“The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there" (Acts 19:32, NIV).
Now that the weather is getting nice, college students will start feeling frisky and not for that special someone with whom they locked eyes across the student union. No, it is time to take the keffiyehs to the dry cleaners, dust off the riot gear, head to the home repair store to stock up on spray paint, and freshen up those signs. Protest season will be here before you know it, so it's time to start planning that wardrobe, folx.
The Trump administration is having none of it. Yesterday, Trump posted on Truth Social that those people, students or otherwise, who participate in illegal protests will be arrested, imprisoned, expelled, and/or deported. In some cases, it will be a bit of all of the above. And college administrators who are too compromised or timid to deal with the protesters could find their wallets considerably lighter.
National Review noted that on Monday, Trump announced he was considering yanking 51.4 million in government contracts from Columbia for failing to keep its anti-Israel miscreants under control. HHS, the GSA, and the Department of Education will review the contracts in question.
The outlet said that under Trump, the DOJ has created a task force to investigate the antisemitic protests dating back to Oct. 7, 2023, and it will be taking a close look at ten universities, including Columbia, which is a great start. And it is about time. The kind of chaos that has rocked college campuses has been nothing short of barbaric, and it is a miracle that these animals haven't killed anyone, although not through lack of trying. Almost one year ago, I wrote about a pro-Palestine, anti-Israel protest at Berkeley:
But this was no mere protest. Campus Reform talked with one of the student organizers, Danielle Sobkin. Sobkin said that the event was scheduled for 6:30 p.m., but by 5, students in nearby classrooms could hear the shouts of the protestors. The event was moved to a nearby playhouse, but Bears for Palestine showed up there, pushing against campus police officers. Sobkin said that she could feel the building shake from protesters pounding on doors and windows. At one point, a freshman girl was pulled into the crowd and choked by the protestors. Yes, you read that correctly: she was choked. Another was injured trying to keep the doors closed and was given a hand brace during a subsequent trip to urgent care. A third person was also pulled into the vortex and was spat upon and called a dirty Jew.
Yes, there are paid agitators and active and covert sponsors, either contributing directly to these incidents or giving them a wink, nod, and tacit approval. But there is no shortage of college kids, young and even old adults, and in some cases, high school kids, who will gladly rush headlong into the melee because of nothing more than an acute case of "the feels."
And the Left understands this. One of the things conservatives need to grasp is that the Left has mastered the art of emotional manipulation. During the original spate of protests, it was discovered that many of these oafs could not name the river or the sea about which they were chanting. Some had no clue about the particulars of the issues that were at hand. It's a safe bet many of them could not find Israel on a map, and I wouldn't be surprised if there were those among their ranks who would be at a loss if asked to spell "Hamas."
But none of that matters; they were on the "right side of history," were cherished and accepted by their fellow attack dogs, and they could give vent to all of their current and post-adolescent angst and call themselves heroic. Facts may abandon the Left, but outrage is always in plentiful supply. And once everyone is ginned up, who needs facts?
As a former Democrat, I can tell you that the primary driver is emotion for Leftists. And their leaders understand that. That's why so many Democrat legislators have public meltdowns: they are not just wallowing in a moment of self-indulgent and performative catharsis; they are subtly manipulating the emotions and empathy of people who need validation. Those people find a home with the Left. Where do you think all those videos of people having tantrums in their cars come from?
Earlier, Scott wrote about the antics the Dems are considering for tonight's speech. There's a reason the Left falls back on stunts and outrage. Those things work with certain demographics. Yes, the Democrat Party is on the ropes right now, but remember: Democrats don't need to win right now; they just need to hang on and bide their time. And they will spend some of that time appealing to emotions to draw in new recruits.
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