BYU Law School’s Post

Winning Over the Compassionate Conservatives   A few decades ago, an email arrived from a good and decent man who asked a simple question: Why are Black People in my workplace so angry? The man who sent that email eventually would become one of my greatest diversity teachers. My conservative friend Lance saw the world through starkly different lenses. I emphasized societal barriers and injustice. Lance thought more often about self-reliance and values like hard work and self-determination. I held the community accountable for helping the less fortunate and eliminating social barriers. Lance wanted to support people in rising from within. Though we were miles apart on our politics, we wanted the same thing: A more loving, compassionate world.  As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints, Lance also had felt the sting of prejudice and bigotry. When I wrote my column the Cultural Coach, he emailed me weekly about the columns and asked about my experiences. He approached diversity as one might approach a research paper: Why don't I know? What must I understand? He took time to explain why I lost him when I made specific arguments.  Eventually, Lance and I began to work together and from time to time he posted articles on my blog. We recognized that we were opposite sides of the colorful American fabric. My friend and advisor, Lance, passed away last year.  I asked him once how to talk to conservatives about diversity. He shared this wise advice on my Cultural IQ blog: What If I: 1) Focus more on what changes I need to make rather than on what changes I think others need to make. 2) Commit to making no demand of others that I do not demand of myself, and lead by example. 3) State more of what I am in favor of rather than what I am against – build up rather than tear down. 4) Recognize that extremists do not represent the whole. 5) Focus on providing solutions rather than on pointing fingers of blame. 6) Focus more on building common ground rather than highlighting differences. 7) Ask for clarifications rather than making emotional assumptions. 8) Praise my rivals when they do something I agree with rather than only criticizing. 9) Make counter arguments that are rational and respectful rather than emotional and ridiculing. 10) Assume that everyone has a reason behind their beliefs and seek to understand those reasons.

Learn about Dr. Donna Y. Ford's "Dirty Dozen" with regard to underrepresentation in gifted programs.

#StandwithIsrael #HAMASisISIS #boycottharvard #stopfederalfundingtoharvard #FailedEducationSystem #TitleVI Rename Harvard to a more fitting name like #HamasUniversity or #HitlerUniversity. What are you #hypocrites teaching our kids?

Khalil Gibran Muhammad I am so sorry you're experiencing this. To reiterate your word, it is 100% "preposterous," to say the least. TRIVIA: Which organization came after an esteemed Harvard Professor teaching Black American History to Kennedy School Public Policy grad students? It's not Jewish Voices for Peace, I will say that. A bonus BHM lesson from this article: "A spokesperson for Foxx’s committee called Muhammad 'a race agitator' — an incendiary term that has long been used to disparage Black thinkers and civil rights leaders." UGH! Guess who claims these "new frameworks" in Black American History (CRT, systemic oppression, oppressor/oppressed–terms that have been taught for decades) are dangerous to Jews? Who says courses on the history of slavery lead to antisemitism? The Heritage Foundation. Most powerful, most funded very right wing think tank, Pro-Israel Reaganomics, climate deniers. Right wing conservatives increasing suspicion, connecting wealth, influence over institutions, and control to Jews reinforces the stereotype that Jewish people are in fact oppressors with too much power. That *is not* irony, but it sure AF *is* antisemitic. These crafted strategies grow the division between our communities. Why? We were gaining traction in exposing the real systems of oppression and who benefits from it. It's all by design. This kind of B.S. from the 1%, the military might is right, pro-Israel politicians, donors, think tanks and "concerned citizens" does not make me as a Jew, or anyone, else safer. THE 411: SAFETY REQUIRES EDUCATION ON OUR TRUE HISTORY. Teaching the truth has never been dangerous for "WE THE PEOPLE." History exposes hegemonic control. THE ONLY WAY TO FIGHT ANTISEMITISM IS TO FIGHT IT WITH ANTI-BLACK RACISM, and vice versa. Stay tuned to my blog later this week for an essay on this. I must swear with wild abandon. In the meantime, I leave you with the wise words of Professor Muhammad's colleague, a Harvard professor of history and African and African American Studies, Walter Johnson. “I write and teach about slavery,” he said. “What do they want me to say? That there were good people on both sides?”

Teaching Honest History – Kids Can Handle The Truth

I'm sharing this letter I wrote to Penn's board today, in the hopes that it will inspire collective action. I know the will is there. I have spoken to many others who feel the same way, and based on yesterday's hearings and the utter failure of President Magill (and other Presidents), it's obvious we're going to have to do this on our own. Grassroots! I have been chatting with lots of fellow Penn alum. Message me if you want to discuss. #antisemitism Hi Scott, I'm Matt Ritter, Penn Law Class of 2005. My family's Penn legacy runs deep, with my brother, sister, and wife also being proud alumni. We met at a Penn alumni event over a decade ago, and my son's very existence is tied to our shared history at Penn. I share this because what follows stems from a profound love for Penn; it's like family. However, when a family member faces a crisis, tough love is necessary. I'd rather not be writing this email; I'd prefer to focus on my eight-month-old son, Brenner Israel, who currently seems to be on a mission to decipher if our fireplace is a secret passageway to Narnia. Yet, exigent circumstances demand swift action. The Board's silence in the face of discrimination, harassment, and violence towards Jewish students on Penn's campus is unacceptable and must end. President Magill's recent failure to unequivocally address calls for genocide against Jews highlighted a misreading of the gravity of the situation. This isn't the time for "context" or mealy-mouthed, ambiguous statements. Hostility towards Jewish students cannot be tolerated at Penn, and now is the time for a clear, unambiguous stance. There appears to be confusion about the role of the President and the Board in fostering an inclusive environment while protecting free speech. As a Penn law alum, let me clarify. The First Amendment protects robust speech, but it doesn't require Penn, a private university, or President McGill's administration to accept the targeting, harassment, and threats directed at Jewish students. This is a moral imperative, not an issue of free speech. California's legal perspective on protecting students from harm sets a precedent. In Regents of the University of California v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County (Rosen), the California Supreme Court emphasized a college's Duty to Protect students during curricular activities. Further, the potential for Title VI lawsuits is real, as Jewish students face discrimination, and Penn, as a federally funded institution, should take notice. Penn must act not out of fear of lawsuits or loss of funding but because its leaders genuinely care about the Jewish community. I implore you to take swift and immediate action – remove President Magill, make a strong statement of moral clarity, and rectify the situation. We, as alumni, want to see Penn uphold its true mission, as reflected in the University motto, "Leges Sine Moribus Vanae" – "Laws without morals are useless." Best, Matt Ritter

Ah, the executive bio – that carefully curated piece of self-promotion where folks sign off by proudly listing their litany of lifetime accomplishments. Like being a member of the "Cashmere Turtleneck Enthusiast Club" or "Antique Porcelain Toilet Collectors Guild". But above all, you're most likely to see something like this: "Dr. Robinson graduated from Harvard University with honors." "Ms. Smith is a proud alumna of the University of North Carolina." "Mr. Delinquent attended Michigan State University." Once upon a time, attending these prestigious institutions was a badge of honor. It was a way of saying, "Hey world, look at me, I made it!" But now, it's rapidly becoming a badge of shame, stained by the hate festering on college campuses against Jews. There's a bizarre trend in universities across the United States where Jewish students are treated like the bad guys from some superhero movie. They're getting verbally harassed, beaten up, and threatened just because of their identity. Seriously, are we back in the dark ages? Care for some Bubonic Plague, anybody? Take Cornell University in New York, for instance. Jewish students there are basically trapped in their dorm rooms because some pro-Palestinian keyboard warriors on student forums are making threats against them and Israel. Yes, you read that right, a lockdown at a university because people can't handle the fact that Jews are in their midst. Funny thing is, my great-grandfather, who didn't even speak English, fled his homeland of Russia in 1903 to escape this kind of nonsense. Back then, they called it "pogroms." Today, it's been relabeled under the twisted notion of "open-mindedness." How did we get here? Singling out people based on their religion is discrimination, plain and simple. And this whole pro-Hamas, anti-Israel rhetoric? It's not just wrong; it's practically rolling out the welcome mat for terrorism. You'd expect colleges, those supposed bastions of higher learning, to rise above this madness. You'd think they'd teach students about equality, tolerance, and supporting the victims. But if you're Jewish, you're automatically the odd one out. All the fancy manicured lawns, crested logos, and elitist sororities cannot whitewash the fact that what these campuses have become is simply a training ground for radicalism and hatred. If colleges have learned anything from this mess, it's that they need to start taking a stance on the side of what's right. Expel those anti-Israel students who harm Jewish students. Kick out professors who turn their classrooms into hate-fueled rallies against Israel. Make it clear that these institutions are for people who want to learn, who can tell good from bad, right from wrong. Otherwise, in the not-so-distant future, executive bios will read something like: "Mr. Goldstein is too embarrassed to reveal his alma mater, but he sure as heck knows the difference between right and wrong." Let's hope it doesn't come to that.