What is going on at the State University of New York at Binghamton? We just reported that a Trump-hating mob harassed and attacked conservative students at the school.
Now protesters shut down a talk by economist Art Laffer.
Laffer is not a politician, but Young America’s Foundation, a conservative student group, and the College Republicans co-hosted the event.
Laffer is considered a thought leader in supply-side economic theory, which the Reagan Administration embraced. Laffer served as an economic policy adviser in that administration. Just this past summer, President Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work in the field of economics.
Jennifer Kabbany reports at The College Fix:
VIDEO: Unruly campus activists shut down speech by ‘father of supply-side economics’ Arthur LafferRowdy and aggressive activists shut down a speech Monday night at the State University of New York at Binghamton by the famed “father of supply-side economics” Arthur Laffer, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in June.Various videos of the incident show dozens of students yelling and disrupting the lecture, with one man with a microphone declaring “we are tired of being oppressed and we are tired of getting murdered by this administration,” referring to the Trump administration.The speaker goes on to call incarcerations “the modern day slavery of our time” as a fellow activist hands him a bright spotlight that he shines toward the front of the room, apparently where Dr. Laffer is standing. As supporters of the economist move to block the light, many in the crowd erupt with laughter.
See the videos below:
This video is from NY State Senator Fred Akshar, a Republican, who was at the event:
Maggie Gilroy of the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports that police arrested two protesters:
Two arrested after protests disrupt Binghamton University speaking engagementTwo individuals were arrested Monday evening after protests at a Binghamton University lecture disrupted a presentation by economist Arthur Laffer, hosted by BU’s College Republicans, causing the event to be shut down.According to a statement released by Brian Rose, BU’s vice president for Student Affairs, the university is investigating the individual students and student organizations who “encouraged or participated in any activity that violated applicable law and University policies.””The University reserves the right to pursue appropriate charges or disciplinary action against those organizations and individuals as relevant information is confirmed,” Rose said in the statement.
It is way past time to take action against behavior like this. People who shut down speech and sow chaos do not add anything to the education process. Instead, they impede it.
Featured image via Twitter video.
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