Kyle Kashuv, Harvard, Right Wing Hypocrisy, Race and Redemption!
By: Elwood Watson
Tags: Kyle Kashuv, Parkland Shooting, Right Wing, Harvard University, Ben Shapiro

Former Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School graduate, Kyle Kashuv who, like many of his fellow classmates, over the past 18 months, inspired much of the nation given the manner in which they conducted themselves coupled with their intense fervor and fierce commitment, as they passionately described their stories and demonstrated their unyielding level of impassioned activism as it relates to the issue of gun control announced to the entire world via twitter that Harvard University had revoked his admission. The reason for such an action by the nation’s oldest institution of higher learning was due to the fact that Kashuv, along with several other classmates had posted a series of inflammatory posts complete with racist, sexist and anti-Semitic slurs and other abrasive language htttps://www.huffpost.com/entry/parkland-teen-kyle-kashuv-apologizes-racist-remarks_n_5ce6908be4b09b23e65ead62.

Among some of the vile, callous rhetoric Kashuv and some of his associates gleefully posted on various internet sites “N*gger Jocks,” and “Kill all the f*cking Jews.” You think that was appalling? Hell, these guys were just getting warmed up! He repeated the infamous, inflammatory N-word almost a dozen times eagerly boasting that he was good at posting that word and thus, “[P]ractice uhhhhhh makes perfect.” Not surprisingly, given his relatively well known profile, his comments became public property.

Understanding that he engaged in a major faux pas, Kashuv wrote Harvard and unequivocally apologized for his acrimonious comments. Indeed, he issued a number of hastily placed mea culpas to the institution’s admissions office and the school’s office of diversity and inclusion stating that “I am no longer the same person, especially in the aftermath of the Parkland shooting and all that has transpired since.” And get this, he even went further, soliciting advice from the esteemed ivy-league institution inquiring on how he could become a more commendable and requisite human being! He sure did baby! As of this week, Harvard said “sorry Kylie, your admission has been rescinded!” End of discussion. Cased closed!

As news of his plight became public, the internet wasted no time weighing in on the dramatic controversy. Interestingly, sentiment toward Kashuv was largely mixed and starkly divided (not surprisingly) along racial and ideological lines. Not about to be outdone or left out of the conversation, a few left, but primarily right wing media personalities eagerly injected themselves into the verbal fracas that had occurred and frantically attempted to persuade their viewing and listening audiences of the merits of their arguments. Kashuv himself, disingenuously took Harvard to task for their past which was a history that included racism, sexism, anti-Semitism and other transgressions.

More than a few commentators on the right, among them the irascible, frequently obnoxious and almost always self -righteous Ben Shapiro editor -in-chief of The Daily Wire https://www.dailywire.com/news/47971/hold-harvard-rescinds-admission-conservative-kyle-ben-shapiro argued that Harvard is/was a leftist university unwilling to embrace and endorse a policy of forgiveness. David French at the National Review( a conservative whose viewpoints I occasionally concur with) argued that the decision Harvard rendered was designed with the intent to “crush {Kashuv’s] public reputation.” Politically right of center columnist David Brooks of the New York Times opined that Harvard should be chastised for not taking a “truth and reconciliation approach.” Right wing self-righteousness in regards to the matter at hand was intense, largely disingenuous and admittedly, amusing.

It is not all that surprising that many conservative pundits, bloggers, commentators and the right wing bloggesphere unabashedly rallied to Kashuv’s defense.https://twitter.com/KyleKashuv/status/1131395413938966528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1131395413938966528&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2Fpolicy-and-politics%2F2019%2F6%2F17%2F18682101%2Fkyle-kashuv-harvard-parkland Whereas most Parkland High School Students who gained national prominence for their fierce advocacy of gun control laws, leaned left politically, Kashuv was/is an unapologetic conservative. He was embraced by the National Rifle Association. President Trump invited him to the White House. He was/is a teenage darling in influential conservative circles. For many on the right, he was/is seen a positive and inspirational aberration.

It is highly unlikely that these same columnists and pundits would be so eager to forgive or dismiss similar, vile, bigoted, untoward antics of a Black, Hispanic or other non-White teenager. In the value system of the social and conservative right forgiveness is a virtue reserved primarily, if not solely for White people. Period.

Given what appeared to be his abundant degree of media savvy, it is somewhat perplexing that Kashuv did not possess the foresight and skilled acumen to take a proactive stance, get out in front of the impending, sure to be controversy in an effort to control the narrative. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/06/03/the-parkland-provocateur-kyle-kashuv-prepares-to-graduate utm_source=twitter&utm_brand=tny&utm_medium=social&utm_social-type=owned&mbid=social_twitter. The undeniable fact is that in this 24/7 media age, virtually anything and everything a person posts on social media is permanently etched in the databases and deepest reservoirs of the internet. Technology can be one brutal force to deal with!

Regardless of technological forces, the indisputable truth is that is that we all make mistakes. Kashuv is a young adult. Youthful transgressions are a fact of life and right of passage (short of murder, rape or similar crimes ) and it is safe to say, that most if not, virtually all of us would have to plead guilty of falling short at one time or another in our lives. None of us can argue that we haven’t with a straight face, otherwise. We are mere mortals after all.

Mistakes and missteps aside, a seemingly intelligent person like Mr. Kashuv (his academic record demonstrates a person of considerable aptitude) in all probability, was astute to the fact that engaging in raucous, vehemently racial, anti-Semitic and xenophobic invective was unacceptable and demonstrated a blatant degree of disrespect to his fellow students as well as non-Whites and non-Christians in general. Such odious behavior cannot be condoned or totally excused. As a Jewish person himself, it is surprising, frankly inconceivable (at least to me and I am sure to some others), that Kashuv would willingly engage in such hate-filled, racist, sexist, anti-Semitic banter. I used the word banter loosely.

While one can hope that Mr. Kashuv is genuinely contrite for participating in such retrograde behavior, the cynical side of me (and probably many other people, including some of his advocates) believes that he is likely feigning contrition due to the fact that his vileness was exposed to the public for all to see. To put it bluntly and keep it real he is sorry for being caught!

Kashuv’s life will not be ruined due to the fact that he was denied admission to Harvard or any ivy-league institution for that matter. No doubt, to have such a raucous incident played out in the public sphere is undoubtedly a humiliating experience for such a young person to deal with. That being said, perhaps enduring such a public humiliation (which I do not wish on anyone) will serve as a teaching moment and transformative experience for him.

Perhaps, I may be blinded by naivety, but his current ordeal may serve as a cautionary point for other young people and some of us older folks to. Trust me, life will go on for Kyle Kashuv.

Elwood Watson, Ph.D. is a Professor, author and public speaker. His forthcoming book, Keepin’ It Real: Essays on Race in Contemporary America will be published the University of Chicago Press later this year.