Protests and "Conservativism"-- worth thinking about?

There is so much to be said, and I can't say what needs to be said cogently about the mess that is the Gaza war. I've been reading a lot, avoiding the television news (it's too fraught and shock-inducing for me to try to parse out the information), and lately, I've had a conversation with a friend who has more immediate interest in the situation. Colleges around the country are hot-spots of indignation, and that, in itself, is nothing new. But the response to the students' idealism and outrage is frightening, too. Clamping down on protests only makes them more heated-- and it's the why of it all, this harsh and sometimes violent suppression-- that puzzles me. Yes, it is noisy and messy. And disruptive--it would not be a protest without that factor. But I wonder if colleges are worried about the backlash from conservative factions more than they are concerned about the opportunity to wrestle with difficult conversations. 

Will big donors pull the plug? Will, in some states, legislative bodies cancel funding? Will they piss off enough ultra-right-wing folks that, in this already difficult time for higher educational institutions, colleges may be shut down or even more tightly regulated? 

All this heated discussion is playing out against what may be a far more insidious, deeply-rooted problem. The thing is, I have not heard one single person wonder this aloud-- maybe I'm seeing it, maybe I'm hallucinating it, but I think it's there. And that is frightening to me, especially in light of the Time article and the draconian measures that the GOP has outlined for the rest of us. The heart of the protests is this: they would like a real change in where money goes and where it comes from. They want a more moral guideline in place when it comes to funding and spending. It worked before, when Dartmouth, after similar protests by students, divested from all interests in South Africa. 

But last night, 90 people were arrested for protesting in Hanover. 

I'm not advocating for violence, and I have no answer to the issue. But when we can't raise prickly questions and demand a forum to discuss them, we're in trouble-- deeper trouble than the issue at hand.

We live in turbulent times, and when we lose our voice, we've lost the battle. To give it up willingly makes no sense. 

Have a good day,

C