Back to (Chaotic) Schools Season
16th August 2024
In normal years, which were not that long ago, students would look forward to returning to or entering college as freshmen. After violent anti-Israel and antisemitic demonstrations on some college campuses, many fear this semester might see a repeat of the prior ugliness.
This is how bad it has gotten. Police in Montgomery County, Maryland, are investigating after antisemitic and pro-Palestinian graffiti was discovered outside Bethesda Elementary School Sunday morning. An elementary school! Rather than condemning the incident, the pro-Hamas lobby group known as CAIR issued a statement that sounded like “what can you expect,” given Israel’s justifiable attempt to wipe out the terrorist group in Gaza.
Columbia University in New York, where some of the worst rioting occurred last semester, is reportedly considering granting arrest powers to campus police, hoping it will curb the demonstrations. That’s fine, but it’s not just about the arrests, most of which have resulted in quick releases, it’s about prosecuting lawbreakers. In liberal New York that has become nearly impossible to do thanks to District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who often releases and fails to prosecute even violent offenders.