When conservative becomes “far-right”: Stanford FedSoc pres analyzes anti-diversity rhetoric
If the Left is truly for diversity, why aggressively label people who don't fit into their ideological mold? Stanford's Federalist Society student org president Tim Rosenberger, Jr. discusses how labeling all nonconformists as “far-right” is divisive, and in opposition to truly diverse representation (how ironic). A Washington Post excerpt.
In her April 5 Wednesday Opinion essay, “Confessions from Stanford Law’s silent majority,” my classmate Tess Winston referred to “far-right” students at Stanford Law School. Ms. Winston seemed to be attending a different law school than I do.
She asserted that there are a half-dozen far-right students in our class. After all my time here, I cannot name five other students who voted for Donald Trump, much less any who would be “far-right.” It’s hard to imagine that I, one of the only openly conservative students, would, as a gay man from Cleveland’s inner city, be embraced as far-right...
I ran for Federalist Society president on a platform of building a collaborative chapter that would work across the law school. Despite inviting only a slate of serious, uncontroversial speakers, we have found it impossible to get other student groups to join us in events or debates, including a talk on free speech with the former president of the American Civil Liberties Union. We invite professors to respond to or debate almost every speaker. Only one professor has been willing to do such a response this year. Our efforts at civility and balance have been consistently met with contempt and hostility. Stanford has a great deal of work to do in forming a faculty, administration and student body that reflect the diversity of American viewpoints.
Asserting that Stanford’s very small and very moderate right-of-center contingent is “far-right” is precisely the kind of irrational intolerance that erodes the fabric of our discourse.
This article originally appeared in the Washington Post. Read the whole thing here.
This article is part of an Opp Now series on the Stanford Law free speech scandal—and its aftermath:
Fifth Circuit Judge Kyle Duncan was shouted down last week at a Stanford Law School event, and the disruption was supported by Associate Dean of DEI Tirien Steinbach. David Lat's exceptional Original Jurisdiction has the whole story here.
Tim Rosenberger, Jr., president of Stanford Law’s Federalist Society chapter, breaks down Stanford’s dangerously “comfort”-driven student/faculty culture.
Campus Reform reports that a group of Stanford students are urging the university to dismiss DEI Dean Steinbach.
In the wake of Stanford University’s free speech colloquies, Daniel McCarthy of the NY Post digs into Leftism’s aversion to differences.
Opp Now analyzes Stanford Law’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Spoiler alert: They, and heckler-sympathizer Dean Steinbach, may not be doing all that much.
TXEER Politics and Religion Board user pvbmtnr considers the binary thinking separating free speech and DEI—as especially located in Dean Steinbach’s WSJ defense piece.
Tim Rosenberger, Jr. assesses why a few prominent judges have announced they will stop hiring Stanford Law grads.
John Banzhaf is brandishing the potentially career-killing threat of bar complaints against Stanford Law students who heckled federal judge Kyle Duncan.
Reason's Josh Blackman unravels how DEI has stuck its nose into all issues possibly correlated with discrimination (big surprise: it's most of them).
Campus Reform breaks down DEI Dean Steinbach's rampant—and easily accessible—history of opposing law enforcement, criminal justice systems, and, yes, the “patriarchy.”
Althouse explains why these university scandals continue happening: As the extremists get louder, the moderates get quieter.
After Stanford's free speech disaster, many are questioning if DEI jobs belong in education, including past USD board runner Zoila Herrera Rollins.
The Free Press’s Bari Weiss unpacks why we should pay attention to universities’ free speech incidents: Young people are powerfully shaping our institutions—and our collective future.
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