Ben Lambert

DuPont Co-op | MSU Running Club | Nike Fuel Band Enthusiast | Sausage Connoisseur | Member of KARL & BALS #WinFromWithin

[John Spencer @SpencerGuard]

https://t.co/5qLpXD35UO

[Daniel Sugarman @Daniel_Sugarman]

More than 250 Jewish students at Columbia have signed this open letter.

If you have 5 minutes today, take the time to read it. Because the sentiments it expresses are what the overwhelming majority of Jewish people feel.

https://t.co/rNJx3bYawx

[Ben Lambert @TheLambaster]

@MichelobULTRA @nycmarathon I wanted to run NYC in honor of my Opa, Bob Kahn, a WW II vet and Holocaust survivor, who passed away on 4/2/24. He was so proud of me for running Boston and I know he be smiling down on me if I could run NYC & accomplishing my dreams! #ULTRAMarathonGiveaway #Contest

[Coleman Hughes @coldxman]

Sure, maybe these students are protesting because they want "to uphold that sacred principle that every life is worthy and the murder of none shall pass in silence". Maybe they care about that principle a lot and that's why they're protesting.

Or maybe the fact that these same students were yawning throughout the Oct. 7 massacre, Saudi/Yemen war, Syrian Civil War, Russia-Ukraine war, Sudanese war, and the Chinese mass internment of Uyghurs suggests that something else is at play.

[Coleman Hughes @coldxman]

A few words about the protests/encampments at Columbia:

Back in December 2018, when I was a junior, a white student named Julian Von Abele was filmed going on an ethno-centric rant about how much he loved white people. He said things like: “White people are the best thing that ever happened to the world,” and “We invented science and industry, and you want to tell us to stop because ‘Oh My God we’re so bad’”. He was careful to add the caveat: “I don’t hate other people. I just love white men”.

The video went viral on campus. He was unanimously condemned: by students, professors and administrators alike. He was even banned from Barnard’s campus––though the “incident” didn’t even happen on Barnard’s campus.

Race pride is the opiate of weak individuals. I have always thought so. Nevertheless, I defended Julian at the time––not on the grounds that he was right, but on the grounds that he had every right to express his dumb beliefs without fear of being disciplined or banned from a campus for doing so. I don’t recall anyone at Columbia who publicly came to his defense at the time.

Fast forward 5 years: we now have Columbia students chanting “Globalize the Intifada” and “From the River to the Sea” en masse. To my ear, these slogans suggest support for, at minimum, violence against Jewish civilians in Israel––much worse than anything Von Abele advocated. Yet all the same people who were silent or supportive of his cancellation have suddenly discovered the virtues of unbridled free speech. Forgive me if I don’t believe it for a second.

Let’s not deceive ourselves into thinking that any of these people value liberal principles. They don’t. They believe in the destruction of Israel––which they erroneously categorize as an colonialist entity––and they will use every liberal principle, selectively and cynically, to further that goal.

But let me be clear: I completely support their right to say all of these slogans. Students should be allowed to chant “Globalize the Intifada” and “From the River to the Sea”. These are slogans whose meaning is contested. What it means to your ear is not necessarily what it means to an idiotic Columbia student whose only knowledge of the Israel-Palestine conflict comes from Instagram posts also made by idiots.

Free speech is never about protecting speech you agree with. It’s always about protecting speech you hate. That is precisely the speech which needs protecting. Having defended the Von Abele’s of the world, no one will accuse me of being a hypocrite.

Of course, when they cross the line from speech into prohibited actions––creating zones where certain kinds of students (e.g., Zionists) can’t enter; human chains that prevent freedom of movement for other students; harassment/stalking of specific students, and so forth––then they must be disciplined to the full extent of campus policy and the law. If they want to get arrested or expelled, then schools and police should grant that wish without a hint of guilt. Let them explain to their parents why they threw away $70,000/year over a foreign conflict that they barely understand.

Still, the punchline must be: Hypocrites deserve free speech too.

[Shaiel Ben-Ephraim @academic_la]

Could this be a better day?
1) Columbia University is finally closed.
2) Tik Tok has finally been banned.
3) Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan have finally been funded.

[Marina Medvin 🇺🇸 @MarinaMedvin]

Read every word.

[NBACentral @TheDunkCentral]

This is crazy

(Via @CBSSports )

[Henpecked Hal @HenpeckedHal]

My wife left me home alone with the kids to go out drinking with her friends. A lesser man might whine and complain, but instead I'm just playing Chumbawamba's 1997 hit "Tubthumping" over and over and over. On the jukebox at their bar. Using the TouchTunes app.

[Josh Mohrer @joshmohrer]

A quick history lesson on the absurdity of calling Israel stolen land.

The Ottoman Empire conquered Mamluk Sultanate in the 1500s (violently) and ruled it for 400 years.

Then they lost World War I and lost the land. Britain and France divided the spoils and Britain and the UN gave modern Israel to the Jews in 1948.

The next day Arab neighbors attacked and took back some of that land.

In 67 they attack again trying to get the rest, and lose.

In 73 they attack again and lose.

And so on and so on.

The Israelis became really good at defense. Make all citizens do military service. No other choice.

Meanwhile the Jews took the dessert land and revitalized it, turned it into farm land. Invented irrigation and a million other things. Really turned it around. A tiny New Jersey sized country with enemies on all sides that unabashedly want to kill all the Jews there and everywhere.

Yesterday changes very little except any chance for a two state solution that so many of us want, including dozens of massacred concert goers in the Negev. Why would you kill the people that support your cause? In what way did yesterday further Palestinian goals?

This is not new. This isn’t about Gaza or stolen land. It’s been the same for centuries. This is not apartheid. This isn’t about Gaza residents in a “cage” - it’s their country now. Israel seals the border because some of their residents have a hard time not killing Jews. Egypt does the same thing. Would you do differently? They don’t even hide it. Political leaders of the ruling party in Gaza openly says they want to kill all Jews.

Same as it ever was, except now we have a lot of guns.

https://t.co/cxncJ3pJ9Q

[Pure Peninsula Athl. @PurePeninsula]

🎽 We had ourselves an East Coast race weekend!

☘️ @TheLambaster 4th @ AC St. Pat’s 10 Mile - 63:32 4wk to @bostonmarathon

@criles17 5th @ @TR_Marathon & 30-34 AG 🏆- 2:32:25

3️⃣rd 26.2 for Trent Johnson 70th @ TR - 3:05:49

+ @jgirb13 on-course support & 2 @MSU_Basketball wins

[Ben Lambert @TheLambaster]

@criles17 Congrats Riles!!

[Ben Lambert @TheLambaster]

@squandaryan Congrats dude! That's awesome!!

[Jay Cuda @JayCuda]

College basketball: the 15 schools w/ multiple national championships

[MSU Chief of Propaganda @OdellBretthamJr]

In 8 years at um Jim Harbaugh (1-6) has as many bowl wins as Coach Mel Tucker (1-0)

[Sam Fortier @Sam4TR]

Brian Robinson said his friend has a “big hat” company. “If you want a big hat, let me know.”

[Justin @Justin_14P]

The US being 0-0-2 is the perfect way to get most Americans to continue to hate soccer

[Ben Lambert @TheLambaster]

Hey @tacobell, does a bell still ring if it's carved onto a pumpkin??

[ArtButMakeItSports @ArtButSports]

Stigmatisation of Francis of Assisi by, Peter Paul Rubens, 16th century