Tea at Trianon: Yale Police Union Distributes Controversial Flyer on Campus Safety

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Saturday, September 2, 2023

Yale Police Union Distributes Controversial Flyer on Campus Safety

From Sara Carter:

The Yale Police Union in New Haven has sparked controversy by distributing a public safety flyer featuring an image of the Grim Reaper to students as they arrived at the Ivy League university’s campus this week. The flyer, accompanied by alarming statistics about crime, drew criticism from both Yale and New Haven city officials who deemed it “misleading” and fear-inducing, according to reports from Fox News.

Yale University expressed strong disapproval of the pamphlet in a statement, asserting that it contained “disturbing and inflammatory rhetoric” aimed at creating fear among new students and their families. The flyer claimed that crime in New Haven was “getting worse” and highlighted statistics indicating an increase in murders, burglaries, and motor vehicle thefts, all sourced from the New Haven Police Department.

The flyer’s tone raised concerns, advising students to take precautionary measures such as avoiding the streets after 8 p.m., not walking alone, and staying on campus. While the statistics in the flyer are accurate, officials point out that they might not provide a comprehensive view of the situation. For instance, while the number of homicides this year has increased compared to the same period last year, it remains lower than the tally in early August 2021. Similarly, while motor vehicle thefts have surged dramatically this year, other categories of crime have shown varying trends.

Furthermore, Yale Police Chief Anthony Campbell expressed his discontent with the union’s approach, describing himself as “disgusted” by their decision to disseminate the flyer. New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker labeled the pamphlet as “childish” and “selfish,” according to reports, emphasizing that it detracted from the cooperative efforts between law enforcement and the community.

Yale University acknowledged that the move-in day should be a positive and memorable experience for new students and their families and expressed disappointment that the flyer ran counter to the intended spirit of the day. The incident sheds light on the complex interplay between campus safety concerns, communication strategies, and the responsibilities of law enforcement unions in academic settings. (Read more.)