I have been a student, trainee, or faculty member at universities for nearly thirty-five years. However, I have never seen our higher education system under greater threat or strain than the past two months. What makes this time so unsettling is that the primary adversary of universities is our own government.
We have seen cuts to or holds on federal research funding, most notably at top universities - several of which have large medical and scientific missions. My own research grants have been held up, and I am still uncertain whether and if these dollars will eventually flow to my lab.
We have seen lawfully-residing students detained as "terrorists" for merely expressing their political views that are protected under the First Amendment.
When will this stop?
It will stop when we citizen vote out the co-conspirators of this anti-democratic, unconstitutional assault. While the universities are the first beneficiaries of these attacks, they will not be the last.
Contact your congresspeople, protest, vote! United we stand, divided we all fall!
