I&#x27;m surrounded by a great many people who unequivocally side with this movement. One of their refrains is that <i>if you are neutral, you have taken the side of the oppressor</i>.<p>I was raised by journalists and academics. To me, there&#x27;s no question that universities must be neutral platforms and good journalism reports what&#x27;s there without taking a side. But I am a straight white man from a middle-class family.<p>A supporter of the movement will tell you that the elevation of free inquiry and free expression to &quot;value&quot; status, as something with intrinsic worth and deserving of protection, was a fraud perpetrated by white men to sustain their power. A good many of my acquaintances actually believe the idea that <i>there is objective truth</i> that you can uncover scientifically is a similar fraud, so that white male academics would have access to tools like <i>rational arguments</i> or <i>pointing out logical fallacies</i> to better oppress everyone else.<p>To these people, the <i>only</i> thing that matters is the subjective &quot;lived experience&quot; of people who are not straight white men. Everything else can go to hell. Viewed in this light, their actions actually make perfect sense.