If a simple coffee shop has a bot farm with 100s of phones to amplify their message, please consider what a foreign agency or adversarial operator is running on your favorite social media platform.
Especially today, please consider that the opinions you read, the calls to violence you hear, and the news you digest, are all an operation done to sow hatred in your mind and your soul.
Do not let anyone online turn you into something that you are not. Rationalize everything, take everything with a grain of salt, question everything for yourself, not based on how someone online is questioning it.
Turn off all distractions and focus on the mission you have, not the mission of someone trying to control your mind.
In August, I proudly announced that @HEITNERLEGAL would participate, for the 10th straight year, in Harvard Law’s Externship Sports Law Clinical Program.
Today, I am declaring a pause to the relationship.
Why the sudden change?
It begins with many Harvard student associations signing a statement arguing that Israel was entirely responsible for the terror attacks that occurred on October 7, where babies were mutilated, bodies were burned, women were raped, and much worse (if you can even imagine).
The situation in Cambridge, MA has only deteriorated.
Recently, Harvard Law students, including an Editor of the Harvard Law Review, have been captured on video physically and verbally assaulting Jewish students.
I simply asked the supervisors of the Harvard Law Externship program, that my firm has been a part of for a decade, to confirm whether or not the student assigned to me for Spring 2024 is a part of any of the associations that have blamed Israel for the terror inflicted by Hamas on October 7.
The official response was to refuse to confirm or deny based on a policy of keeping such information private. I respect that. And I’m sure they respect my intention to pause the relationship given the lack of transparency and the overwhelming antisemitism on display at Harvard.
I’m intentionally leaving names out of this post, because I have great admiration and respect for at least one of the supervisors of this program. That person is in a very uncomfortable position.
So, you may be wondering why I am posting this. For a few reasons.
First, I was completely taken aback when I was told that another supervisor of this program was saddened and had feelings hurt that I even brought up the inquiry. This was the biggest slap in the face and I suggested that the message shouldn’t have been relayed to me. I could care less about this person’s feelings after innocent lives were taken (along with hostages) in Israel and those same people are being blamed by ignorant students for such terror.
Second, more than ever I find it important to stand up for what’s right and to shed light on deplorable situations. I’ve heard the phrase: See something, say something. What’s happening at Harvard and other college campuses across the country is horrid and unfortunately there is a real lack of leadership to step up and denounce it.
Third, perhaps it inspires you to rethink what’s important in life and to rearrange your priorities. The Harvard Law clerks my firm has had over 10 years have been some of the best and brightest that I’ve worked with. But I’m willing to forfeit that relationship, temporarily or permanently (depending on what happens in the future), if ethics and morals don’t match up.
@nick_underhill wanted to congratulate you on all the success recently. Been a follower since what seems like day one and it’s been incredible to watch you build something so impressive and still remain genuine. Excited for what’s to come