The University of Oregon’s student government passed a resolution Wednesday night calling on the university to sever its ties to Israel.
This is not a new trend on college campuses. The University of Oregon joins Barnard College, George Washington University, and other higher education institutions in passing a Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions, or BDS, resolution through student governments this year.
More unique, however, was the response of University of Oregon President Michael H. Schill. He wrote in part:
“While I wholeheartedly support the right of our students individually and as members of a student organization to express their First Amendment-protected opinions, I feel it is important to briefly comment on the ASUO action because it contradicts the ASUO mission to support the interests of all students in a diverse community.”
Schill continued, “The University of Oregon is committed to the principle of inclusion, and over the last three years each school, college and administrative unit on our campus has focused — through the IDEAL framework and Diversity Actions Plans — on efforts to enhance and strengthen policies and practices that make this campus welcoming and inclusive to all. I believe the ASUO resolution is inconsistent with these values.”
Whether or not Schill meant to, he points out the absolute hypocrisy of the Left on campus. Institutions of higher education such as the University of Oregon shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars annually on diversity trainings, workshops, staff, and administrators. Students champion the idea of acceptance at all costs yet push to boycott, divest, sanction, and discriminate against those with which they disagree.
[Related: University of Oregon votes to divest from giant corporations over Israel ties]
Schill hit the nail on the head when he wrote, “It is important that all of us make every effort we can to avoid dividing our community along the lines of ideology, religion or national origin.”
While college is certainly the place to discuss and debate ideology, religion, and even topics regarding national origin, it is imperative that students, faculty, and staff — those who make up a campus community — are in agreement that their attendance and participation in higher education is all for the same purpose: to pursue greater knowledge and to explore ideas outside of one’s upbringing and ideological comfort zone.
Those who set foot on campus commit to being part of a community that respects differences and appreciates diversity, knowing that different backgrounds, perspectives, and ideas can only strengthen classroom discussion and the educational experience as a whole. Alienating members of the student body for their innate, unchangeable heritage does nothing to advance study and debate on the issues of the day.
Activism regarding the most controversial of topics should be welcomed on campus, but the targeting of individuals or groups while calling for diversity is simply the most dangerous paradox the Left has adopted. Creating an allusion of openness while systematically suppressing ideological opponents is not a contradiction by happenstance — the Orwellian doublespeak is simply catching up with them.
Thankfully not all the rational adults have left campus and educators like Schill are around to point out such inconsistency and remind the Left about true diversity and inclusion.
