In Defense of Cornell Review’s Name
According to Students Want Cornell Name Out of Review Title, a number of Cornell University students are upset because of an article published by the almost defunct The Cornell Review, a conservative anti-establishment tabloid publication. The article, What to Expect: The Angry Minority, allegedly contained racially insensitive speech. It’s hard to say whether the speech was indeed racist, as the article has disappeared from the Internet, and offended parties have not produced hardcopy. Another Cornell magazine, Kitsch, has quoted some of it (via indirect citation) in one of their blog posts:
“…it’s impossible to ignore the nasty, ignorant, and bitter members of the minority community who constantly whine about the brutal oppression they suffer at the hands of whitey. Apparently, part of this oppression involves their admittance to an Ivy League institution, likely as a recipient of affirmative action and scholarships.”
Sample 1 of racist speech
“These reapers of racial rage seclude themselves inside their ethnic ghettos (be it [program houses] Ujamaa, Latino Living Center, or Akwe;kon.”
Sample 2 of racist speech
This would be just another matter of one group of students annoyed with another group of student if not for statements from the Cornell University administration, such as this juicy one from Dean of Students Kent Hubble:
“The Review’s journalism, if one dignifies it with that term, creates a climate of intimidation and alienation among the groups that it targets. Must we tolerate this behavior in order to uphold our commitment to free speech and freedom of expression? I would hope not.”
Don’t think that Cornell won’t ask them to change their name–after all, this blog received a cease and desist for including Cornell in its name after publishing unpopular, but well-reasoned (I’d like to think) articles. Unfortunately, whether you agree with it or not, the article in the Cornell Review is protected free speech. And, its use of the Cornell name is clearly within fair-use.
