(Guest Post from a UL-Lafayette student) — “But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said to them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release to you?’

They said, ‘Barabbas!’

Pilate said to them, ‘What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?’

They all said to him, ‘Let Him be crucified!’

Then the governor said, ‘Why, what evil has He done?’

But they cried out all the more, saying, ‘Let Him be crucified!’” (Matthew 27:20-23)

History is littered with countless examples of rabble-rousers and crafty rhetoricians inflaming the passions of the multitudes for their purposes. We tend to read about these examples in some isolated textbook or Gospel passage and think we are far removed from this behavior.

This past Monday some of my fellow UL-Lafayette students had a public protest after being spurred on by some similar rabble-rousers in the student body. This served as a vivid reminder that we moderns are just as capable of being swayed by the dictates of clever speech and fickle emotions.

On the Sunday of April 7th, a student took their own life in broad daylight after calling one UL professor and two rumored UL professors rapists on their public Instagram without any evidence. The following day, the university released this statement:

Dear friends,

Last evening, the University experienced an unspeakable loss. In times such as these, mere words are inadequate to convey the deep sadness that we feel, as individuals and as a campus community. In searching for some meaning in what has happened, we should not lose sight of the obligation we have to each other to show support, empathy and understanding. Each of us will process this tragedy in our own way, but none of us are alone. 

In the past several weeks, the University has endured a number of losses in its family. They were our classmates, colleagues, friends, students and supporters. Each touched countless lives and still had so much to contribute to making our campus and our world better. In each instance, I have been heartened, but not surprised, by the way our community has rallied to offer assistance and love. And I know that will continue in the days to come.

I want to say again – you are not alone. As you work through your grief and other emotions, and should you feel the need for assistance, the University offers counseling services and support. Counselors met with student residents last evening and will continue to do so in the days ahead. Free, individual appointments also are available through the Counseling and Testing Center. Call (337) 482-6480 or visit the Saucier Wellness Center to make an appointment. The center’s website also offers mental health and wellness resources and anonymous self-assessments. 

Please utilize these services. 

My thoughts – and those of President Savoie and the entire University administration – are with everyone who is mourning today. Please know that in difficult times such as these, your University family is here for you.

Sincerely,

Dr. Margarita Perez

Dean of Students

Certain Far-Left agitators on UL’s campus were quick to capitalize on the supposed “vagueness” of the statement, arguing that some existential war was being waged by the university to “cover up” this tragedy. Apparently they expected the university to throw themselves on some kind of funeral pyre and describe the tragedy in excruciating detail despite the mental health cost that could pose to other vulnerable students. The agitators were also quick to obfuscate the fact that the UL-Lafayette community suffered multiple tragic deaths at roughly the same time.

I go to UL and just want everyone to know that the school has so far done NOTHING about this. no arrests have been made. classes weren’t even cancelled despite many witnesses. the school has been trying to cover it up https://t.co/XKkOrzC2BK

— heath (@alicemudgarden_) April 9, 2024

These individuals expected a university of 19,000 students to grind to a halt following this tragedy as if that would have helped anybody. They also expected a witch trial for the potential rapists despite no public evidence to back these claims. 

We cannot forget that we have a justice system that is intentionally slow and deliberate. A slow and deliberate justice system helps prevent innocents from being convicted and creates time to shed light on who truly committed a crime. Don’t tell that to these radical activists in the UL-Lafayette student body. They want and demand immediate blood for blood, a purely emotive response.

It also didn’t take long for this tragedy to be weaponized for more explicit political purposes. One of the organizers of the Monday protest was this anonymous Instagram account named “justiceforullstudents.” The account openly declared itself to be “a suppression anarchist”- whatever that means. The account was up for only a few days until it was either banned or deleted. Luckily, I was able to take a screenshot of the account as it was amassing followers:

This “suppression anarchist” account started to inflame the passions of the student body and organize a public protest. It beats me how a supposed “anarchist” would want an institution or government entity to administer justice. Perhaps “anarchist” is another one of the colloquial Left-wing buzzwords that means whatever I want it to mean!

With amorphous goals like “a better response,” “improved mental health protocol,” and something about “hate,” the Far-Left agitators created the emotive fuel for their political machinations. Vague and immeasurable goals are always good ideas for any successful Left-wing movement–at least these agitators can say they learned something here!

Having acquired enough emotive fuel, the train went full steam ahead, and the Far-Left rabble-rousers assembled their crowd on that fateful Monday. Crying and screaming against supposed “hate” and “inaction” could be heard around the Student Union that evening (sounds that I’m sure everyone aspires to hear on a Monday).

Chief among the complaints was the supposed inefficiency of the university’s Emergency Notification System (ENS). The protestors wanted the EMS system to notify people about the tragedy when it happened. This is perhaps the stupidest use ever suggested for an emergency notification system. Publicly broadcasting a suicide to more students would just invite inquisitive onlookers to the scene and expose vulnerable students to the idea. You have to be a real member of the “Thinkery” to conjecture that idea.

“Hate” was a big buzzword used by these Far-Left agitators and their followers, which is totally new and all. You would think that “hate” would be the last word uttered by these petulant man-children, especially at a university that bends over backward to placate their every wish and demand. As an example, a large number of classroom doors on this campus have the “Project Allies” sticker plastered on them. The university makes it known that it embraces the LGBTQ movement in its entirety. It even publicly promoted and endorsed a drag show hosted by the premiere alphabet squad club here:

Conversely, not surprisingly, the university does not give the same public preferential treatment to Christian and conservative groups on campus. They do the exact opposite. When Turning Point hosted Jack Posobiec here on October 24th, 2022, the university hosted a “misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation” session right before to placate the Far-Left elements of the student body and counter the “wrong think” offered by Jack Posobiec. Hear it from Kiwana McClung, our Chief Inclusion Officer, herself:

 

Despite placating nearly every demand of the Far-Left agitators of the student body, it was not enough. The truth is that it will never be enough for these kind of people. They are ever so eager to bite the hand that feeds whenever it suits their political interests. With the tragedy that occurred last week, the opportunity to throw the university under the bus presented itself, and these rabble-rousers pounced on the opportunity.

To circle back to the opening Gospel passage, they are the type of people that shout for Barabbas.

It is obviously important that we not let our emotions blind us in the midst of tragedies, especially when they can be weaponized by those on the Far Left. We cannot let such a hate-filled movement to run rampant through Academia. If we want things to change, conservatives must be courageous in performing the hallowed march back to reclaim our institutions, perhaps starting with universities right here in Louisiana.