A student newspaper at Claremont McKenna College has published an op-ed dissenting from the current protests occurring at the school and others across the country.
The editorial board of the Claremont Independent, described as the conservative-leaning student paper, wrote they were “disappointed” in many of the protesters and campus administrators who gave them their way.
The editorial board wrote they were disappointed in Dean Mary Spellman, who was forced to resign due to the protests. Spellman had written an email to a student that was judged as discriminatory, and she was chastised for not doing enough to create a “safe space” for minority students on campus.
“We are disappointed that you allowed a group of angry students to bully you into resignation,” the editorial board wrote. “We are disappointed that you taught Claremont students that reacting with emotion and anger will force the administration to act.”
The editorial board also expressed dismay toward Claremont President Hiram Chodosh, because he and Spellman didn’t protect an Asian student who was heckled by the protesters for sharing her own stories of racial discrimination and suggesting that “black people can be racist” as well.
“These protesters were asking you to protect your students, but you didn’t even defend the one who needed to be protected right in front of you,” the editorial board wrote.
The editorial also calls out the protesters directly, for tarnishing the image of Claremont students in the national press.
“To our fellow Claremont students, we are disappointed in you as well. We are ashamed of you for trying to end someone’s career over a poorly worded email. This is not a political statement — this is a person’s livelihood that you so carelessly sought to destroy. We are disappointed that you chose to scream and swear at your administrators. That is not how adults solve problems, and your behavior reflects poorly on all of us here in Claremont. This is not who we are and this is not how we conduct ourselves, but this is the image of us that has now reached the national stage.”
The editorial board also points out that anyone who dissents to the protesters demands is viewed as a racist. “We are disappointed that you’ve used phrases like ‘silence is violence’ to not only demonize those who oppose you, but all who are not actively supporting you,” the board wrote.
The editorial board even suggests disappointment in themselves, for being “scared into silence,” fearing backlash from the protesters.
“We are no longer afraid to be voices of dissent,” they concluded.
