Staff Reports
In an overstuffed sock drawer of government inefficiency, New York’s Legislature has finally decided to pull out a couple of anti-antisemitism bills that are a staggering 14 months late. Apparently, fighting bigotry is one of those things that can wait until the calendar page flips, even as university campuses across the state become breeding grounds for ignorance disguised as “social commentary.” One can only wonder what kind of bureaucratic tango and bureaucratic limbo had to be danced to finally get these bills to the legislative floor.
These bills are ostensibly aimed at curtailing an alarming trend of antisemitism on campuses. Universities, which have become a hotbed for ideological warfare, have seen a spike in antisemitic sentiments, largely fueled by what some might call misguided activism. While most sane individuals would agree that hatred toward any group is unacceptable, it seems this particular form of hatred has been given a green light on left-leaning campuses. The irony of higher education having to legislate against hate is palpable. Apparently, a degree in gender studies doesn’t help one get an education in basic human decency.
The proposed legislation aims to ensure that Jewish students feel safe and protected in their educational environments. It appears that the politicians are finally waking up to the reality of what their own party’s ideological extremism has wrought. For too long, the outrage has come in waves – fueled by distorted narratives that paint Jews as villains in an age-old horror story that has absolutely no footing in reality. One has to chuckle at the idea that these legislative measures are considered “progress;” meanwhile, those same politicians have ignored cries for help from Jewish students long before these bills were ever conceived.
Two NY state bills fighting campus antisemitism are a start — but not NEARLY enough https://t.co/lXfqkT8PCK pic.twitter.com/W4D1VM2Q0M
— NY Post Opinion (@NYPostOpinion) February 10, 2025
Much of this renewed attention to antisemitism seems to stem from public pressure, reminiscent of having to clean up after the dog in the neighbor’s yard because it just became too embarrassing to ignore. Public outrage over this ongoing problem has apparently reached a point where officials couldn’t kick the can further down the road, no matter how entertaining that may have been. With college campuses serving as a microcosm of societal chaos, perhaps the bills signal a fleeting acknowledgment that higher education has devolved into a cesspool of ideological insanity that needs an intervention.
Ultimately, it’s taken a troubling rise in antisemitism for elected officials to act, illustrating yet again that when it comes to protecting freedoms, some individuals have a knack for showing up late to the party. While these bills might be a step in the right direction, they serve as a sobering reminder that political action often waits for a crisis to happen. Whether the new measures will do more than just add another layer to the pile of ineffective legislation remains to be seen. In the meantime, the theaters of higher education continue to echo with unsettling chants that make one question the very tenets of academic freedom.
