YouTube is bursting with a confrontation between a University of Oregon adjunct law professor (make that ex- professor) named James Oldstead and students. There are three different videos of the incident in which Olmstead confronted students who were apparently protesting US border controls as well as the Israeli controls on Palestinians (note the one student in Palestinian keffiyah). Ironically, it seems Olmstead was in sympathy with the students but thought they needed to be more militant.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/03/18/university-oregon-teacher-fired-after-threatening-student-protesters-in-bizarre/?test=latestnews
Here's the point: I have made my share of YouTube moments at UC Irvine, but it is important not to get into angry confrontations with students. There has to be a professional distinction made. With students, a teacher must not be drawn into physical exchanges or profanity. I have had some pretty strong exchanges with invited speakers to the UC Irvine campuses. At times, I have used the opportunity to simply give them a piece of my mind. But the students are just that-students. Olmstead lost sight of that fact. Now he is an ex-teacher as far as the University of Oregon is concerned.
If this fool were a serious revolutionary he wouldn't be teaching at the University of Oregon in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how Bill Ayers feels about getting old? He's been over 30 for a LONG time.