The recent violent campus takeover by protesters, many of whom were not students, has backfired by discrediting the premise behind the protest. This premise suggests that the world is divided between oppressors and the oppressed, with the oppressors always being evil and their victims always virtuous.
However, this premise goes against common sense and historical knowledge. People who are treated unfairly often respond in a negative manner, and those who rise above adversity are admired. Virtue and vice coexist in every human heart, and no group of people can claim to be entirely good or bad.
Unfortunately, many schools perpetuate the idea that colonialism is the greatest evil in history, painting all colonizers as oppressors and all colonized people as virtuous victims. This one-sided narrative fails to acknowledge the complexities of history and overlooks the fact that there are instances where colonial powers have done good, such as ending harmful practices like widow-burning.
The public’s rejection of this narrative is evident in the lack of support for extremist movements like Hamas and their violent actions. The majority of Americans do not condone terrorism or calls for the destruction of Israel. The idea that victims always hold the moral high ground is being challenged by the reality of these events.
In contrast, the reaction to George Floyd’s death four years ago highlighted the issue of systemic racism in America. Calls to defund the police in response to police violence against African Americans were met with support from various sectors, leading to a rise in violent crime rates.
The irony is that black Americans, who are often portrayed as the victims of police violence, were the ones most impacted by the surge in crime that followed the defunding of police forces. Cities like Washington, D.C. saw a significant increase in violent crime, with police ranks at their lowest in 50 years.
The recent refusal by Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to clear illegal tent encampments at George Washington University reflects a misguided attempt to prioritize the perceived victims over the oppressors. This decision has been met with skepticism by the American public, who reject the idea that one group always holds the moral high ground over the other.
