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Harvard Rescinds Admission of Parkland Survivor Kyle Kashuv

June 19, 2019 - 7:15am
Kyle Kashuv
Kyle Kashuv

In the growing tempest of our social battlefield -- and the growing intolerance of special interests who preach tolerance -- Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Kyle Kashuv has been caught in the cultural crossfire. 

Weeks following the announcement that he had been accepted to Harvard, a controversy erupted. Kyle found himself on the receiving end of that now-common practice among social activists (on both ends of the political spectrum), the social media proctology exam.

It's not directly clear what led to this, but certainly Kyle’s immature vocal stance in support of the Second Amendment is, at the least, a contributing factor. Once he was deemed a target, the opponents proceeded to comb through his social media output from years back, and they culled objectionable content. Without dredging up the details, or examining the context, suffice it to say he expressed himself in unacceptable racist language. 

The first notable detail is that the common defense heard over the past year regarding the students who endured the tragedy is that they are above criticism. You could not “attack” a Parkland victim, was the instant response to any challenge. Kyle, unfortunately, has just gone through the obligatory dance of apologizing for things he said at age 16. And, as is commonplace in these prefab controversies, the acceptance of an apology was selective. This, is in keeping with the fluid standards that are applied by activists and the media.

Just look at the act of removing Kashuv from the Fall admission list at Harvard.

While the official line is that Kashuv's words were cause for his removal, the fact is, Harvard is not going through the social media accounts of all applicants. Clearly, this was a case of the social scolds declaring archaic comments were offensive, and the institution either reacted in kind, or was grateful to have a reason to dispatch a student who was becoming a lightning rod for the intolerance set.

David Hogg
David Hogg
What needs to be noted, of course, is that fellow Parkland classmate David Hogg is also a new student at the Ivy League school, and somehow his admission is not being reconsidered. This, despite the fact that David has quite a collection of objectionable comments himself -- his comments SINCE the Parkland massacre, not before it. But he is considered a member of the correct side, the left; Kyle is on the right. Bypassing the fact that David Hogg has exhibited repeatedly an educational vacuum (his abject ignorance of politics and the Constitution have been glaring as he attempted to enter the political arena), his questionable comments and offensive language are far more contemporary.

Regardless of your opinion on this matter -- should he stay or go from Harvard -- what cannot be ignored is that the very people clamoring for his dismissal have a very stark and noticeable blindspot. For months now we have witnessed the Democratic governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, become enmeshed in a deepening scandal revolving around his use of blackface and Ku Klux Klan iconography in his own past. The contrast is remarkable.

What Northam engaged in was not only grossly insensitive, but his were the actions of a legal adult, not an impressionable teen with a lack of social savvy. Northam clearly had to have an understanding that what he had been engaging in was inappropriate, unacceptable behavior. Further, we have been listening for weeks as those on the left have been imploring us to bypass these past transgressions. We have been told his remorse and actions are sufficient to "look beyond" the problem, and that his apology should be accepted so we can move on.

Interestingly, Kyle Kashuv is granted no such tolerance. His apology has been challenged by some, and we are told that there is no place for someone who harbors these thoughts. Amazingly, racism appears to be an interpretational aggression.

The decision from Harvard bears a serious challenge for Kyle Kashuv, in that the institution has rescinded its acceptance at a time well after the admission deadline for most other universities. Kyle now does not have the option of applying at an alternative school in the near future. Telling how his punishment for a youthful mistake bears a larger price of accountability than one by an adult, and one who currently occupies an office of power. 

Brad Slager, a Fort Lauderdale freelance writer, wrote this story exclusively for Sunshine State News. He writes on politics and the industry and his stories appear in such publications as RedState and The Federalist.   

Comments

Harvard is a failed University,.. nothing at all like it's former reputation. Try "Hillsdale College" Kyle,.. they still have their "heads on right" and would no doubt love to have a common sense, thinking enrollee such as yourself... Good luck in your future endeavors...!

Well, we don't know exactly what the kid said, so we really can't judge if the Harvard decision was on the mark or was too harsh. What would have happened if he was a 'legacy'? What if he was a world-class track and field athlete? What if one of his parents was a very famous and long-time celebrity? What if he was Alan Dershowitz' grandson? Who knows. Kid will probably have a problem getting admitted at this point at any Ivy League or Little ivy League school. The internet and social media are not teenagers' or motormouths' friends.

Harvard that bastion of elitist Liberalism as they invoke similar traits of the KKK without having to lynch a single person!

Interesting that Harvard holds a 16 year old responsible for speech with no redemption for youth and yet they are guilty of a group think predijuce against Asian/American's. Harvard needs to reexamine its leftist swamp think against conservative thought and it's own intentions for America. This is a practice that discriminates against everyone, not only Kyle. A lack of inclusivity is blatant in too many universities these days.

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