The forces of reaction have been successful at portraying legitimate concerns raised by students of color as "SJW victimhood" drivel or whatever. As far as I can tell, the vast majority of students who've participated in these protesters do not support censorship or whatever. The problem with these protests is that they're based on horizontal organizing structures, where everyone's voice is legitimized/attached to "Black Lives Matter" and the like, which leads inane claims made by idiots to be taken as a voice of a protest or movement.
This backlash was bound to happen, white America is tired of the petulant demands of people of color, but it has been truly appalling witnessing well-intentioned students get excoriated for views that they do not hold because they lack discipline and organizing experience. It's been doubly appalling reading articles written by liberals who have bought into conservative messaging on these protests.
You have it backwards. Black Lives Matter has legitimate grievances about the discrimination of African Americans by police. Unfortunately, some of them have decided the best way to make progress is to make as many people as possible angry at them. I agree with their goals, but their tactics are counterproductive.
The college protests are a mixed bag. Its a shame the equivalent of temper tantrum being thrown at Yale is being used the discredit the Missouri protests.
The fact that these people are making millennial liberals look bad is part of why I'm so frustrated with them. Every time I bring up a social issue from now on, I'm going to have to defend myself 'No,
of course I don't want to silence protesters who disagree with me.' 'No, I'm not about to accuse you of harassment/racism/sexism/whatever just because you disagree with me on this.' 'No, I don't believe that universities should control what their students wear for Halloween'. Its going to be exhausting.
