- May 1, 2024
Lankford Joins NewsNation, Senate GOP Colleagues to Call on Universities to Stand for the Safety and Security of Students
WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined NewsNation Morning in America and several of his Senate Republican Colleagues to discuss the unrest on college campuses across the US as anti-Israel protest occupy several university campuses threating students. Lankford has called on university administrators to do more to protect students as the anti-Israel protest are not protected by free speech. Lankford clearly condemned the rampant antisemitic and pro-Hamas protest during the interview and press conference.
Excerpts
Lankford on If Columbia University President Needs to Step Down… I think I’m going to let all of Colombia’s regents and all their leadership there to be able to make the decision. But if I’m making the decision that it would be no. Clearly this has been botched on this because from the very beginning we need to allow all students to have their right to be able to have Free Speech. But all students to be able to have the ability to go to class unthreatened, unharmed. What we’ve seen is this massive rise in antisemitism, in multiple areas and multiple campuses. It’s more than just having a disagreement with the war that’s happening in Gaza right now in the attacks and Hamas have done on Israel.
Lankford on Right to Free Speech but Not at the Sacrifice of Others Safety… We are a nation that prides itself on the right to be able to speak out, but we are also a nation that says that you cannot go out and intimidate someone else in the process. When the law is broken on that then the law needs to be enforced. If you do not enforce criminal activity then you will get more criminal activity and we’re seeing in some of these privileged universities where they’re allowing individuals to be able to come and to be able to clearly violate the law and then assume it’s not going to get worse and worse. It is and it has.
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