columbia if police were used to clear the building's.
And finely the delusion that if they took no punitive action the rebels would recognize them as many goodwill.
An SDS leader later admitted but the president Kurt could respond within the first our.
Or even the first day by sending in the university's own security police.
The rebels would have quote folded like a house of cards close quote however by its inaction.
The administration gave the rebels time to organize their resistance.
To bolster their morale and demobilize sympathizes and supplies.
From the outside.
While this was going on members that the senior faculty attempted to mediate between the administration and the rebels but their efforts were futile since they were faced with an impossible assignment to devise a peace formula ambiguous enough to satisfy both sides.
Which meant but the terms of settlement had to both promise and refuse amnesty for the the faculty mediators labeled a labored under the belief the rebels would be willing to negotiate for a peaceful solution to the mounting crisis what they discovered however was at every concession made by the administration.
Only produced nine escalated rebel demands.
STS is all too but the man was that they be granted total amnesty.
As a precondition for further negotiation.
It grew increasingly obvious at the rebels would not withdraw from the building's.
Until they were forced out by the police the rebels wanted blood to be shed.
So they could raise the cry of police brutality so they could acquire the aura of martyrdom and thereby win the majority of students and faculty to their side.
Regrettably president grace incurred played right into their hands.
By waiting until the sixth day of the siege before calling in the police.
The only other alternative open to him at that point would have been total capitulation a final active appeasement which would have served as an engraved invitation to a new gravel demands in the future the proper time to have acted against the rebels.
Was at the very outset the siege when a few dozen campus security officers.
Could have achieved what it later took nearly 1,000 police to do.
At a price a local one hundred injured rebels.
Spectators and policemen the aftermath calling in the police was an upsurge of sympathy for the rebels their allies on campus called for a general strike by students and faculty.
To protest the used to the police and to demand the ouster of President Kirk.
For having call them in one marker the effectiveness and the strike.
Is that Columbia College the undergraduate division of the University.
Voted to end all classes for the rest of the semester.
Which was scheduled to run for another month.
The strikers also won support from those who disapproved both the tactics.
And the objectives service tiers but who wish to take advantage in the strike.
To bring about what they cryptic be called quote.
Restructuring all the University close quote.
Even those most sympathetic the STS however do not deny that the issues are by DA and the gym will merely pretexts to justify the resort to force.
STS is short range objective is to achieve.
Quote student power close quote which means total control over the University.
They seek student veto power over appointments and 10 your faculty.
Over the admission of new students over courses offered by all would agree requirement and the dispositional University farms.
They propose a midterm to radicalize the faculty which means to purchase a conservative and lawn or the Liberals.
Who oppose the initiation of force to achieve political ends as befits socialist the rebels regard the university is just another.
Natural resource awaiting their expropriation.
But the long-range objective STS is even more sinister as a sympathetic article in The New Republic may eleventh nineteen sixty eight states quote the name in the game was power.
And in the broader sense to the most radical members at the st. a steering committee.
Columbia itself was not the issue the issue was revolution and if it could be shown that a great university could literally be taken over in a matter of days.
By a well-organized group students then no universally was safe.
Everywhere the purpose was to destroy the institutions and the American establishment in the hope that I love the chaos a better America would emerge.
Close quote the rebels have no patience for any slow process of change.
That tired and just talk they want action now.
They will tolerate no opposition their indifferent to the fact that the tactics will destroy Columbia.
By driving out the best minds just does not see terror tactics drove the Jewish intellectuals out of the universe is a germany but there's a crucial difference now while men like Einstein could escape.
England or America during the thirties St as will try to close all avenues of escape the use of intimidation and force will spread until there will be no sanctuary for men a reason.
Within the academic world alternately within the nation one need only consider the fate of conservatives and liberals alike.
In countries which have been overrun by SDS is intellectual mentors.
That is mao's china and castro's cuba.
Whatever the final outcome the columbia strike one thing is certain:.
The methods used to Columbia will be embraced by other student leftist.
On campuses throughout the country those who resort to force would justify the tactics by the same arguments advanced by the columbia rebels and their apologists.
If this national menaces to be checked it is imperative that one know how to answer them first some rebels claim that none of the tactics involve the use of force.
Now this is true only a narrow sense they did not shed blood but force was inextricably involved in every act they perpetrated.
They held the Associate Dean as hostage against his will that was force they barricaded faculty and students from the offices and classrooms that was force they seize property which was not rightfully theirs.
And refused to release it until their demands were met that was force each of these is punished as an active force on the civil laws in our society there the crimes known as false imprisonment criminal trespass and extortion.
If these acts were perpetrated by lone individual their criminal character would be obvious.
If a single filament tell the Dean hostage or sees the officer president Kirk.
Rivaled his desk and copied his files no one would confuse him with being an idealistic committed crusader.
On an individual basis have someone demands to grant him well for power.
But he has not earned and would you can only obtain by threats or violence.
One does not down for a moment that he is an extortionist the active alone plant did not become legitimate eyes when he teams up with other hoodlums as Ayn Rand noted in capitalism the unknown ideal no individual can acquire rights by joining the gang.
Quoting mister and quote rights are not a matter of numbers and there can be no such thing in law or in morality as action forbidden to an individual but permitted to a group.
Close quote a second claim the they admit they used force but they claim that force was justified when peaceful tactics they'll.
The fundamental political principle that all men must respect.
Is that no individual a group may initiate the use of force for any purpose whatsoever to accept STS is alternate amounts to cart launch for violence.
And invites the complete breakdown of the rule of law to understand the grotesque irrationality OSTs argument consider the following: imagine that they were student chapter at columbia.
The Ku Klux Klan which was protesting the proposed to use up the new gym by negroes say that the clan tried through campus rallies and petitions to arouse the students faculty in minutes.
And administration support the demands.
But that the peaceful tactics failed.
If this group then proceeded to seize university buildings and hold members the.
Administration as hostages would anyone to condone their use the Force.
Will have called for.
Negotiations a compromise the principal you see is the same the initiation of force to achieve one's political objectives.
Is both immoral anti-illegal regards for with the initials on the aggressors.
Are KKK or STDs.
Third the rebels claim that they were justified in using force because the administration refused to give them a hearing on their demands for change the University like a well-run business should be interest knowing whether it's satisfying its customers.
If it provides students with incompetent faculty hope all laboratories all libraries or support political policies which the students oppose it is in the university's self-interest to maintain open channels of communication so the grievances can be expressed and remedial actions considered.
Students who are dissatisfied with any aspect of the university's policies have a right to peacefully protest and petition and even in extreme situations.
To boycott classes or to organize a student strike but they have no right to compel anyone else to listen to their nor right to force to the people who go on strike with them by prohibiting access to classrooms or by creating a general climate of terror to intimidate those who would oppose them.
For the rebels claim its forces justify one peaceful tactics fail.
Therefore they should be granted full amnesty.
The best single and had this argument is provided by Professor Leonard pick-up in his forthcoming book nazism and contemporary America the ominous parallels doctor p- copyrights.
Quote the demand for amnesty on principle.
Is the demand for the abdication on principle ago legal authority his demand for the formal sanction and fans a vault future axel force and violence for the promise that such acts may be perpetrated hereafter with total impunity.
It is a demand to.
Institutionalize the appeasement a brute-force.
As a principal up civil policy in our country.
Fifth the rebels claimed police represent violence and therefore should not be used on a cat college campus.
Which is the citadel reason and persuasion here the rebels obeyed the fact that they were the ones who first resorted to the obliterate the distinction between criminals who initiate the use of force.
And the police was proper function it is to risk tally it with force.
To restore peace and to protect the rights to the victims 6 the rebels claim a dick while with the administration was purely an internal dispute therefore the introduction a police represents meddlesome interference by outsiders but by the same reason one could just as well conclude that workers sees a factory customers sees a store what tendencies an apartment building these two are internal disputes and do not justify calling in however in reason I cannot be any such concept as an internal dispute.
Which allow someone to be victimized and prevented from calling the police.
Those who violate property rights of gas in a position to claim a pair conquered territory is private property.
Upon which the police may not enter 7.
Rebels say they shouldn't be criminally prosecuted after all is a.
Their only students not criminals.
One need only remember that it was not the students who said Friday university libraries and terrorize professes being the student does not grant anyone.
Exemption from the laws would prohibit attacks on human life and property.
When the rebels acted like criminals they deserve to be punished as such.
A we are told is impractical to suspend or expel the student rebels because there are so many of them.
This amounts to saying that it sufficiently large mob break the law violate individual rights it will be immune from prosecution if this principle is accepted then every law break will be safe from prosecution if you can find enough members for his game this will provide the leader with absolutely irresistible recruitment device invite the outbreak a reign of terror.
Finally the night argument given by the rebels.
They say admittedly we violated property rights but calling in the police could result in injury a loss of life which is more important in Los a property.
But this argument amounts to saying that the lives of the aggressors.
Are more important than the property a victim's in the in action this would mean that police should not restrain rioting mobs from looting stores or interfere with the KKK one used firebombs.
Firebombs on the grid churches on this principle any victim looked after expropriation would be advised to surrender his property his wallet or his warehouse.
Without resistance left the thief be hurt my struggle acceptance to this principle would make every individual the defense with target for any bad law socialist.
The columbia crisis by tlie affect the light for every american.
No one's life or property could be secure in a society which tolerates the use of force by any group to achieve its goals.
And no one will be safe as long as collagen civil authorities persist in their policy advancing aggression.
With appeasement now is the time for intelligent counteraction one means to withhold financial support from colleges would condone violence.
Will compromise with student care tactics.
A second is to write to the president and trustees and beans at colleges.
Urging that they endorse the following position:.
That their institution of is no sanctuary to any group which advocates the initiation of physical force.
And that they will act immediately and without hesitation to expel.
And criminally prosecute any student guilty of such tactics men need to live by the guidance a rational principles and resolve the disputes peacefully it is both tomorrow and impractical to abandon principles in a time of crisis and then hope to survive on the basis for pragmatic expediency and cowardly compromise each time that a violation of individual rights is tolerated it serves as an invitation to future violations.
A free society cannot survive unless mentor friesen rally to its defense.
Thank you for that it was a on that subject %uh campus are battleground be my guest speaker.
Mister Robert Hansen I'll who is an instructor in Columbia University's Graduate School of Business.
Those who want to obtain copies I missed it has been a may obtain them by writing to the editor.
Bob Batterman magazine at 30 Broad Street.
New York New York.


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