Cornell Lockdown Due to Threats

[UPDATE 10/30/2023 6:05 am: I originally linked last night to a tweet that contained this and three other items, but this morning I saw that the images weren't coming up, though they are visible in the original tweet. I have instead copied one of the images above.] Here is the Cornell president's letter (which describes "104 West" as "the home of the [Cornell] Center for Jewish Living"):

Dear members of the Cornell community,

Earlier today, a series of horrendous, antisemitic messages threatening violence to our Jewish community and specifically naming 104 West — the home of the Center for Jewish Living — was posted on a website unaffiliated with Cornell. Law enforcement was immediately notified.

At this time, Cornell Police (CUPD) are on the scene and investigating. Police will continue to remain on site to ensure our students and community members are safe.

Cornell Police have also notified the FBI of a potential hate crime.

Threats of violence are absolutely intolerable, and we will work to ensure that the person or people who posted them are punished to the full extent of the law. Our immediate focus is on keeping the community safe; we will continue to prioritize that.

We will not tolerate antisemitism at Cornell. During my time as president, I have repeatedly denounced bigotry and hatred, both on and off our campus. The virulence and destructiveness of antisemitism is real and deeply impacting our Jewish students, faculty and staff, as well as the entire Cornell community. This incident highlights the need to combat the forces that are dividing us and driving us toward hate. This cannot be what defines us at Cornell.

All of our community deserves to feel safe at Cornell. If you become aware of any threats to your safety or to the safety of the community, please contact CUPD at 607-255-1111. We also encourage you to download the RAVE Guardian app, which will enable you to report any safety concerns to CUPD in real time.

In the days ahead, we will work to reinforce a culture of trust, respect and safety at Cornell. Regardless of your beliefs, backgrounds or perspectives, I urge all of you to come together with the empathy and support for each other that we so greatly need in this difficult time.

To be sure, as with any online posts, there's always a chance that these are some sorts of hoaxes or sick pranks; but it does appear that Cornell is taking them seriously.

Comments

[Area Man]

I have it on good authority that these people are our social betters and will one day trample over us on the march of progress.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Most of the antisemitism at this blog — to which the proprietors do not object — is expressed by conservatives.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

On second thought, this was probably the work of all the left-wingers who congregate at Stormfront.

Carry on, clingers.

[Dr. Ed 2]

If it were Stormfront, Meritless Garland would already have arrested them.

[FivebySixThree]

I refuse to believe you have had one thought let alone two. You are nothing more than the typical internet tough guy who hides behind their keyboard striking out at a world that otherwise would not know of their existence nor care.

Good work in getting a little bit of notice, too bad you add zero value to any conversation

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

You are nothing more than the typical internet tough guy who hides behind their keyboard striking out at a world that otherwise would not know of their existence nor care.

You figure I'm no better than disaffected, faux libertarian law professors publishing a white, male blog from the receding right-wing fringe of modern legal academia?

Maybe you have a point there.

[Frank Drackman]

Conservative Moose-lums

[Scooter]

LOL, Meat

Your betters are watching.

[CindyF]

What we need to do is import more people from other countries inito the U.S. The southern border is still to guarded and some people are not being allowed into our country. Diversity is our strength you know!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/texas/article-12663663/Venezuelas-worst-gangsters-criminals-cross-border-carrying-orders-dictator-Maduro.html

"Venezuela's worst gangsters have crossed into the US illegally and are unleashing chaos in Dallas, Chicago and Miami - with fearful residents saying they've had tires slashed, windows shot out in retribution for reporting them to cops"

[Sarcastr0]

Yes this is the time for off topic nativism.

[David Welker]

Immigration is not completely off-topic. Before people are assimilated into American culture, they may bring their prejudices and resentments with them.

I think the idea of multiculturalism has its limits, just as most good ideas do. People need time to buy into some core American ideas, such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, equality, etc.

Your description of that as nativism is accurate. We do have certain American values. But those “native” values, such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the idea that people are born equal are good things.

I think blind “anti-Nativism” denies that America has a unique culture that is worth preserving. And that is false. The idea of a melting pot is that we accept people from any culture, but we do expect them to buy in to certain core American ideas.

Our commitment to those core ideas is weakening, as illustrated by the rise of cancel culture.

[Randal]

Our commitment to those core ideas is weakening, as illustrated by the rise of cancel culture.

That's bs. There's nothing new about cancel culture. The only thing that's changed is who's getting cancelled.

Communists
Gays
Atheists
Veterans
Racists

Out of all those I think cancelling racists is an improvement, don't you?

[Michael P]

Canceling Communists is better. Racists at least have a few facts in favor of their bad ideas.

[David Welker]

I don’t agree with canceling anyone.

It is un-American. If employees can’t speak their minds, then they shouldn’t be able to vote either. I, for one, do not agree with minimum property rights for voting. I also do not believe in the use of economic coercion to tell people to shut up and will not stand for it.

[Commenter_XY]

So David, are you going to be hiring Hamas supporting college law school graduates into your firm? They spoke their minds. I will simply tell you that I will not be hiring Judeocidal, terror supporting employees. Not now, and not ever. Very bad for team morale.

[David Welker]

I will not eliminate a person based on their political views. Nor will I define a person based on their views.

I will, however, talk to those willing to talk. That is what is really effective. Challenging bad ideas is good. Trying to equate a human being as equivalent to their least coherent idea is bad.

One requirement I would have for anyone I hire is the ability to engage in critical thinking. That is, if they have a position, they should understand the counterarguments.

Ultimately, when we teach people how to engage in critical thinking for themselves, an upside is that they become more immune to simplistic narratives.

Antisemitism, racism, and all the rest is based on overgeneralization, unverifiable anecdotes, misuse of stereotypes, etc.

So skills such as evaluating the credibility of sources and evidence, understanding multiple perspectives, statistics, and reason and logic are the correct tools for dealing with these problems.

I strongly believe in the Enlightenment, equality, democracy, and the power of logic and reason.

Cancel culture is something even the most uneducated fool can use. Look at the beheading that occurred in Paris due to depictions of a particular religious figure. That is an example of cancel culture in its most extreme. And I categorically reject it.

That isn’t America. No person may dictate what can be said, or drawn, or expressed.

Dialogue is the answer. Unless it is a matter of self-defense, when force is permissible.

[r]

Seriously, you're ok hiring a KKK grand wizard, a neo-nazi or a terrorist apologist?

"No person may dictate what can be said, or drawn, or expressed."

But I can dictate who I hire. And there are political views that are beyond the pale.

[David Welker]

Well, ask yourself a few questions. Do you think a KKK-whatever is using critical thinking???

Do they have a non-arbitrary answer to the question of why all people shouldn’t be considered morally equal?

Once again, the way to change minds is through debate, not cancelation. The belief system of a KKK member cannot survive rational inquiry.

As soon as we start resorting to other means to force our views, where does it end? A KKK member today, someone who doesn’t use “proper pronouns” tomorrow.

The path you are on is ultimately one that leads to conformity, groupthink, and slavery.

Democracy is based on the idea that ordinary people are rational enough to govern themselves. The insistence of canceling people based on an ever-expanding list of taboos does not.

Cancel culture is also based on the idea the the canceller is morally superior to the cancelled. In this way, cancellers are much more similar to KKK members than they would like to admit.

It is based on the idea of getting our way through coercion rather than reason. It is based, most fundamentally, on a profound mistrust of democracy and the capacity of people to behave according to reason and rationality. It is based on the premise that the person who is canceled is so defective and morally inferior that they aren’t even worth talking to. That they are untouchable.

It is also something that is literally causing our country to turn upon itself. As when the immune system attacks its own cells.

So, absolutely, I reject cancel culture. You want to carve out an exception for KKK members, but my view is that nearly all people are capable of learning and embracing a better path. And our recent history shows that the list of those subject to cancellation only grows, because once we decide to cancel that which is ugly rather than reason with it, there is no limiting principle.

And cancellation is nothing more than its own set of prejudices. Why did that person join the KKK? Are you smart enough to think to ask that question??? I don’t think they were born that way. There was some set of life experiences that led them there. What is needed to actually change a KKK member is a better education and an expanded perspective that includes a better understanding of others. If you want a KKK member to find a better path, you are much more likely to succeed if you understand how they got there in the first place. What myths were they told? What evidence do they think they have for their views. Etc.

Maybe YOU would be a KKK member, given a different environment.

Recall that the vast majority of Americans were once racist. Even among those who wanted to end slavery, most were still racist.

It is quite clear that without education and without reason, the perspective of human beings is undesirably limited.

Am I going to fix that through using hiring practices to express disgust? If I wanted to actually have an impact, it would require perspective-expanding dialogue.

The difference between you and me then, is that I actually have a much better chance of making a difference.

I am not saying I am better than you. But my approach actually can work.

[Nige]

'Once again, the way to change minds is through debate, not cancelation.'

It's nobody's job to change anyone else's mind. Nobody has to tolerate the intolerant.

[David Welker]

Let me paraphrase my less than charitable understanding of what you are saying.

“It’s nobody’s job to talk to the untouchables. They were born evil after all.”

Like I said, the cancellers have much in common with the KKK.

Congratulations on your imagined moral superiority Nige. *clap* *clap* *clap*

Also, congratulations on saying that it is no one’s job to make the country a better place because you are fine with living in a cesspool.

Guess what, if I agreed we shouldn’t tolerate the intolerant, you would be on my list.

So-called comprehensive liberalism is a logical contradiction. You are simply saying that your stupid intolerance is justified but that the stupid intolerance of others is not.

That isn’t praiseworthy. Instead, it is hypocritical and arbitrary and selfish.

[Nige]

“It’s nobody’s job to talk to the untouchables. They were born evil after all.”

Yes, I can see why you needed to rephrase what I said so completely in order to fit your thesis.

‘Like I said, the cancellers have much in common with the KKK. ‘

Is it the mass murder of black people?

‘Congratulations on your imagined moral superiority Nige’

If you want to claim that you are not morally superior to the KKK, go right ahead, leave me out of it.

‘you would be on my list.’

If you find me intolerable, by all means, do not tolerate me, it has the virtue of being an honest approach to life in general.

‘You are simply saying that your stupid intolerance is justified but that the stupid intolerance of others is not.’

Generally I do like to have justifications for my attitudes, I don’t know about you.

‘Instead, it is hypocritical and arbitrary and selfish.’

Soon we’ll get to the point where having any point of view about anything at all is ‘hypocritical and arbitrary and selfish.’

[David Welker]

Nige:

I am sorry for holding you to any intellectual standards. I must be overestimating your capacity to avoid blatantly contradicting yourself.

You aren’t smart enough to understand that beliefs (including dumb beliefs like yours and the KKKs) come from somewhere. You also seem to think that understanding the situation and actually dealing with it in a logical and rational way is a sign of weakness or is a lost opportunity to demonstrate moral superiority.

You just grumble that you are going to be intolerant, which is exactly what the KKK, an intolerant organization, does. This somehow makes you a better person because you have no “obligation” to tolerate the intolerant.

Well, I guess if you want to be more similar rather than less similar to the KKK, your stance makes perfect sense.

If you actually want to change anything, on the other hand, it doesn’t.

Your view involves embracing contradiction. Worse, it leads down a mastubatory path of self-praise and self-righteousness that accomplishes nothing.

[Nige]

‘You aren’t smart enough to understand that beliefs (including dumb beliefs like yours and the KKKs) come from somewhere.’

Jesus Christ. ‘And in short the KKK is a land of contradictions.’

‘You also seem to think that understanding the situation and actually dealing with it in a logical and rational way is a sign of weakness or is a lost opportunity to demonstrate moral superiority.’

I think you overestimate your understanding and your ability to deal with things, and also there’s some sort of irony alert blaring around here.

‘You just grumble that you are going to be intolerant, which is exactly what the KKK, an intolerant organization, does.’

I sometimes judge people by what they’re willing to tolerate and what they will refuse to tolerate. People who tolerate the KKK can fuck off.

‘Your view involves embracing contradiction.’

No, it involves standing up for what I believe in and refusing to accept that some beliefs, ie those of Nazis or the KKK are simple matters of debate. Notably the people most willing to debate the KKK or the Nazis are those least at risk from their beliefs.

'it leads down a mastubatory path of self-praise and self-righteousness'

'The difference between you and me then, is that I actually have a much better chance of making a difference.'

[David Welker]

“I sometimes judge people by what they’re willing to tolerate and what they will refuse to tolerate. People who tolerate the KKK can fuck off.”

Translation: Not only are you too self-righteous to actually make progress on the problem, if it was in your power you would seek to prevent anyone else from using a superior approach. Does this protect your ego?

“No, it involves standing up for what I believe in”

If you really wanted to stand up for what you believe in, you would take action that actually has a chance of success rather than uselessly masturbating in a self-righteous manner.

Canceling is easy. It literally involves little or no effort and has no chance of success. Dialogue involves work and has a chance of success.

You are self-indulgent and you take it to be a virtue.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Do you have a similar aversion to hiring right-wing bigots? Superstitious gay-bashing bigots, racist Republican bigots, xenophobic conservative bigots, etc.?

If not, you’re just full of partisan shit.

[Lee Moore]

Don't be an ass, David, When Sarcastro says immigration is "off topic" what he means is that he does not want any connecting of the dots between immigration and anything bad. Because immigration is "a good thing."

That's what "off topic" means.

[Sarcastr0]

That's not what I mean, of course.

I mean it's not connected to THIS bad thing.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Sarcasto there wasn't twitter back in 1967 or 1973, but there still wasn't crap like this during those wars.

America has changed because of all the third world scum who we have let into the country, and this is the consequences of that...

[Longtobefree]

Issue all Jews sidearms, and offer training to any who haven't figured it out yet.

[AtR]

My understanding is that training and carry licenses have risen sharply in the Jewish community.

[Aubrey LaVentana]

In New York, those carry licenses are invalid on a university campus.

For the time being.

[Dr. Ed 2]

My hope is that said members of the Jewish community also vote....

[ThePublius]

Unfortunately for them, one of the enduring puzzles is why Jews vote Democratic.

Despite the narrative that the Democrats and progressives like to promulgate, virtually ALL of the anti-semitism, the support for fascism, censorship, cancel culture, and more, comes from the left: academia, progressives, liberals, Democrats, woke institutions and corporations, and so on. The number of genuine "right wing," conservative white supremacists and racists is vanishingly small in comparison.

[Nige]

It’s because you’re a bunch of extremists who worship military violence and see perpetual conflicts as an opportunity to exercise military power regardless of consequences, and why the fuck would anyone support people who wanted them to engage in perpetual conflict for your entertainment because of their ethnicity? Who lump them in with the same sorts of extremists in a country they don’t live in and whose government they don’t support, and then treat them as traitors for rejecting your demands that they support such extremism?

‘the support for fascism, censorship, cancel culture, and more, comes from the left:’

You’re banning books, you’re supressing college coures, you’re dismantling public third-level education, you’re passing laws against a minority that you claim are ‘groomers’ out to get kids, you have assorted heavily armed paramilitary groups that like to parade around saying things like ‘the Jews will not replace us,’ your politicians turn up at white supremacist events and pal around with white supremacists, your lead candidate for president wants to exclude people from the country based on their religon and is promising to go after anyone who objects to the current Israeli military campaign. A campaign that is itself deeply unpopular IN ISRAEL, where the government is clamping down on criticism of itself.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Exactly what part of "Kill the Jews" are you unable to understand?

[Nige]

Which Democratic politician said that?

[Frank Drackman]

Ra-shit-a Slap-a-jap-pay-pal, Mullah Ilhan Omar, Hakeem the Bad Dream Jefferson, Shiela Spike Lee,

[Don Nico]

Since you have nothing substantive to reply, you write an ad hominem screed. Bravo!

[Nige]

'Unfortunately for them, one of the enduring puzzles is why Jews vote Democratic.'

I thought I went some way to solving the puzzle.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

The number of genuine “right wing,” conservative white supremacists and racists is vanishingly small in comparison.

That's a strange assertion to advance at a white, male, right-wing blog that regularly publishes vile racial slurs.

[Sarcastr0]

Unfortunately for them, one of the enduring puzzles is why Jews vote Democratic.

Jews are into multiculturalism. The right is very much not.
Mystery solved!

Maybe say Jews live on a plantation - that's always worked for black outreach!

[Bob from Ohio]

"Jews are into multiculturalism. "

Jews are getting a big helping of "multiculturalism" right now, as EV's post describes.

[Sarcastr0]

Nothing good has happened for the Jews in the name of cultural purity, Bob.

The liberal Jews I know see people like you blaming everything on multiculturalism and say history tells them you'll be coming for them next.

[Bob from Ohio]

Unverifiable statements that support my position are best!

[Sarcastr0]

Sure, Bob, call me a liar. I'm not describing anything particularly earthshaking about the thinking of liberal Jews.

And then go and tell Jews they vote wrong because all the antisemitism comes from immigrants and university professors and see how that goes.

[Bob from Ohio]

"I’m not describing anything particularly earthshaking"

No, probably not, but all the more reason you don't have to use the same old tired "I check and everyone agrees with me" trope you always use.

[Sarcastr0]

If by 'everyone' you mean 'the liberal Jews I know.'

[Dr. Ed 2]

NO -- issue them someone with a sidearm -- ask the Governor for a massive NY State Police response, if not the National Guard -- and I mean several hundred. And where the f*ck is the FBI???

This could be false flag, sadly, I've seen that happen before. But that doesn't matter, you roll heavy on this and you make it damn clear to everyone that you are not going to tolerate this bullshyte, and then you tell the folk running 104 West that the President's Office would be happy to attend any event(s) you might wish to invite him too -- e.g. supper -- and tell everyone that your honored to accept their invitation and will be going there.

That makes it safe to be there -- the president wouldn't go otherwise.

And a $100,000 reward always is a good touch even if it isn't likely to do much.

[Frank Drackman]

That's whats great about Amurica, nobody needs to be issued any guns, and have Amuricans really become total klutzes? even a more complicated weapon like an AR-15 isn't that complicated and doesn't take much training (I think my "training" was "when the little ball is right between the 2 rabbit ears pull the trigger")

Frank

[Martinned]

Of course. Clearly what the US needs is more guns and more shooting!

[David Welker]

I agree Martinned. More guns and more shooting will increase our capacity for effective self-defense. A concept that a lot of Europeans who lean on America to protect them seem to have lost their capacity to understand.

I think it is close to time for Europe to learn to defend itself again. The continent has lost any sense of martial virtue.

[Brett Bellmore]

What you fail to grasp is a sad truth: Some people actually do need to be killed, sometimes.

It's not a happy thing that's true, but happy or unhappy, it remains true. There's evil in this world, and all it needs to triumph is for good men to do nothing. To suffer a failure of nerve, or to be denied the capacity to act.

You'd deny people the capacity to act, for good or for evil. But as most people are good, and the evil ones don't care about your laws?

Mostly for good.

[Nige]

One thing I've learned is that when somone comes out with this argument, a lot of people are going to die needlessly and uselessly.

[M L]

Everyone's going to die.

What you've learned is halfway to what you should be learning, which is that the actual dangerous thing here that will cause needless death is your utopian fantasies.

[AtR]

I'm not sure of the benefit of giving these creeps free publicity ...

[Davy C]

No capital letters in any of the four posts, and none of the posts end with a period... I'm guessing this is all from the same idiot.

[Dr. Ed 2]

I could have told you that without even seeing them.

[Noscitur a sociis]

I agree that you would have been more than happy to offer a definitive opinion without reviewing any evidence.

[neurodoc]

Cornell does have to go looking for the vile antisemites among them.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/cornell-professor-who-found-hamas-attack-exhilarating-and-energizing-now-on-leave-of-absence/ar-AA1iOGJh

[Nige]

Finding the Hamas attack exhilarating and energising is bad, of course, finding the bombardment of Gaza exhilarating and energising is good.

[ThePublius]

Who said the bombardment of Gaza exhilarating and energising (sic)?

[Nige]

I did, based on comments made here and elsewhere.

[Steve Griffin]

I feel sorry for the Jewish students but I don't feel sorry for Cornell. These colleges have been portraying Jews as oppressors for years and now the virus has escaped from the lab.

[Randal]

You mean Israelis, naturally.

[Michael P]

These threats were not from "kill israelis".

[Randal]

Then maybe the threats are unrelated to what "these colleges have been portraying for years."

[Michael P]

And maybe you have a working brain, but there's no evidence in favor of either hypothesis.

https://nypost.com/2023/10/18/i-was-a-dei-director-dei-drives-campus-antisemitism/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/06/24/rise-in-antisemitism-hate-crimes-jews-colleges/70346697007/

I would post another five or ten similar stories about different colleges pushing the same kind of "Jews are oppressors" message, but Reason only allows two links per comment.

[Randal]

The first article is all about grievance hierarchies and not really anything specific to Jews.

The second article is all about antisemitism but not about colleges actually teaching antisemitism.

I can see how criticizing Israel could inspire antisemitic sentiments in the listener. But that's not a reason to excuse Israel's bad behavior. We criticize Iran all the time even though that too can lead to religious bigotry.

[Michael P]

The first article includes passages like this:

Multiple Jewish students told me the campus was essentially an antisemitic environment.

I tried to right this wrong. First, I hosted Jewish speakers on campus, with the goal of promoting diversity and inclusion by sharing different perspectives.

Critics called me a “dirty Zionist,” and the school refused to promote the events.

Maybe you should read more than a paragraph or two of these.

[Randal]

Yes, and all "essentially antisemitic" meant there was not in the preferred spot in the grievance heirarchy. So same as everyone calling DEI "racist against whites." So not specific to Jews. So not actually antisemitism. Which is what I said.

It's also bs, but that's just my opinion. I think grievance heirarchies are retarded and divisive, but not truly racist or anti-religion.

[Steve Griffin]

No, I mean Jews.

[Sarcastr0]

These colleges have been portraying Jews as oppressors for years

The schools? Really?

Certainly Michael P seems to be more into the narrative than sources supporting that idea.

[Bob from Ohio]

"The schools?"

The faculties at least. Look at all the pro-Hamas "open letters".

[Sarcastr0]

Not signed by 'the faculty' and not really widespread in every school.

Turning this into another attack on public education is not the way to do anything but not solve the problem.

[Bob from Ohio]

"public education "

Its the faculties from Ivy League and other so called "elite" schools who are writing these things.

[Sarcastr0]

An attack focused on the Ivy League schools is not a better round hole for this square peg, Bob!

Go onto your old mantra about stripping them of their endowments, why don't you?

[Bob from Ohio]

Taxing the endowments remains a great idea.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Imagine the outcry if this was being done to, say, transexuals. (Or whatever we are allowed to call them.)

It would make the national news, and Brandon would be sending in US Marshals as well as the FBI.

And never forget that it was Cornell where the Black students decided to show up with loaded rifles some years back....

[Randal]

This made the national news and Biden sent in the FBI. Your grievances are imaginary, but they sure do feel good I bet.

[Michael P]

Biden sent in the FBI.

This is yet another thing that you have claimed but did not happen.

[Randal]

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is unveiling new actions Monday to combat antisemitism on college campuses after an “alarming” uptick in incidents since the Israel-Hamas war started in early October.

The departments of Justice and Homeland Security are partnering with campus law enforcement to track hate-related rhetoric online and provide federal resources to schools, according to the plan, which was shared exclusively with NBC News.

The FBI are investigating a Cornell University messaging board after vile anti-Semitic threats were made against Jewish students.

[Michael P]

Your first quote seems to be from https://www.aol.com/news/biden-administration-unveils-actions-combat-100000597.html, which has a dateline after your comment and does not mention either the FBI or Cornell.

Your second quote seems to be from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12687095/Watch-Jews-jihad-coming-FBI-investigate-Cornell-University-messaging-board-vile-anti-Semitic-threats-against-students.html, which doesn’t support its lede assertion. It only says Cornell President Martha E. Pollack reported the threats to the FBI.

No wonder you didn’t bother liking to your sources. Maybe you should read more than a paragraph or two of these things.

[Randal]

which has a dateline after your comment

So? I understand the Biden administration, unlike you. They've been on a University anti-antisemitism crusade for months. Of course they're going to use this Cornell thing to try to look competent and engaged.

You were sure they'd sit in their hands. I was sure they'd act. Guess who was right. Again, your grievances are fake.

Also, "Biden sent in the FBI" doesn't mean Biden literally drove a bunch of agents up from Quantico to Cornell himself, any more than "Brussels confronts Moscow" means that the city of Brussels picked itself up and marched over to Russia to do some roughing-up.

[damikesc]

Cornell's IT team does not know who is on their school's message boards? Seems like figuring out who did these posts would not be super difficult.

[Frank Drackman]

Sent the FBI? that’s comforting, probably sent Agents Ish-mail, Moe-hammad Atta Junior, and Osama Lin Baden, FBI agents used to be Attorneys and CPA’s, now they’re pussies like Peter Stroke with degrees in Criminology. Even the director's just a crooked shyster who's biggest case was defending that fat slob Christ Christ-ie during the "Bridge-Gate" scandal.

Frank

[Noscitur a sociis]

It would make the national news, and Brandon would be sending in US Marshals as well as the FBI.

The current top google results for “Cornell threats” are stories about this incident from CNN, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Associated Press. What additional coverage are you looking for?

Note that both these stories and the very post you’re commenting note that the FBI is already involved.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Is this really the right time to trigger the professor’s trans fetish?

[Frank Drackman]

Up bright and early at https://www.cor.pa.gov/Facilities/StatePrisons/Pages/Greene.aspx
Jerry?
Your Nittily Lions are looking good, I forget, which Big 10 (10? they have 14 teams last time I checked) Division are they in? the "Klingers" or the "Sandusky"??

Frank

[Nige]

'Imagine the outcry if this was being done to, say, transexuals'

Like if there were people accusing Jews of 'grooming and mutilating children' and passing laws to ban things like Jewish burlesque shows and Jewish Story Hour and armed men in paramilitary gear turned up outside any such Jewish events that weren't banned?

[Longtobefree]

" transexuals. (Or whatever we are allowed to call them.)"

You call the men men, you call the women women.
Biology.

[Roger S]

"We will not tolerate antisemitism at Cornell." This is not antisemitism. Antisemitism is saying the Jews run Hollywood or the Israel lobby controls Congress. This is a threat to murder.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Exactly.

[NOVA Lawyer]

It can be, and is, both.

[Sarcastr0]

By this logic the Nazis were too violent to be antisemetic.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

The Volokh Conspiracy's collection of roundly bigoted right-wingers trying to get on a roll in the context of calling others bigots is quite a spectacle.

The despicable assholes who celebrate Hamas and/or are antisemites are no different from the racist, trans-hating, gay-bashing, misogynistic, antisemitic, Islamophobic, immigrant-hating target audience of the Volokh Conspiracy.

[Scooter]

LOL, Meat.

[Stephen Lathrop]

Professor Volokh, why not try a different approach. Instead of raising immediately the possibility that the threats are a hoax, as if to dismiss or belittle, why not treat all such threats to murder as serious crimes? Take them seriously, and punish perpetrators as felons who deserve long prison sentences. Make it the law that any published expression of intent to murder someone with a gun, or any published invocation of hope that someone else will do so, will always be treated as a true threat.

[Vryedni]

Maybe because that law would be unconstitutional?

[David Welker]

There you go again, with your obsession with publishing.

[Commenter_XY]

It is happening again.

[Randal]

I think the greater danger is still from the right-wing antisemites.

[Brett Bellmore]

Yeah, all the left-wing anti-Semites are going to do is kill some Jews. The right-wing ones might oppose left-wing policy, too! [/sarc]

[Nige]

The right loves seeing Israelis killing lots of people, for some reason. They seem to love the idea of them being mired in an ever more bloody, brutal conflict. I can't imagine why.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Could it be related to the regular declaration of Muslim Day at a white, male, right-wing blog?

[damikesc]

No. We'd rather them not have to go to war but, if attacked, they should be permitted to defend themselves.

Same standard I hold for all countries.

[Don Nico]

Which right ring groups want 7 million Jews ethnically cleansed? We all want to know

[Lee Moore]

Hamas, obviously.

As soon as any group, of any political persuasion becomes egregiously violent and indefensible, it becomes, ipso facto, right wing.

That's what "right wing" means.

[Don Nico]

Clever, but that is not what Nige meant.

[Nige]

Sorry, was that reply aimed at me? Is there a single right-winger in the US that dies not seem to want Israel locked in a Holy War with Arabs? The same people who wanted to invade Afghanistan and Iraq? Nobody could seriously think that this is good for Israel.

[damikesc]

The same folks who wanted to invade Iraq and Afghanistan are pretty much all proud Democrats now.

[Sarcastr0]

https://www.jta.org/2021/04/22/united-states/conservatives-are-more-likely-than-liberals-to-hold-anti-semitic-views-survey-finds

Boottom line - the right has become the home for white supremacists. And those guys *really* don't like Jews.

That is not to say the left doesn't have its issues on and off campus!
But don't ignore the right's longstanding and out-and-loud antisemitism just because they're your folks.

[Bob from Ohio]

Good ole Gaslighto.

Compare 500 marchers in Charlottesville to tens of thousands last two weekends.

How many academics wrote in favor of Charlottesville versus how many are writing in favor of Hamas.

The Jew hating right is bad but microscopic and powerless, the Jew hating left dominates Ivy League academia and infests every institution.

[Nige]

What tens of thousands? How many of the people marching against the Israeli offensive were Jews themselves?

[David Nieporent]

Jews, or Asajews?

[Ed Grinberg]

I wonder: did they join in the "Gas the Jews!" chant?

[Sarcastr0]

Compare 500 marchers in Charlottesville to tens of thousands last two weekends.

How many faculty letters till you condemned all US academia?

You really do hate schools!

[Brett Bellmore]

I have to say, that poll is really weird. Apparently all the conservatives I associate with are very atypical, if it is to be believed. It also makes some of the stances of the Republican party really hard to explain.

[Nige]

Oh go on, I've seen you rationalise tougher conundrums.

[Brett Bellmore]

Well, if the poll is accurate, it's probably because I'm a fairly old conservative, and don't pal around with college age kids. The education system is doing a bang up job of turning out anti-Semites these days, if that poll is to be believed.

[Nige]

So college-age conservative kids are the anti-semites? Probably not completely wrong. No evidence that the educational system has anything to do with it, of course. It isn't as if they don't have access to a massive electronic resource with quite a few areas devoted to right-wing radicalisation.

[Scooter]

"I think".

Nope.

You emote, you don't think.

[Sarcastr0]

What do you mean again?
Antisemitism didn’t leave except if you live in a very few countries. The Jewish story has ever been one of resilience in the face of being the other.

Do you think America is now bound to follow Germany 100 years ago? The sounds like an Ed take.

[lhfry]

Maybe reconsider classifying by race/sex/ethnicity? Start with David Bernstein’s book that shows how ridiculous these divisions are. When I was in college in NY there was a Hillel club, now we have a “Center for Jewish Living.” Probably the campus is completely Balkanized.

[Nige]

So you want people to stop identifying as Jewish? Os as anything else? Or just the complete homogenisation of all culture into one white blob?

[Bored Lawyer]

Nice trick there. Classifying refers to institutional classifying, not individual. A university or government should treat everyone the same. If someone wants to identify with a particular religion, or race, or culture, that's freedom.

Really simply, when you set your mind to it.

[Nige]

How will that stop anyone being antisemitic?

[M L]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpnpIhqSLto

[Ed Grinberg]

I haven't (yet) read Prof. Bernstein's book, but my understanding is that he opposes the government classifying people by race.

[Carlos Inconvenience]

You just know the CU administration is praying this is a white frat boy and not someone from the more “diverse” parts of campus.

[Sarcastr0]

You just know!

How many right wing narrative has this rise of antisemitism been forced into the shape of at this point? Anticommunism, blame the schools, blame DEI, blame Dems, white oppression, nativism, and of course Blackman oppression.

[Brett Bellmore]

The funny thing here is that, in a different thread, you just posted a poll which indicates a substantially higher rate of anti-Semitism among minorities at college...

[Sarcastr0]

So the problem is minorities?

Think harder, asshole.

[Frank Drackman]

You are correct Sir! (HT E. McMahon)

[Ed Grinberg]

Shhhhhh!!! Diversity is our strength!

[John F. Carr]

"there's always a chance that these are some sorts of hoaxes or sick pranks"

I think there's a lot more than a chance.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Sadly, I fear that you are right.

This is too specific to be a general threat, too quick in succession to be copyrights and too similar in nature to be more than one author.

My guess would be someone who doesn't think the existing threats to Jews were being taken seriously. Now that doesn't mean that you don't take this seriously, nor that you don't find the perp and nail his, her, or its arse to the wall.