As discussed last night with Megyn Kelly (below), there are stories out this week of professors excusing students from classes or even exams due to the trauma caused by the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. It is the same response that we saw to the Ferguson, Missouri riots, which I also criticized at schools like Columbia. I cancelled class so that everyone could participate in this historic election. Many of my students were poll watchers and campaign workers. However, we all returned the next day and, even my students upset with the results, directed that energy told their education and moving forward. I was proud of them. We do our students a disservice by reinforcing this modern version of the vapors, where students emotionally collapse when legal or political events do not go their way. Ironically, one of the things I most respect about Hillary Clinton is her fighting spirit. She tended to stand her ground and, when knocked down, to pick herself up immediately and fight again.
One story details how an economics professor at Yale wrote his students to say “I am getting many heartfelt notes from students who are in shock over the election returns” and “fear, rightly or wrongly for their families” and are “requesting that the exam be postponed.” He agreed to do so.
Part of college education is to help shape emerging citizens who need to face adversity and disappointment without being some type of emotional hemophiliacs who swoon or sulk with disappointments. Democracy guarantees rights not results. These students and their candidate lost. That is crushing for many but from that disappointment should come a renewed commitment to their cause. The system worked. Voters have been saying for years that they felt that they no longer counted and that Washington would not change. They wanted an outsider. The Democrats gave them the ultimate establishment figure and a candidate with the highest negative polling numbers of any Democrat. The result should not surprise people. The voters did count this week. They changed things. For the better or the worse . . . only time will tell. Yet, we all remain bound by a common article of faith in our democratic system. When you lose, you pick yourself up (as my students did this week) and get on with it. That is what education is about.
The sad sound of snowflakes melting when the sun comes out.
Mr. Turley,
In all due respects, perhaps you should review your definition of a hemophiliac. A hemophiliac is a person with a rare genetic bleeding disorder (inherited or genetically mutated at birth) that causes blood not to clot properly as a result of daily life, spontaneous occurrences (I.e. overuse of muscle or joint) and/or injury or trauma or surgery. A hemophiliac DOES NOT choose this disorder and it can cripple them, causing severe muscle and joint damage for life. Hemophiliacs must receive replacement clotting factor to properly function. And yes, due to their chronic pain caused from bleeding into joints and muscles, and premature arthritis, many of them can be quite emotional at times (who wouldn’t?), but try to handle it in stride as well as anyone else would. Please consider this as you write your next opinions of the generation you have titled “emotional hemophiliacs.” I’m sure, in your defense, you didn’t put a lot of thought into the accuracy of your words as you were frustrated. I know the other 20,000 hemophliacs in this country (and their families) would be happy to educate you more on the living conditions they endure on a daily basis. I’d suggest you check out the National Hemophlia Foundation’s website or American Federation of Hemophlia for more information. You’ll find a welcoming group of people willing to discuss and help educate you more on what a hemophiliac is.
I wish you the best. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
A Mother and daughter of a TRUE and MEDICALLY diagnosed Hemophiliac
I posted this in another thread but it is a very good article; especially for those opposed to what a Trump administration “might” do.
“Rather than asking presidential candidates what they will do about X, Y, or Z, we should be asking where the president derives the constitutional authority to do X, Y, or Z. The president takes a solemn oath “to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” The Constitution the president is defending is the one ratified by the founding generation in 1787 and 1788. No amendment has increased executive power. Our presidential model should be John Tyler, who vetoed unconstitutional legislation because he took an oath to protect the Constitution, not Franklin Roosevelt, who said that if Congress would not act, he would—unconstitutionally, of course.
We should not seek a president who is “dictator in chief”; we need someone who understands the constitutional limits of executive authority.
This is not a popular opinion today, but if the founding generation considered executive authority to be the greatest bane to liberty, we should, too. After all, “our guy” who abuses power will eventually hand the office over to “their guy” who abuses power. This should strike fear into the heart of any American who loves liberty.”
– See more at: https://home.isi.org/elected-king?utm_source=ISI+Website+Subscribers&utm_campaign=a1dba579fb-IR+Weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3ab42370fb-a1dba579fb-93293141#sthash.9RDitWqG.dpuf
Olly – Executive Orders go back to George Washington, who issued 8 of them. Supposedly they are based on the powers of the Executive Office, but as we know, Barack Obama seems to exceeded his remit.
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/data/orders.php
Executive Orders–Partial List
John F. Kennedy: 214
Lyndon B. Johnson: 325
Richard Nixon: 346
Jimmy Carter: 320
Ronald Reagan: 348
George Bush: 166
William J. Clinton: 364
George W. Bush: 291
Barack Obama: 256
Last Update: Data through October 20, 2016. (through 7.75 years of the Obama Administration)
That adds up to be a lot of orders. Hard to believe we have a hole like that for the discretion of one person.
slohrrs,
You should check out the list. Some presidents issued more than a thousand Executive Orders.
edm,
That is the arrogance of leaders who perceive they were elected to accelerate the pace of change despite the design of the system. People want to assume our government is at the helm of a ship that can simply change course with everyone on board. In reality, our government is the lead ship among many;as many as the political class has divided this country into. They may fully align with the course set by the Leader or they may have a different course in mind (agenda). What compass (worldview) is everyone steering by? If it’s our constitution then we should all be able to turn in formation. If it’s not, then we will get what we have right now. In nautical terms concerning the “Right of Way; the Law of Gross Tonnage. And right now that biggest ship IS government. And without the rule of law, THEY will always have the right of way; meaning get on board, get in formation or get run over.
Well said once again. Thanks Olly. As I said above, the government needs to work within it’s designed constraints and that should be the end of it. I hate to say it, but the nation does start to resemble the Randian illustration more all the time.
I know they do Paul, you read a lot, wasn’t the original use of the executive order to call for a birthday party or something like that? Not to wave an entire arm of government and economy into existence??
Much of what is written hear is a reflection of one’s worldview about government. There are essentially 3 ways to view the results of this election: 1. Trump won so the pendulum can now swing back the other way and punish the “other side”. 2. Clinton lost so the pendulum will swing back and punish the “other side”. 3. The rule of law won and the pendulum should stop swinging and we all hold this new administration and Congress to the rule of law.
Elections shouldn’t have negative consequences for the security of rights of anyone. That’s what we’ve come to expect though from previous elections and that is not a constitutional republic worldview.
I see that some campuses are having cryins and bringing in therapy dogs. Where were these services for me in 2008 and 2012? Oh I forgot,, I just got over it.
My candidate for dog catcher didn’t win. Can I stay home from work or class today?
Lee Harvey, do we have enough hospitals for all these people who got trophys for just showing up? I’ve always believed that your success in life will be determined by how you conduct yourself in adverse situations.
This is why we have mental hospitals. If a student feels trauma over an election and cannot attend class then call the men in the white suits.
Lee Harvey Oswald – I saw that you cannot get a mental health therapy session for at least two weeks in NYC. They are overloaded.
It is inconceivable that any professor would pander to this infantile nonsense – and to-day’s students are pampered idiots.