Editorial To Vima: How long must we discuss asylum for thugs?

14:37 28/6/2019 - Πηγή: In.gr

Greece is the only country in Europe and perhaps in the world in which we continue to debate in 2019 the issue of university asylum.

There is no other country that for decades has been unable to confront and resolve a problem which everywhere else has been solved long ago.

Unfortunately, in Greece there are

still people who live and conduct politics on the basis of post-Civil War syndromes.

Whether they like it or not, for decades we have enjoyed a solid and undisputed democracy.

The vast majority of citizens acknowledge the fact that in democratic societies citizens are free to promote and clash over ideas and concepts with respect for democratic rules and the law.

For some odd reason, we have linked the freedom to propagate ideas and the prohibition of external interventions with toleration for violence, lawlessness, thuggish attacks against university teaching staff, and even drug dealing.

Due to the institution of asylum, that is unfortunately the situation at universities and it is tolerated if not encouraged by certain political forces.

At universities everywhere else in the world there is no toleration or cover-up of incidents of violence.

The competent authorities or university policing organs do not leave the slightest room for delinquent behaviour.

Here, university professors have been attacked and university infrastructure has been destroyed and we treat it as simply part of daily life.

University asylum was established during the Renaissance in order to protect professors, students, and research from interventions by political and ecclesiastical authorities.

Fortunately, after many centuries, in our country the propagation of ideas and scientific discoveries is not subject to limits or extra-institutional intervention.

If Greek universities need protection it is against all types of thugs that with their daily activity undermine them.

All the rest is nonsense that cannot endure the test of reason.