Here’s the latest edition of State of the Day, a morning newsletter from Daily Caller Editor-at-Large Geoff Ingersoll.
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Hello, Dear Reader,
I’m back! The baby is doing well, mom’s fine, the other kids are good too, and, well, they’re also a bit much, so here I am, back to work.
I’m joking (sort of), I really do love my family.
Now…
RACISM KILLED JASON ARDAY
The death of disgraced Cambridge professor Jason Arday is a heartbreaking event. Every person is valuable, and each one deserves a shot at redemption. After the initial heartbreak for family and close friends, what’s especially tragic about suicide is that it leaves the absence of redemption imprinted forever.
Arday’s chance for redemption now relies on public perception, and thus far, things aren’t looking good.
Colleagues and supporters claim it was racism that led to Arday’s death. They’re right, but perhaps not in the way they believe.
They argue that the pressure from campaigns aimed at undermining his work was simply too much for him to handle and that it was racially motivated. The disconnection from reality needed to support the idea of a “racist digital lynching” is a perspective uniquely held within the realms of academia and elite media.
But, conservatives focused on racial issues attacking Arday and, by extension, Cambridge aren’t really helping the situation, even though they claim it’s all about merit. It often comes down to relying on our instincts to gauge sincerity from either side.
When we talk about merit, the clear, undeniable truth in this narrative is that Arday had essentially none, or at least not enough to be recognized as Cambridge’s youngest black fully-tenured professor (“historic!”). To add to the absurdity of it all, he appeared to be deceiving to such an extreme that reading his claims felt like listening to the kid at the bus stop boasting that his father once leaped over a mountain in a single bound.
Similarly preposterous was Liverpool John Moores University’s claim that it had thoroughly examined Arday’s PhD thesis and found no cause for concern. Ignoring the evidence that suggests a questionable dissertation, his writing was littered with grammatical and spelling errors that wouldn’t cut it for a freshman English class.
If there’s a bigger message here, it’s that academia’s wounds stem from within. It’s not just Arday who suffers because of this slow-motion downfall.
The elite academic community that lifted Arday in spite of his evident shortcomings plays a significant role in this situation. Skeptics, whom I don’t entirely dismiss, argue it was due to Arday’s race and his notable appearance—30 pounds of dreadlocks, and all. It’s hard to dispute that considering how many times Cambridge highlighted his race.
It seems almost obvious that Jason Arday would likely still be alive if he were just a sociology instructor at a community college, where his tall tales might have been seen as just quirky local flavor, and his academic shortcomings would probably go unnoticed.
Yes, it was racism that contributed to Arday’s death. But it was the “institutional” or “systemic” racism that academics and their less-than-pleasant students often harp on. Ironically, it unfolded right in front of them and was a result of their own policies. Institutions that seek out black individuals merely for diversity will often turn a blind eye to any negatives.
The most tragic aspect of this scenario is that if Arday is to gain any posthumous redemption, it will likely stem from his name becoming a catalyst for a return to a merit-based system devoid of color bias.
I honestly don’t know how likely that is. I won’t be waiting with bated breath.
WHAT I’M READING
Trump’s Newly Minted Attorney General Refuses NBC Host’s Pledge
She got Blanche’d.
Socialist Lawmaker Suggests Shoplifters Should Get Pass If They Steal For ‘Biological Need’
They’re in power now.
ROOKE: State Has The Courage To Do What Whole Country Needs
I wish my state would step up like this.
