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Ah, Harvard. The big ol’ powerhouse of fancy education with a side of chaos. Like, really? Me getting into Harvard Law was about as likely as pigs sprouting wings. I come from this tiny slice of Kentucky, graduated from a humble Christian college in Nashville. Harvard? That was the moon. But, hey, friends pushed me to apply. So I did. When I saw that acceptance letter? Mind blown.
Harvard was life-changing, no doubt. Friends for life, dream job ops, and a passion for constitutional law I never saw coming. But, hold up, it wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns. The vibe on campus? Wild. Everywhere you turned, debates, face-offs. Early ’90s political correctness was fierce; getting yelled at was almost a norm.
Remember that GQ piece, “Beirut on the Charles”? Man, they called it like a war zone. Faculty against faculty, students in their own battles. Not much evolution since my days there; still shaping lives, still not-so-tolerant.
Flash forward a bit. Enter the FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Expression) ranking Harvard dead last in free speech. “Abysmal,” they said. Add to that the Supreme Court spanking Harvard for racial shenanigans with admissions? Discriminating against Asian Americans, no less. Then, they botched their response to antisemitic incidents post-Hamas attacks in ’23. A federal judge even called their reaction wishy-washy and confusing.
One might think I’d cheer when Trump’s administration threatened to pull billions in funding unless Harvard cleaned up its act. Nope, not so fast. The demands were over the top, asking for reforms that screamed control.
Down went Harvard with a lawsuit. The argument was clear: love or hate their policies, Harvard still has rights. You can’t just slap them around ’cause you have the big stick.
Think of it like this: if someone nabs a candy bar, would you clobber them in the streets? Nah, there’s a process. Trial, and appropriate punishment — not lynching. Same logic here, the feds gotta follow the book when yanking funds over discrimination.
Harvard’s ideology — skewed as it is — that’s their beast to handle, not Uncle Sam’s. Imagine the shoe on the other foot, a conservative college getting bashed with mandates on hiring practices — doesn’t feel right, huh?
Now, Trump’s crew? They claim they’re nailing antisemitism, but collateral damage is real. Innocent departments, unrelated programs are getting crushed, and potentially, America suffers from a brain drain in research.
During my legal tenure, I’d ride this wave fighting for conservative students, battling progressive silencing. This isn’t a lefty spiel. Heck, Harvard’s suit is backed by a slew of conservative attorneys. The Constitution’s shield, not a political sword.
And talk about those lawyers. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill types — heavyweights who’ve challenged big names, like Biden, known for his forgetfulness amid aging. This battle isn’t about liberalism versus conservatism; it’s about curbing authoritarian overreach.
Support for Harvard doesn’t whitewash their flaws. They’re far from saints. Reform is needed, stat. But, if this institution becomes a bulwark for free speech, so be it. Our Constitution has been saved by unlikely warriors before, and maybe, just maybe, Harvard’s the hero we didn’t expect but sorely need.
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Boom! That’s your not-quite-polished, zig-zag ride through the Harvard saga. Messy thoughts and all.
