Guillotine Bloodlust: Radical Students Demand Beheadings??

The inmates are running the asylum at George Washington University. A radical student faction recently held a mock "tribunal" calling for the beheading of university leaders. This grotesque spectacle, reminiscent of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution when mass executions were used to quell dissent, illustrates the catastrophic consequences of administrators' abdication of moral authority amid a campaign of ideological intimidation.

For eleven interminable days, President Granberg and her fellow administrators allowed the university to be transformed into an Occupy-style shantytown. It was rife with anti-Semitic vitriol, desecrated flags, and vandalized statues. Issuing feckless statements calling such tactics "unproductive" is not leadership. Only when the situation escalated to calls for violence did Granberg finally seek "support" to end the crisis she permitted to fester.

University presidents are undoubtedly culpable, but the boards of trustees overseeing these institutions are equally responsible. They hold the authority to shape policy and set expectations for the administration's conduct. Yet, many trustees seem content with maintaining a facade of governance, only stepping in when the public outcry becomes too great to ignore. Instead of providing checks and balances, these governing bodies have too often been complicit in perpetuating an environment where administrators avoid difficult decisions and prioritize appeasement over leadership.

This leadership vacuum is not unique to one university but reflects a broader malaise across academia. University bureaucrats and their boards of trustees are so petrified of being perceived as insufficiently "sensitive" to the demands of aggrieved identity groups that they capitulate to the most extreme activists, forsaking their duty to foster environments where ideas can be freely and safely exchanged.

University presidents and trustees must collectively rediscover their spines and uphold free expression's inviolability without apology or equivocation. Let them follow the lead of Ben Sasse, President of the University of Florida, who set firm boundaries for disruptive behavior, sending a clear message that the university will defend free speech while holding violators accountable.

“At the University of Florida, we have repeatedly, patiently explained two things to protesters: We will always defend your rights to free speech and free assembly—but if you cross the line on clearly prohibited activities, you will be thrown off campus and suspended. In Gainesville, that means a three-year prohibition from campus. That’s serious. We said it. We meant it. We enforced it. We wish we didn’t have to, but the students weighed the costs, made their decisions, and will own the consequences as adults. We’re a university, not a daycare. We don’t coddle emotions, we wrestle with ideas.”

He further emphasized, “The University of Florida is not a daycare, and we do not treat protesters like children. They knew the rules, they broke the rules, and they’ll face the consequences.”

The consequences of universities surrendering to extreme voices are not limited to campuses alone. When universities abandon their mission to educate and promote intellectual diversity, they betray their students and their communities, allowing these ideologues to wield unchecked power. This isn’t progress; it’s about control and the erosion of the freedoms that define us.

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. When ideological bullies seize control of our campuses, they chip away at the bedrock of our nation’s freedoms. This isn't a minor skirmish; it's a battle for the soul of our country.

The choice is stark: academic freedom or academic fascism. University presidents and boards of trustees must either step up and defend the noble mission of higher education or step aside for those who will. The stakes couldn’t be higher for the future of the American mind.

We stand at a crossroads, with conformity creeping into every corner of academia. Those in leadership positions must recognize their paramount duty to safeguard the marketplace of ideas. It’s time to restore an environment where diversity of thought thrives, ensuring our educational institutions remain vibrant, dynamic, and truly free.

Failure to act now risks everything. This isn't just about campuses—it's about preserving the very freedoms that define us as a nation.