The barbarism inflicted on Israel beginning on October 7th challenges the most civilized mind to comprehend. I make no serious claim to a particularly civilized mind. The atrocities reported doom those responsible (I can only pray) to eternal damnation.
Barbarism and sheer ignorance come in many forms. In America, sheer ignorance seems to have found its home on the campuses of our most ‘elite’ universities. Children – admitted to these institutions (bit of irony there, perhaps) are thought to be our ‘best and brightest’ are taught by professors (98% or so perhaps) whose only claim to wisdom is that they’ve read books on the subject.
It now seems clear that many of the ‘best and brightest’ of these students are anti-Semites. It also seems clear that many of these ‘elite’ institutions have been fostering this anti-Semitism for quite some time. It also seems clear that they were quite content in their complicit anti-Semitic/anti-Israel actions until their cash flow was threatened. When wealthy donors – Jews and non-Jews alike – pulled their donations and support for these institutions they rapidly changed their tunes. Forgive me and my cynical nature if I believe they are singing a different tune in public. Arrogance runs very deep.
But is this academic arrogance really new? Almost 2,500 years ago a gentleman thought by many to possess real wisdom made it very clear what he thought of the academics who wanted to impart ‘wisdom’ to their disciples.
Plato, Greek Philosopher, student of Socrates, and writer of Phaedrus thought:
“It is not true wisdom that you offer your disciples (students), but only the semblance of wisdom. For by telling them of many things without teaching them you will make them seem to know much, while for the most part they know nothing. And as men (and women) filled not with wisdom but with the conceit of wisdom they will be a burden to their fellows.”
These children are a burden to their fellows. Their conceit that they know far more than the rest of us because they attend/attended an institution with a fancy name makes them a burden on the rest of America.
Once again, real Americans will have to pick up the slack. And we will.
Please allow us to serve you and those you love.
Thank you,
Gene
P.S. What might well be the rarest element to be found on many college campuses today? Perhaps – common sense. Perhaps – the perspective of history. Perhaps – wisdom.