Jay Hartzell is not out standard

[Dahobbs 17,534]

1 minute ago, Skipper said:

It's not just state politics. It's internal politics as well.  He's getting heat for what happened but imagine the heat from those cutting the checks that actually matter if he would have let UT campus turn into Columbia.  Just like the Eyes of Texas nonsense that threatened millions in funding he had to navigate. Nobody on this board cares about or likes to consider that reality but it's a fact.  A lot easier to have hot takes and play Monday AM QB on a message board where all that is hanging in the balance is internet rep

Great, if he was worried about that, he could have had the police standing by to respond to actual disruptions. He didn't do that. He ordered them to crack heads before anything wrongful happened. Excusing his actions because felt stress is fucking bullshit. Not only should he resign, he should be in fucking jail for abuse of authority. 

[Captainant 27,655]

2 minutes ago, Skipper said:

It's not just state politics. It's internal politics as well.  He's getting heat for what happened but imagine the heat from those cutting the checks that actually matter if he would have let UT campus turn into Columbia

So you think it's appropriate to invite fascism and the trampling of free speech at The University of Texas because he was scared of something that happened in New York?

Gee whiz, what a fucking LEADER! Wowie zowie!

[TwiceHorn 31,451]

2 hours ago, Dahobbs said:

@troph and @TwiceHorn, you may have missed the texts. Hartzell is the one that called in the goons. He isn't a victim in this at all. 

 

 

Yeah, I missed this when it broke and it's been hard to follow a bit.

He may well be a piece of shit.

[jimmyjazz 45,900]

I love the justification for Hartzell's behavior is that the check-cutters likely approve of what he did.  Yeah, a massive, highly regarded public university "of the first class" needs to craft policy to align with donors.

In related news, I know one of the biggest check-cutters, and I strongly suspect he is not happy with what happened.  I'll ask him when I get a chance.

[YGIFS 19,450]

There are a lot of check cutters who are upset with him even though they are Abbott supporters.  Because people like can handle a lot that they disagree with, they really don’t like being a national embarrassment for a 48 hour news cycle.  He was well on his way to a year four a very popular decade long tenure, beloved by students, alums, and faculty alike.  Now, he’s got a 50/50 chance of making it to 2025. And there’s only a 10% chance of that.  

[SydneyCarton 48,079]

9 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I love the justification for Hartzell's behavior is that the check-cutters likely approve of what he did.  Yeah, a massive, highly regarded public university "of the first class" needs to craft policy to align with donors.

In related news, I know one of the biggest check-cutters, and I strongly suspect he is not happy with what happened.  I'll ask him when I get a chance.

Of course, the biggest donor to the University of Texas is arguably...the state of Texas. So yeah, he did what the Governor wanted. 

[High Plains Drifter 11,036]

3 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

Of course, the biggest donor to the University of Texas is arguably...the state of Texas. So yeah, he did what the Governor wanted. 

 

state of Texas contributes more than the student body to UT?

I honestly don't know the answer to that question. Does the state contribute more than all the tuition, fees, etc the students pay? At one time, probably so, but with tuition increases, maybe?

 

 

[troph 24,783]

 

 

46 minutes ago, Captainant said:

I hear you on jumping to conclusions, but this is not a time for nuance. The governor deployed shock troops onto campus to shut down speech he didn't like. Our university president consented to that abuse of our campus and student body. He put his political future and personal goals ahead of the good of The University of Texas. 

I just think that the fascists make the most progress in their goals when reasonable people treat fascists like they're also reasonable. Abbott and anyone who would answer to his orders to march into a peaceful protest and assault them to silence their speech are goddamn fucking fascists. 

I 100% agree about Abbott. I don't know enough about Hartzell to say the bold is 100% true. The shocking truth is UT leadership could get MUCH worse post-Hartzell.  I have no idea where Hartzell is at - being subservient to Abbott for personal gain or subservient to try and keep him at bay on at least some of the day-to-day. But the meddling by Abbott and Texas MAGA is intense that I 100% believe. We are in unchartered waters here imo.

[SydneyCarton 48,079]

2 minutes ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

state of Texas contributes more than the student body to UT?

I honestly don't know the answer to that question. Does the state contribute more than all the tuition, fees, etc the students pay? At one time, probably so, but with tuition increases, maybe?

 

 

I mean, I pulled it out of my ass, but:

https://budget.utexas.edu/about/budget

And I'm sure there's a ton of shit not covered in there which also comes from the state as well. 

[troph 24,783]

1 hour ago, immamac said:

You missed the point of the comparison. It's lack of accountability for the actual job instead of personal enrichment or benefit. He chose to personally benefit instead of doing his fucking job and will be rewarded for it by the board who are deranged Maga bootlicker fucks. 

I didn't miss the point, I don't think the comparison is apt, I think there is a lot more going on than Hartzell being a MAGA bootlicker. He very well may be, but to conclude that right now is juvenile. The last thing I want is for this shit to get worse and leadership at UT can get MUCH, MUCH worse under our current and worsening state politics. Will Hartzell take us down that path or is he doing his best to be a bullwark against it, I don't know.

26 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Yeah, I missed this when it broke and it's been hard to follow a bit.

He may well be a piece of shit.

He very well may be.

Edited April 26 by troph

[troph 24,783]

1 hour ago, YGIFS said:

The legislature is not gonna investigate this except to implement more restrictions on campus demonstrations.  Best you can hope for is some alums and police oversight groups to clamor for some transparency.  That’s all.

the timeline keeps getting conveniently readjusted.  You can call for DPS backup to supplement UTPD efforts and they can arrive within 15 mts.  But that amount of troopers, in that kinda gear, with horses.  On speedway where even with the pylons lowered, you can only get two vehicles in at the same time and it would take dozens of them over the course of an hour to move that much geared ouT personnel, never mind the horse trailers.  That’s a really shut off part of campus now in terms of vehicular access.  
 

DPS did not respond to inquiries about from which substations they were deployed.  And guess what?  The traffic and security cams from the Blanton to Gregory were all conveniently undergoing maintenance at the time.  You know that thing you do when you have tens of millions of dollars in art work that require redundant security cameras.  

this is what I'm saying. No fucking way Hartzell asked for help and here comes the goons, in mass numbers, in full riot gear, there in force quickly. BULLSHIT. I think Hartzell's hand was forced. if we start with the premise that Abbott is a thug, what do thugs do? been watching the Godfather with my boys this week - Abbott made Hartzell an offer he couldn't refuse.

Now should Hartzell stand up to Abbott? I don't know, that depends on a lot of other factors the facts of which I simply am not privy to. But I'd sure as shit love to know. The DEI shit and now this shit?  Yeah, I'm very, very concerned which way this goes. 

[chainsaw 9,865]

19 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

There are a lot of check cutters who are upset with him even though they are Abbott supporters.  Because people like can handle a lot that they disagree with, they really don’t like being a national embarrassment for a 48 hour news cycle.  He was well on his way to a year four a very popular decade long tenure, beloved by students, alums, and faculty alike.  Now, he’s got a 50/50 chance of making it to 2025. And there’s only a 10% chance of that.  

This is like fighting with your fiancee and getting arrested

[troph 24,783]

1 hour ago, Sawbonz said:

No doubt it was a tough spot to be in. He failed miserably in his handling of it. He should resign

 

1 hour ago, Sawbonz said:

If that is what happened he should have offered his resignation when given the order to call in troops, and if resignation was accepted he should have immediately released a statement announcing riot police have been ordered to campus by [insert whichever assholes gave the order], decrying that decision, and stating he was resigning effective immediately in protest

 

I'm operating from the premises it can get MUCH worse. so at this moment, I don't agree here.  And no one should take that as defending the decision. when you are on defense, you give up yards, doesn't mean you want to do so. I think we are living in unprecedented times and the take over of UT is underway, my hope is that Hartzell is not on team Abbott and that UT can withstand the onslaught and we can turn the tide in elections soon.  I doubt that happens but it's my only hope.

[YGIFS 19,450]

1 minute ago, troph said:

this is what I'm saying. No fucking way Hartzell asked for help and here comes the goons, in mass numbers, in full riot gear, there in force quickly. BULLSHIT. I think Hartzell's hand was forced. if we start with the premise that Abbott is a thug, what do thugs do? been watching the Godfather with my boys this week - Abbott made Hartzell an offer he couldn't refuse.

Now should Hartzell stand up to Abbott? I don't know, that depends on a lot of other factors the facts of which I simply am not privy to. But I'd sure as shit love to know. The DEI shit and now this shit?  Yeah, I'm very, very concerned which way this goes. 

I get your point.  But the DEI shit foisted upon Hartzell by the government.  He had no cards to play and was genuinely supportive of the DEI mission.  This was altogether a different animal.  This was 100% architected by Eltife, Longoria, and Abbott. But Jay went along with it.  And we will likely never know why.  
 

i chatted with him last weekend and he seemed not to have a care in the world, high fiving students, etc.  but somebody got to him on Tuesday with something.  Because he is not a rash man.  The faculty is absolutely disgusted with him right now.  He sent up years of goodwill into smoke in a couple hours.  
 

almost everyone at System/Chancellor office is still on comms lockdown and half the regents are still baffled by this even though they are Abbott supporters.  This is all very strange, even for us 

[troph 24,783]

2 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

I get your point.  But the DEI shit foisted upon Hartzell by the government.  He had no cards to play and was genuinely supportive of the DEI mission.  This was altogether a different animal.  This was 100% architected by Eltife, Longoria, and Abbott. But Jay went along with it.  And we will likely never know why.  
 

i chatted with him last weekend and he seemed not to have a care in the world, high fiving students, etc.  but somebody got to him on Tuesday with something.  Because he is not a rash man.  The faculty is absolutely disgusted with him right now.  He sent up years of goodwill into smoke in a couple hours.  
 

almost everyone at System/Chancellor office is still on comms lockdown and half the regents are still baffled by this even though they are Abbott supporters.  This is all very strange, even for us 

I was saying his hands were tied. that's the similarity between DEI and DPS show of force. now if we find out Hartzell was on his own with the DPS then I won't take back what I said about Abbott, but I will take back what I said about Hartzell. He's got to account for this if it was truly him - still acknowledging my first point about how difficult larger gatherings on heated topics can be in this current political and cultural climate.

Edited April 26 by troph

[Dbeasy 15,047]

5 minutes ago, troph said:

this is what I'm saying. No fucking way Hartzell asked for help and here comes the goons, in mass numbers, in full riot gear, there in force quickly. BULLSHIT. I think Hartzell's hand was forced. if we start with the premise that Abbott is a thug, what do thugs do? been watching the Godfather with my boys this week - Abbott made Hartzell an offer he couldn't refuse.

Now should Hartzell stand up to Abbott? I don't know, that depends on a lot of other factors the facts of which I simply am not privy to. But I'd sure as shit love to know. The DEI shit and now this shit?  Yeah, I'm very, very concerned which way this goes. 

Yes. Everyone can blame Hartzell and maybe he was complicit but in my opinion the focus should be on the politicians and administrators driving this from shadowy backrooms. And 90% of the posters on here demanding that he should have done something in the face of this pressure are the same 90% that never say a word to their bosses when being abused in the workplace. 

[Pato del Muerto 52,489]

4 hours ago, troph said:

Now should Hartzell stand up to Abbott? I don't know, that depends on a lot of other factors the facts of which I simply am not privy to. But I'd sure as shit love to know. The DEI shit and now this shit?  Yeah, I'm very, very concerned which way this goes. 

It depends on who you think Hartzell is supposed to be serving. If it’s the state of Texas, the expectations are different than if it’s the university of Texas. 
 

if he was making 75k as a prof and eyeing a tenure(has the state taken that away yet?), speaking out would be significantly damaging to him so I wouldn’t blame him for not. However, at his current role, salary, and point of his career- yes he should fight Abbott if he thinks Abbott is wrong. 

The statement with his name on it shows that he either thinks like Abbott or feels like he has to acquiesce to him. 

Edited April 26 by Pato del Muerto

[Captainant 27,655]

8 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

I get your point.  But the DEI shit foisted upon Hartzell by the government.  He had no cards to play and was genuinely supportive of the DEI mission.  This was altogether a different animal.  This was 100% architected by Eltife, Longoria, and Abbott. But Jay went along with it.  And we will likely never know why.  

The DEI stuff was compounded because (according to my mom who's an AD for UT student services) hartzell made a big show of telling the staff and faculty that nobody would be losing their job and livelihood over the DEI programs getting shuttered - and then he fired all sixty of em. The staff and faculty have already been mad at hartzell because he went back on his word about protecting the Texas family from State interference

That's what the Tower protest yesterday was originally supposed to be about, but they ceded the site to the second day of the peaceful pro-Palestine protests

[C-Man 27,217]

57 minutes ago, Skipper said:

It's not just state politics. It's internal politics as well.  He's getting heat for what happened but imagine the heat from those cutting the checks that actually matter if he would have let UT campus turn into Columbia.  Just like the Eyes of Texas nonsense that threatened millions in funding he had to navigate. Nobody on this board cares about or likes to consider that reality but it's a fact.  A lot easier to have hot takes and play Monday AM QB on a message board where all that is hanging in the balance is internet rep

I doubt most of us would've heard anything about it outside of Austin if he hadn't let Hot Wheels turn loose his goon squad to make it a scene shown around the US. Let them have their protest, maybe issue a statement that it is not endorsed by the university and if the protesters are non-violent and leave when they're supposed to leave, it's over and done with. Period. But Hartzell and Abbott threw gasoline on the fire here and it's a gigantic shit-show. UT looks terrible. Was there any threat it was going to turn into Columbia if they didn't send in the clowns to sweep the area???

[BrickHorn 18,219]

20 minutes ago, troph said:

this is what I'm saying. No fucking way Hartzell asked for help and here comes the goons, in mass numbers, in full riot gear, there in force quickly. BULLSHIT.

Right. That didn’t happen. He asked for this AHEAD OF TIME. 

I have no idea why you’re willing to die on this hill. Stop bending over backwards to justify obvious fascism.

[SydneyCarton 48,079]

5 minutes ago, Captainant said:

The DEI stuff was compounded because (according to my mom who's an AD for UT student services) hartzell made a big show of telling the staff and faculty that nobody would be losing their job and livelihood over the DEI programs getting shuttered - and then he fired all sixty of em. The staff and faculty have already been mad at hartzell because he went back on his word about protecting the Texas family from State interference

That's what the Tower protest yesterday was originally supposed to be about, but they ceded the site to the second day of the peaceful pro-Palestine protests

The reality is that Hartzell doesn't call the shots. The BOR calls the shots. I can't speak for how he handled firing a bunch of folks, becuase I have no personal knowledge of that, but your story sure sounds like it was fucking shitty. But he was told to shutter DEI, or lose his job. I know Hartzell loves UT and wanted it to be his last job. But I have to wonder if we'll be seeing that guy take a job as Presdient in...some other state. At the end of the day, this is a microcosm of everything else that is happening in Texas, right down to the people who are making active plans to GTFO of this place at some point in the future. It's what Fascism does. It squeezes downward and forces compliance or fleeing, right up until the point where they have enough power that they won't let you flee. Then they force compliance in totality. And every step of the way, people have to ask if this is the day they're willing to give up everything they've fought their life to achieve to escape, or stand up and do the right thing when it's all on the line for them personally. It's a hard question to answer sometimes. But all of us will, at some point soon, most likely. 

Edited April 26 by SydneyCarton

[Captainant 27,655]

1 minute ago, SydneyCarton said:

The reality is that Hartzell doesn't call the shots. The BOR calls the shots. I can't speak for how he handled firing a bunch of folks, becuase I have no personal knowledge of that, but your story sure sounds like it was fucking shitty. But he was told to shutter DEI, or lose his job. I know Hartzell loves UT and wanted it to be his last job. But I have to wonder if we'll be seeing that guy take a job as Presdient in...some other state. At the end of the day, this is a microcosm of everything else that is happening in Texas, right down to the people who are making active plans to GTFO of this place at some point in the future. 

Sorry I didn't quite make it clear, Hartzell had told the soon-to-be-fired DEI staff that they would find a place for them in UT so they would not lose their jobs and livelihood. The DEI program was going away no matter what, but he welched on his commitment to keep them in jobs somewhere at UT.

[SydneyCarton 48,079]

1 minute ago, Captainant said:

Sorry I didn't quite make it clear, Hartzell had told the soon-to-be-fired DEI staff that they would find a place for them in UT so they would not lose their jobs and livelihood. The DEI program was going away no matter what, but he welched on his commitment to keep them in jobs somewhere at UT.

Either way, that sounds fucking shitty. I'm not defending the guy's behavior by any stretch. I simply think if we was left to his own devices, things would have gone differently in almost all these situations. He didn't want the fucking Liberty Institute anywhere near UT. He didn't want to dismantle DEI. And I'm completely speculating, but I wouldn't be surprised if our BOR wasn't interested in retaining ANY DEI employees the way aTm didn't want some "liberal black woman" running their journalism department. The sad truth is the Dismal Tide is coming for all of us. 

[Dahobbs 17,534]

19 minutes ago, troph said:

I was saying his hands were tied. that's the similarity between DEI and DPS show of force. now if we find out Hartzell was on his own with the DPS then I won't take back what I said about Abbott, but I will take back what I said about Hartzell. He's got to account for this if it was truly him - still acknowledging my first point about how difficult larger gatherings on heated topics can be in this current political and cultural climate.

It isn't like he asked for help the day of because it was getting out of control. He asked for helps days before the event even took place. He asked for the DPS to come and shut it down BEFORE the event took place. He deserves no quarter here. 

[YGIFS 19,450]

7 minutes ago, Captainant said:

The DEI stuff was compounded because (according to my mom who's an AD for UT student services) hartzell made a big show of telling the staff and faculty that nobody would be losing their job and livelihood over the DEI programs getting shuttered - and then he fired all sixty of em. The staff and faculty have already been mad at hartzell because he went back on his word about protecting the Texas family from State interference

That's what the Tower protest yesterday was originally supposed to be about, but they ceded the site to the second day of the peaceful pro-Palestine protests

Gotcha.  That would certainly explain why I was nowhere near the oldest person there for once.  I didn’t know if it was some show of solidarity or what.  I’m going to the DDCE culmination event in a few days.  I’m sure it’ll make for some interesting news fodder.  
 

gotta give UTPD credit.  They were out there yesterday but very calm and collected.  No nightsticks or helmets or wagons.  Just hanging back and the students were grumpy but nobody in the hour I was there got in anybody’s face.  How higher Ed discourse should be

[BrickHorn 18,219]

I have to believe commencement is going to be a massive clusterfuck this year.

[Make em eat Taco Bell 1,549]

2 minutes ago, BrickHorn said:

I have to believe commencement is going to be a massive clusterfuck this year.

sponsored by Budweiser

[YGIFS 19,450]

Yeah, the USAF speaker has already been asked if she still wants the headline speech or that she can skip out and be substituted for if she so desires.  She’s a fucking badass fighter pilot who’s dealt with much tougher situations but I kinda got the vibe that the school is thinking “we know you can handle the pressure, but we may not want to deal with all the bullshit and fallout.”

[Surly Bevo 24,908]

There are really two possibilities on Jay which is what Troph is dead on about. While both are less than ideal we don’t truly know the motivations:
 

1. He’s totally aligned with Abbot et al  Not much more to say about that option  

2. He knows there are bigger battles to be waged and as distasteful as this was he had to burn some decency here to live to fight those bigger battles lest he be replaced by somebody who completely capitulates. 
 

I’d prefer the Luthen Rael option 2 but who knows.

 

 

Edited April 26 by Surly Bevo

[Skipper 6,133]

 

51 minutes ago, troph said:

I 100% agree about Abbott. I don't know enough about Hartzell to say the bold is 100% true. The shocking truth is UT leadership could get MUCH worse post-Hartzell.  I have no idea where Hartzell is at - being subservient to Abbott for personal gain or subservient to try and keep him at bay on at least some of the day-to-day. But the meddling by Abbott and Texas MAGA is intense that I 100% believe. We are in unchartered waters here imo.

Agreed with this. I think a lot of people are in an absolute state of denial about their State of residence.  I have zero idea about Hartzel's personal politics or how much he likes this job, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if he walks away from it.  If he does, good luck finding a replacement that is better if you are a liberal.   Who would want to step into a situation juggling a heavy liberal leaning faculty student body that happens to be a public institution in a MAGA state with MAGA politicians? 

[Dbeasy 15,047]

28 minutes ago, Dahobbs said:

It isn't like he asked for help the day of because it was getting out of control. He asked for helps days before the event even took place. He asked for the DPS to come and shut it down BEFORE the event took place. He deserves no quarter here. 

You keep saying this but are not digesting what multiple posters keep trying to tell you. Yes he did it in advance. Because the people he works for made it very clear they did not want another Columbia. 

[Dahobbs 17,534]

8 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

You keep saying this but are not digesting what multiple posters keep trying to tell you. Yes he did it in advance. Because the people he works for made it very clear they did not want another Columbia. 

I understand exactly what they are saying. I'm saying it doesn't fucking matter. He isn't the fucking janitor. He isn't mid-level management. He is the fucking President of the University. He had other options than trample the safety and rights of students. 

[troph 24,783]

1 hour ago, BrickHorn said:

Right. That didn’t happen. He asked for this AHEAD OF TIME. 

I have no idea why you’re willing to die on this hill. Stop bending over backwards to justify obvious fascism.

not even close to what I'm saying. if hartzell is the fascist, hang him by his sagging scrotum. I'm not sure he's the fascist though. I certainly would like to find out more.

[troph 24,783]

 

27 minutes ago, Dahobbs said:

I understand exactly what they are saying. I'm saying it doesn't fucking matter. He isn't the fucking janitor. He isn't mid-level management. He is the fucking President of the University. He had other options than trample the safety and rights of students. 

It could matter because his replacement might be much worse. imagine if everyone that was squeezed in the trump admin resigned?  as bad as this was, I don't want it to get worse. and oh boy can it.

[Captainant 27,655]

2 minutes ago, troph said:

not even close to what I'm saying. if hartzell is the fascist, hang him by his sagging scrotum. I'm not sure he's the fascist though. I certainly would like to find out more.

IMO, it is completely fucking irrelevant however he felt while he requested a fucking COMPANY of DPS officers to come into his campus to deprive his students of their freedom of speech. He fucking ordered the code red. 

[YGIFS 19,450]

He is a tick just right of centre And has been for years.  Never injected politics Into his administration other than asking for more money from the Capitol.  Took the job formally as Covid regulations were winding down.  While he’s presided over some salty demonstrations on campus, it’s Nothing terribly unusual for a school of our size.  
 

his prize mistake was that a rather benign governor, with regard to higher education, would go full batshit MAGA in the last two years and take it out on everybody from the Rio Grande to the Tower.  Half the regents and even Dan Patrick don’t wanna touch this.  That’s how bad Abbott, Eltife, Longoria, and Jay fucked this up.  

[Captainant 27,655]

I know there's a whole "devil you know" aspect to all of this, but all that keeping Hartzell communicates is that these sorts of fascist abuses of power are completely acceptable and justified 

[High Plains Drifter 11,036]

30 minutes ago, Dahobbs said:

I understand exactly what they are saying. I'm saying it doesn't fucking matter. He isn't the fucking janitor. He isn't mid-level management. He is the fucking President of the University. He had other options than trample the safety and rights of students. 

 

And if he didn't have any other options, then he should have resigned. And held a press conference explaining why. Go out a hero, not become a fascist enabler. 

 

[Dahobbs 17,534]

4 minutes ago, troph said:

 

It could matter because his replacement might be much worse. imagine if everyone that was squeezed in the trump admin resigned?  as bad as this was, I don't want it to get worse. and oh boy can it.

I understand. Don't let perfect become the enemy of good. the problem is that I just don't see any good here. And I'm not going to let fear of what may be prevent me from standing up to what it is. And this was wrong. 

[Pato del Muerto 52,489]

Or live long enough to become a villain

[jimmyjazz 45,900]

Hartzell is more than a "tick right of center".  Don't minimize his tendencies.

[Willfully Horn 8,008]

2 hours ago, Skipper said:

Just like the Eyes of Texas nonsense that threatened millions in funding

Yeah, no. Our student athletes asked for the university to act. Calling their concerns nonsense is arrogant, and patronizing. 

[Captainant 27,655]

3 minutes ago, Willfully Horn said:

Yeah, no. Our student athletes asked for the university to act. Calling their concerns nonsense is arrogant, and patronizing. 

And interestingly, the LHB director at the time of the Eyes controversy, Scott Hanna, made all the same mistakes of inaction and over-politicking as Hartzell did. They even look the same, which is pretty weird

Edited April 26 by Captainant

[tx 3 putt 76,907]

3 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

I think students, faculty, alumni, donors, and prospective students have the right to know if hartzell is impotent and abbott is running the university. 

does ut still gay studies / black studies / brown studies / asian studies / women studies ?

if so, abbott isn’t in charge

yet 

[troph 24,783]

I'm out. I think there are plenty of reasonable views here, I just want to know what really happened (you know fly on the wall), many of you know what happened. anyway, if Hartzell is the fascist then I want him out as much as I want Abbott gone.  If this is more of the unrelenting meddling of a fascist governor and others, then fuck me running as well.  doesn't matter which it is, our university is in deep shit, and I'll just leave it at that.

[BurntOrange&White 39,931]

4 hours ago, Pancho said:

Is it just me or has the college encampments and protests happening all at the same time look….odd?

Target young by impressionable adults to join the Islamic state? 

[Willfully Horn 8,008]

Maybe today’s yutes have morphed the WTO protest encampments with OG protest marches.

[SydneyCarton 48,079]

44 minutes ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

And if he didn't have any other options, then he should have resigned. And held a press conference explaining why. Go out a hero, not become a fascist enabler. 

 

Everyone says this, until it’s everything they’ve worked for in their lives at stake. It’s very easy to do the right thing from our recliners, much harder when it’s your life and career on the line. Again, this is how fascism works. For fucks sake, what did the milgram studies teach us?

 

and I say this completely thinking I’d do the right thing too in that situation. And yet, here I sit in Houston, not leaving Texas, because my kid has a good thing going and because my career isn’t portable, or even replicable, anywhere else. Just hoping things hold together till the kiddo goes to college and we can get out. While risking his future and ours by staying. 
 

For everyone who has talked of leaving and hasn’t yet, why haven’t you? Doing the right thing is always easy, right?

 

42 minutes ago, Dahobbs said:

I understand. Don't let perfect become the enemy of good. the problem is that I just don't see any good here. And I'm not going to let fear of what may be prevent me from standing up to what it is. And this was wrong. 

Everyone says that until they see what the next thing is…but on the upside, something even more obviously monstrous that follows will make it easier to cut ties and wash hands entirely. 

[Willfully Horn 8,008]

Youngest is in college, wife is retired, and my business is portable, though that would be an enormous hassle, but we haven’t made the decision to leave. This is our state. Moving to another wouldn’t put us beyond the darkness of imminent fascistic rule. If we move, we will become expats. 
 

[Hank Scorpio 17,729]

We gotta figure out a way to move UT out of Texas.