may 2024
“White science,” emotional support rabbits, death to Israel (again), and more!
I, Too, Am Guilty of Learning “White Science”
UCLA medical students were recently treated to a guest lecture about health equity—and then things went South. The instructor called modern medicine “white science,” telling students not to believe “The ‘crapitalist’ lie of scarcity, [or] private property.” Telling a room of 170 medical students, who were selected from 13,000 applicants, that scarcity is a lie is… surreal. Also, the roots of medicine go back to Mesopotamia, AKA the Middle East, where I’m pretty sure everyone’s skin is darker than mine (I’m what they call “eggshell” at Sherwin Williams). I am generally against “shouting down” speakers, but this one is making me reconsider.
And speaking of inserting race unnecessarily…
If You Interrupt My Dinner, You Might Be a Racist
Back in 2018, Congresswoman Maxine Waters encouraged her supporters to harass members of Trump’s cabinet, saying that if you see them in a restaurant “…you create a crowd… and you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere.” Cut to 2024 when a protestor confronted Waters in a restaurant and she blamed racism, complaining that “…if you were not black, you would not be approached that way.” She eventually added that the protestors didn’t say racist things… “but what they say is they don’t like something I said. They don’t like a position that I took.” Right. Textbook racism.
Remember when Ted Cruz (white/Cuban) and Sarah Sanders (white) were chased out of restaurants for positions they took, also in 2018? Those protestors were justified — heroes really. We all have double standards when it comes to “our side.” I am a broken record on this point, but the single most acceptable reason to harass, discriminate, or detest someone else in America is because of their politics.
Emotional Support Rabbits for Everyone
A handful of Columbia students were evicted for attending a rally where the speaker said “There is nothing wrong with being a member of Hamas…” Yes, once you get past the whole “Death to Israel” thing, it turns out Hamas is actually pretty nice. One of these students is appealing his eviction, but is having trouble finding housing that would accept his "emotional support rabbit" (this is a bit “on the nose” for Gen Z, no?). It’s also a good example of cognitive dissonance: You guys can’t treat me differently just because I have anxiety—that’s discrimination! Now, let’s get these Jews off campus. It is now shockingly socially acceptable to call for the destruction of Israel — just ask USC’s valedictorian. I’m a pacifist, so I would love to see a cease-fire, hostages returned, and humanitarian aid for Gaza’s civilians. But if I were a Jewish student today, I would need multiple rabbits.
California Spends $24 Billion to Fight Homelessness, Unsuccessfully
Administrators for Everyone!
If someone asked me today what I want to be when I grow up, I might choose college administrator. Few jobs have grown more rapidly, are more lucrative, or are as safe from budget cuts. What these people do, exactly, nobody knows. But apparently, they are indispensable. In a sarcastic op-ed, professor Gary Smith wrote that to lower expenses, colleges might consider eliminating professors (and then students). The real enemy, per Smith, is administrators. At Pomona College where Smith teaches, administrative roles have increased by 454% since 1990 compared to tenured faculty, which declined by 3%.
When I was in grad school, I used to get annoyed at unresponsive assistant professors who seemed to teach more and more of my classes. But I’d like to publicly apologize to them for my snarky follow-up emails. Turns out they weren’t incompetent, they were just overworked, doing the jobs that used to be done by multiple professors. If colleges really wanted to lower tuition costs — and why would they — they should start by laying off a bunch of these administrators. My guess is that we wouldn’t even notice.
Trump Respects Women, Just Ask Men
I don’t like to stoke division unnecessarily, AND this is pretty amusing: In 2016, 58% of men (and 62% of women) said Trump had “not too much”, or “no respect” for women (left photo).
Apparently, men have had a change of heart, because a New York Times poll (right) recently found that 54% of men said that Trump respects women either “a lot” or “some". (Only 31% of women agreed). If you can make sense of this shift in polling, let me know. My hunch is that Trump doesn’t actually care all that much about gender. What matters to him above all else is loyalty. If you don’t support him unconditionally, he will spew venom towards any gender, race, or sexual orientation. He’s an equal-opportunity offender.
And finally…
San Fran “cracks down” on Crime
The Bay Area’s Public Transit System is handing out this lovely card for riders who are being harassed. You’re meant to slip it to someone nearby for help.
So New York sends in the national guard to restore order on the subway and San Fran sends in the 3” x 2” glossies. It’s better than nothing (I think?), but what’s the backup plan, you know, in case this doesn’t work? Todd from Google looks like the only thing he’s armed with is nonviolent communication. I kid, but the Bay Area doesn’t have many options. They’re experiencing a 27% deficit of cops. Until that changes, or until criminals decide to listen to Todd, expect more crime solutions from Kinkos.
Until next time
-AM