I'd go as far as to suggest the kid was being respectful to stand his ground and not react to an elderly gentleman storming towards him and playing his little drum right in his face. There was no form of anger whatsoever in the lad, no aggressive body language, nothing. He simply smiled and let the guy get on with it.
What a disgusting media narrative they have all been able to forge.
Let's hope for Republican re-elecation in 2020.
Exactly like the people you're complaining about, you too are only watching those bits of the video which are consistent with your pre-conceived ideas.
This was not an episode that edifies anyone.
It is a very punchable face though
On that, I couldn't possibly comment.
Academic integrity and the right to produce controversial research without being sanctioned (which is not to say without being challenged) is fundamental to the concept of education. Without this, there is no point.
When people like Aslan trivialise the protections they still nominally enjoy by invoking them after throwing tempur-tantrums on the internet, it discredits the entire profession, and debilitates the principle of freedom of speech when it is needed most - when, for example, Charles Murray disciples team up to have to Middle Eastern Studies researchers fired for telling the truth about Israel.
With privilege comes responsibility. Nobody who could allow themselves to speak of violence against a student - in any context, jest or otherwise, and however petulant the brat may have been - is sufficiently mature to be in front of a classroom.
