Oregon Law Professor Educates Students by Shoving Them, Stealing Their Phone
College is not some soft fantasyland where professors gently stroke students' egos with uncontroversial lessons. College is a place where students come to have their opinions challenged, preferably by a law professor who shoves them and steals their cellphones.
When it comes to pure demonstrations of "best practices" in education techniques, you'll find none better than the above video (via Inside Higher Ed), in which University of Oregon adjunct law professor James Olmsted bestows priceless education upon the members of Students Against Imperialism, who were protesting on campus last week against U.S. immigration policies. By being a middle-aged man in a position of power who angrily mocks the students, Olmsted educates them on the makeup of the American power structure. By shoving one student, Olmsted educates them on nonviolent techniques. By snatching a cell phone out of the hands of a student who is recording his actions and putting it in his pocket, Olmsted educates them on the harsh realities of property law. By advising the students to "start a fucking war" and "stop being pussies," Olmsted educates them on the shortcomings of rule of law.
And by getting himself fired and arrested for harassing a bunch of kids protesting on campus, Olmsted has educated them on the fact that just because someone has academic credentials doesn't mean they're not a fucking moron.
