Evergreen or EverMean?

I am writing to express my disappointment about recent events at The Evergreen State College. An institution of higher learning once renowned for its unwavering commitment to free inquiry, constructive dialogue, and open minded learning has fallen far from grace.

Professors who disagree with policies and programs are, along with their families, intimidated and brutalized. Students who don’t toe the one green thought line are ostracized, bullied, and threatened. The craven administration can’t and won’t enforce even the mildest of behavior standards.

I and a friend participated in the demonstration last week as defenders and supporters of the Bill of Rights and free speech. We were confronted by a howling mob of black clad mask wearing neo-fascist anti-democrats (they might have been alt-right anarchists) who, with one notable exception, were not capable of intelligent dialogue. Throwing projectiles, waving sticks, spraying childrens party novelties, making threats, attempting to drown out opposing speakers with loud and bad music (I thought, at the very least, Evergreen students possessed musical discernment) and committing acts of vandalism, are right out of the totalitarian playbook.

Evergreen, wake up and smell the coffee! You must get back to what you once were and re-create a learning environment based on freedom, not fear.

This story was originally published July 1, 2017 at 5:52 PM with the headline "Evergreen or EverMean?."