Double standards. It comes in all forms when it comes to two parties. One party has a set of rules they have to follow while the second party doesn't have to follow them. Everybody hates them. It's especially prevalent on college campuses. What do I mean by that? Let's take a look at Syracuse University and Binghamton University.
In early November 2019, a racist manifesto and series of racist incidents took place on Syracuse University's campus. Classes were canceled, students too afraid to leave their dorms, and the disappointment with the administration. Students expressed their frustration, with them saying, "That students of color are consistently under attack," and "comprised the mental health of thousands whose identities have been targeted by malicious actors." Frustrated students set up camp at the Univerity's Wellness Center, feeling like the University's administration was inadequate with the incidents. The protesting students also made a shortlist of demands, with one of the demands being $1 million to be invested in a curriculum "that educates the campus on diversity issues, specifically anti-racism." According to Chancellor Kent Syverud, the manifesto that was Airdropped might have been a hoax. The Syracuse Chancellor said that authorities couldn't find anyone who directly received the manifesto. After days of protest and wanting the Chancellor to resign over a possible hoax, the concerned students might be protesting for nothing.
Around the same time at Binghamton University, their College Republicans, along with a few Turning Point USA chapter, set up their scheduled tabling event, only to be attacked by their "tolerant" peers. Cell phone video caught the mob trashing and vandalizing their display, cursing at them, and that they should pack up and leave and never table on campus ever again. Police officers were called in to keep the angry crowd at bay, but the protestors directed their anger toward them by chanting, "No justice, no peace, no racist police." According to Brian Rose, the Vice President for Student Affairs said in a statement that the College Republicans and Turning Point USA did not have official permission to be tabling that day, that they twice refused to leave, and that their messaging and actions were "provocative." Rose had also stated that the protestors would NOT face disciplinary actions. They were being attacked for expressing your political opinions and your school's administration siding with your aggressors, how progressive.
I know what all of you guys are thinking, what's the double standard here? The double I see here is that one group was given praise over an incident that probably didn't happen while another group was punished for expressing their beliefs while being attacked on tape. Another double standard I see is that of politics and race. The students protesting at Syracuse University were mostly "students of color," airing out their grievances over a happening that might not have happened and have their list of demands being met over their "concerns." The students at Binghamton University, who were mostly white and conservative, were punished by a biased administration and being labeled as "aggressors" for expressing unpopular opinions. These double standards that exist on the college campus and in general, need to stop. If you're going to punish Group A for wrongdoing, then apply the same standards to Group B. Why should this be a thing? It should be a thing because no one is above anything, no matter where they lean on the political spectrum or what their skin color is.
