The psychiatrist Carol Liebermann claims that student protests are actually misdirected “rage” about the COVID-19 pandemic. The psychologist Jennifer Gittleman suggests the youth are seeking “comfort” after they were “denied socialization at a key point in their lives”. This continues a long tradition of pundits and so-called experts trying to silence protest by hand-waving away activists as too emotional, and not logical enough. In 1971, columnists bemoaned the “sudden outbreak of anti-war emotionalism”. In 1965, Irving Kristol speculated that counterculture activism was “not merely about Vietnam, or civil rights…” He accused students of chasing “a sense of personal power” because they were “bored”. Today, Lieberman seeks to psychoanalyze pro-Palestine activists without hearing what they have to say. She addresses a — very real — collective trauma instead of treating students as rational adults. In her eyes, activists are hysterical, placing emotion over reason. I do get emotional when I read about dead humanitarian aid workers. I do get emotional when I see soldiers play with the underwear left behind by refugees. I do get emotional when I see the most powerful nation in the world use my tax dollars to carpet bomb orphans. I’m not ashamed of that. I don’t think it gets in the way of logic. But more to the point — if logic gets in the way of love, then there is no reason to give it your attention. The universal love for your fellow humans has to be more important to you. Otherwise, what are we doing here?
From Pop Quiz: Are These Quotes about Palestine or Vietnam?
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