Amid out-of-control protests sparked by the recent Hamas terrorist massacre in Israel, House Speaker Mike Johnson showed courage by venturing to the epicenter of the turmoil at Columbia University. The progressive left’s misguided protests against the Jewish state, not Hamas, have spread like wildfire to campuses across the country. Upon Johnson’s arrival, he was met with a barrage of boos and chants of “We can’t hear you” and “Mike, you suck.” The Republican leader from Louisiana, demonstrating the maturity and responsibility that’s often lacking in today’s political discourse, responded calmly, “It does not matter who shouts in our faces. We’re going to do what’s right for America.” With a firm stance, Speaker Johnson advised the protesters, “Go back to class and stop the nonsense. Stop wasting your parents’ money.” According to the Department of Education, the hefty cost of attending Columbia University in 2021-22 was a staggering $86,097. Sadly, these students, who come from a privileged background that most working-class Americans can only dream of, showed a shocking lack of understanding about antisemitism, intimidation, and mob rule. They missed out on valuable lessons that could have been taught by Columbia faculty members who formed a human chain to keep journalists out of the encampment, as reported by National Review’s Zach Kessel. News Nation anchor Dan Abrams, a graduate of Columbia Law School, strongly condemned the pro-Palestinian encampments and the faculty members who joined in the disruption. “I think they should get fired for walking out on their jobs if they left,” Abrams said of the participating teachers. “I wholeheartedly support the arrest of the students, professors, and outside agitators preventing everyone else from attending classes.” Speaker Johnson even considered calling in the National Guard to restore order and suggested that Columbia President Nemat Minouche Shafik should resign if she couldn’t quell the chaos. Given the anarchy that she has allowed to fester on campus, it’s hard to disagree with Johnson’s assessment. President Joe Biden, on the other hand, delivered a lackluster response when asked about the protests. He offered a generic condemnation of antisemitic protests and mentioned a program he had set up to address the issue. However, Biden failed to take a strong stance against the disruption of education at Columbia University. In contrast, Texas Governor Greg Abbott took decisive action by ordering arrests and expulsions for protesters who broke the law at the University of Texas at Austin campus. “These protesters belong in jail. Antisemitism will not be tolerated in Texas. Period,” Abbott tweeted. “Students joining in hate-filled, antisemitic protests at any public college or university in Texas should be expelled.” It’s important to emphasize that this is not a free speech issue. Students have the right to express their opinions, but they do not have the right to shut down educational institutions and deprive others of their right to learn. At least in Texas, such behavior will not be tolerated.
Protests Erupt at Columbia University Over Israel-Palestine Conflict
