It's Their Right
Reader comment on item: Speaker Shouted Down at U.C.-Irvine

Submitted by Debby Mayer (Israel), Feb 13, 2007 at 16:02

Obviously Hannity and Colmes are so used to the kind of behavior you witnessed at Irvine, they thought nothing more of it. I believe this kind of behavior occurs around the world on university campuses, and I dare say it occurs here in Israel as well.

In fact, here students disrupt classes from first grade onward, and nothing much is done about it. At least, that's the way it appears because by the time the students are in high school, disruption of teachers during class, guest lectures, and the like, comes with the territory. It's expected and the way it is dealt with is to accept it as the right of the student to voice his disagreement, in any manner he chooses.

You cannot ask that "the university use its moral situation to say this is unacceptable. This is not the way you do business at a university" when it's been going on ever since the students entered the school room and it was, and still is accepted. Gone are the days when students were taught to respect others - to respect the rights of others as they respect their own.

Unless the education systems change to once again include proper behavior and manners in the general curriculum from kindergarten on through university, don't be surprised that the universities accept behavior that was unacceptable and would have never occurred 30 or 40 years ago. It's the norm today and you'd better believe it's going to stay that way!

All the best,

Debby Mayer

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