tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733157404211731413.post9140022248589530101..comments2021-11-02T01:32:44.357-04:00Comments on Williams Liberty: No Win for You: Student Member Asserts Sawicki Committee Report Was Not a Victory for Free Speech WatchdogsJohn C. Drew, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03304534055896886843noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733157404211731413.post-39225605414415260352019-09-22T14:02:07.995-04:002019-09-22T14:02:07.995-04:00Thanks for your thoughtful comments. I've disc...Thanks for your thoughtful comments. I've discouraged a few families from sending their children to Williams College too.John C. Drew, Ph.D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03304534055896886843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733157404211731413.post-31222067670360981272019-09-22T14:01:26.185-04:002019-09-22T14:01:26.185-04:00I'd never heard of John Derbyshire before he w...I'd never heard of John Derbyshire before he was disinvited from Williams. Today I read both his controversial article "The Talk: Nonblack Version" and a few of his other articles posted at TakiMag ("In Praise of Broken Windows Policing" and "The Trump Presidency: A Tragicomedy"). I found his writing to be clear, well sourced, and uncontroversial, even when I didn't agree with some of his conclusions.<br /><br />I don't think any set of white parents hasn't had some version of "The Talk: Nonblack Version" with their kids. Heck, I know some black parents who give the same talk to their kids about largely black gatherings and events. I call my version "Clothist not Racist." I tell my kids to watch for certain clothing markers of gang affiliation: drooping pants, exposed underwear, gold tooth-caps, hats with price tags dangling, face and neck tattoos, hoodies covering the entire face, etc. I also warn about swarms of unaccompanied youth, especially if running or loudly swearing. Ultimately, my talk is not very different from Mr. Derbyshire's. Mr. Derbyshire sourced his comments with ample links to well-researched facts. While we can all have feelings about those facts, it is dishonest not to acknowledge that those facts describe reality.<br /><br />Avoiding discussions of facts and the authors who quote those facts because of feelings is as anti-academic as I can possibly imagine. I discontinued my alumni donations to Williams before Mr. Derbyshire was disinvited, and my comment to the school at the time referenced the disinvitation of Suzanne Venker and the silencing of conservative perspectives. I have personally discouraged several families from sending their student to Williams, and I no longer speak with pride about the school in any setting. My donations will not recommence until there is evidence that the school takes seriously the academic imperative to debate all perspectives with civility, respect, and intellectual honesty.<br /><br />Sadly, to protect the safety of myself and my family from Leftist violence, I feel I must post this comment Anonymously. I'll sign this only as Female Alumni Class of 1988.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com