Law Schools, Politics

The Day After: A Law Professor Election Story

With some foresight, professors might think about not having exams after an election night anyway.

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sad studentThe day after the election, I said on Twitter that professors should cancel exams if they scheduled them for the day after the election. I said that professors should also be extra nice to students who might be devastated by the election results. More specifically:

This, of course, was met with remarks about “safe spaces” and coddling my students who would go on to do poorly in the world because they couldn’t handle anything.
My response to that (derailed) train of thought: Um, okay. I didn’t get a single request from a student to do what I did, but you seem to know them better than me, so good for you!

Of course, other professors DID cancel classes, delay exams, and were kind to their students. This was met with ire online. It was “unbelievable.” It wouldn’t have happened if Hillary were elected. It was just unfair and those liberal professors and their safe spaces are up to no good!

What was funny was how this got overblown. Snopes even addressed it. There was no systematic liberal professor cartel that agreed to cancel classes. Some did, some didn’t. Some had exams, some didn’t.

I think that people misunderstand the purpose of canceling exams and being kinder. This wasn’t that people were upset because their party lost. This wasn’t Bush v. Gore, or Obama v. Romney: The president-elect had made a pledge to deport or otherwise target a certain class of people. If you are one of those in his discrimination sights, it is very difficult to concentrate on an exam. Even if you’re not, you probably (unless you are sheltered) know someone who is in that group.

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It also didn’t take long for those horrors of human beings, the racists, to start lighting things up on college campuses. As signs of hate started after the election, it only takes a little empathy to imagine what it is like to be on the receiving end of that hatred.

It is impossible to learn if you’re terrorized. You might mock that, if you’ve no soul. But unless you have empathy, you’ll never understand that feeling.

As for my own class, I held it. I made the following comments:

If your side won, don’t gloat. Some are unhappy that your side won (and others are fearful for their future). Because you care for your colleagues, you should not gloat.

If your side lost, don’t take your anger out on your colleagues who voted differently. Because you care for your colleagues.

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The University is a place of learning and discussion. It is not a place to make that discussion impossible.

Opinions may differ, but racism, sexism, and threats should never be tolerated. Ever.

I couldn’t imagine people would have a problem with that. But I’m probably wrong. It is easy to label professors as “libtards” who are interested in indoctrinating students in the ways of the liberal side of the Force. Personally, I could not care less what my students think, so long as they do think. But I see that some think there is a vast liberal conspiracy to brainwash students and steal their lunch money.

A stronger ideal, one lost on people trying to score quick points, is that there is a place in the world for empathy and compassion. One doesn’t need to look back that far in our history to see what hatred and racism does to education systems. It doesn’t take a history professor to have to explain how threats against a class of people can by themselves create terror.

That’s why I suggested rescheduling exams and being kind. Of course, with some foresight, professors might think about not having exams after an election night anyway.

LawProfBlawg is an anonymous professor at a top 100 law school. You can see more of his musings here and on Twitter. Email him at lawprofblawg@gmail.com.

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