“If you give into bullies, they win. The only way bullies are defeated is by standing up to them. If we cancel the exam, they win; if we go through with it, they lose. I know which side I am on. You make your own choice.” That was popular Missouri professor Dale Brigham in an email sent to students who were thinking about staying away from his classroom a day after anonymous death threats against minorities were made on social media. The email was viewed as insensitive by some and shocking by others. Within hours, pressure led to an apology and — eventually Brigham’s resignation. As is always the case, it’s difficult to get the full context of a story in one article. But this sure seems to fit a common thread weaving its way through college campuses. Those with insensitive or unpopular views are forced to shut up or get out.

+ One of the things student protesters at Missouri are fighting for is an increase in “black representation among University of Missouri-Columbia staff and faculty members to 10 percent by the next academic calendar year.” Just to give you some idea of how low the representation is today: Getting to that level would require 400 new hires.

+ Protests with similar roots and demands are now taking place at other schools, including Ithaca College.