UCLA Professor Canceled

Gordon Klein, a UCLA Anderson School of Management professor since 1981, responded to a request for special treatment for black students in the most thoughtful way possible:

Thanks for your suggestion in your email below that I give black students special treatment, given the tragedy in Minnesota [George Floyd’s death at the hand of police].

Do you know the names of the classmates that are black? How can I identify them since we’ve been having online classes only?

Are there any students that may be of mixed parentage, such as half black-half Asian? What do you suggest I do with respect to them? A full concession or just half?

Also, do you have any idea if any students are from Minneapolis? I assume that they probably are especially devastated as well. I am thinking that a white student from there might possibly be even more devastated by this, especially because some might think that they’re racist even if they are not. My [teaching assistant] is from Minneapolis, so if you don’t know, I can probably ask her.

Can you guide me on how you think I should achieve a “no-harm” outcome since our sole course grade is from a final exam only?

One last thing strikes me: Remember that MLK famously said that people should not be evaluated based on “the color of their skin.” Do you think that your request would run afoul of MLK’s admonition?

But Preet Bains, a 4th year climate science student, decided to instigate a lynch mob against Klein. He has now been canceled. Anyone interested might want to follow the career of Mr. Bains.

22 Replies to “UCLA Professor Canceled”

  1. This is how we get public health epidemiologists who tell us protests are more important than controlling COVID because systemic racism kills far more people than the virus.

    1. Why me?
      My thoughts on George Floyd’s death:
      The four officers involved had been fired without due process. Officer Chauvin has been charged with second degree murder, the other three have been charged with aiding and abetting him. They have been arrested and are in custody, with bail set at $1M for each.
      This is the most that anyone can do in a lawful society when a crime is committed. What exactly are they protesting against? One white man has killed one black man and therefore the entire American nation of over 300 million is now racist? George Floyd did not “deserve to die,” no more than the white victims of black murderers. But he was a thug. So were Trayvon Martin, and the two victims in Ferguson and Baltimore, where the entire political structure was controlled by blacks, and have been for decades. There is no systemic racism against blacks in America, we are leaning over backwards.
      My thoughts on affirmative action:
      You let people into a university who do not belong there, and you have to either coddle them in their entire academic career, or flunk them out after one quarter. The tragic thing is, as Thomas Sowell pointed out, those who flunked out of an Ivy League school have their entire academic career destroyed, whereas they may have done decently at a less prestigious school. If you coddle them, and they realize they don’t have to do any work to get a degree, they will spend their whole academic career protesting.
      Where I worked for most of my career, in aerospace engineering, they didn’t have affirmative action until very late in my career. So I worked with few blacks, but those I worked with were totally competent and driven. They had something to prove, and worked much harder than your ordinary engineer. The only black I found lacking was in middle management, who was all bombast. But affirmative action does not do capable blacks any favors. Unavoidably, they are painted with the same broad brush.

  2. Notice how quickly the Indians, Pakistanis and Arabs have hopped onto the BLM train, calling themselves black…

    1. Exactly what I thought.
      Politically Correct attitude, and familiar with the process of cancelling people who are not in step with the progressive parade.

  3. Freedom of Speech seems to be having an increasingly difficult time in these Places of Higher Learning.
    And I don’t give a shit because they’ll continue to consume one another till the only thing anyone remaining has is utter paranoia.

  4. This is what “affirmative action” admissions has led to: preferential grading. That’s something to think about if one has to deal with a graduate of a certain racial inclination, particularly if one’s life or income depend upon that person’s judgement.

    1. The soft bigotry of low expectations. Those who are proponents of it don’t realize just how patronizing it is to say “you’re black, therefore we can’t expect you to meet normal standards for an educated person.”

      1. But hold them to the same standards as everyone else, and one is accused of racism.

  5. In the convoluted world of racism, university, media cartel, ruling class, one wonders if anything of value can be accomplished.
    As many of those that want special treatment know, racism is number one in their advantage to get something for nothing.
    If you request special treatment, like the lady actor for her daughter, of course you should be sent to pound sand, what ever the saying means. However if you have a point of victimhood in any sense you want to take it, you have an advantage if not outright win.

    These days it is harder and harder to read these stories of general decline of western civilization. The only thing looking forward with optimism is that this nonsense will come to a quick end.
    The only drawback will be the stench of death.
    Son of Man once said, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand”, not saying fhis to be religious, to simply state an empirical truth.
    Some call it catharsis be brought about possibly by those same characters that act against it now.
    Remember that the communists had to realize, if they did not know already, which I submit to you they did, that they were wrong and abandoned the suffocating ideology.
    They knew they were wrong, though because of their ideology could not accept or would not admit to be wrong, deadly wrong.
    Yeah, ideology will do that to people, protest chants are the very same as those of religious cults. Keep repeating the same thing over and over and soon against what you know is wrong, you reluctantly accept and then wholly swallow the meme, whatever it may be.

  6. Pretty much guarantees that any product of that University is defective.
    However given the current state of universities,I have little sympathy for the inhabitants.
    These institutions did not devolve to this all in a vacuum.

    The Herd recycles every fad.
    Todays fad?
    Burn The Witch.

    1. One of the problems with academe is that it’s a bureaucracy. The sole purpose of a bureaucracy is to survive and perpetuate itself and, possibly, expand, doing all that at any cost. Any attempt to change or reform the system can be harmful to one’s career prospects.

      While I was teaching, many of my colleagues expressed dissatisfaction with the status quo. But none of them were willing to stick their necks out and do anything about it. Of course, they figured they had it good at that place, so why rock the boat? (Uh, maybe because what the system is doing is wrong?)

      1. Yes I learned that quickly enough when I was discriminated against by being forced to retire due to my age. Not one person stepped up to support or defend me on any committee. They ere too scared covering their own behind. I was considered a trouble maker anyway so good riddance.

        1. I was considered a trouble maker anyway so good riddance.

          So was I. Still, people were startled when I quit my teaching position. After all, why would I give up such a “good” job? (Really? Considering all the horse puckey I had to put up with there?)

          On the other hand, they were glad that I was leaving. I had become an irritant and I made a few enemies there as well. But, I’m sure the place was all sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns after I walked off campus for the last time.

          What surprised them was that I left under terms that I dictated. All it took for me was one look at my investment portfolio, after which I asked myself, “Why am I still here, putting up with this nonsense?” That’s when I decided to cut myself loose and go on my own.

  7. preet bains would do well to take on cultural honour killing in the sikh community !

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