Administrators at Columbia University in New York and a few (though far from all) other colleges have finally heeded the calls for common sense and begun tearing down the pro-Hamas protest tent cities and having the rioters arrested. This welcome change was long overdue and much more remains to be done. (For one thing, they need to start arresting the faculty members who joined the protests.) Some of the students who were arrested are now waking up to a harsh bit of reality, however. Their actions have consequences that can follow them long after they finish their time on campus. With that in mind, some of them have a new set of demands. They are calling for amnesty and the erasure of their arrest records and student records revealing that they have been suspended. Will the congregation join me in a spirited cry of "Boo Hoo?" (Associated Press)

Maryam Alwan figured the worst was over after New York City police in riot gear arrested her and other protesters on the Columbia University campus, loaded them onto buses and held them in custody for hours.

But the next evening, the college junior received an email from the university. Alwan and other students were being suspended after their arrests at the “ Gaza Solidarity Encampment,” a tactic colleges across the country have deployed to calm growing campus protests against the Israel-Hamas war.

The students’ plight has become a central part of protests, with students and a growing number of faculty demanding their amnesty. At issue is whether universities and law enforcement will clear the charges and withhold other consequences, or whether the suspensions and legal records will follow students into their adult lives.

As noted above, the students are fearful that their arrest records and suspensions will "follow them into their adult lives." Based on their recent actions, I realize that we're not dealing with the fastest set of tractors on the farm here, but I have a news flash for these rioters. Nearly every one of you is at least 18 years old and some of the juniors and seniors are in their twenties. You are already in your "adult life," despite the fact that you're not acting in a very mature fashion. 

For what it's worth, you may not be learning very much at college because you're missing so many classes, but this could turn out to be one of the more educational moments of your young lives. Everyone's actions have consequences for better or worse. If you decide to tip back a few drinks and get behind the wheel of your vehicle, you may wind up with a DUI on your record or potentially something far worse. If you knowingly decide to violate the law in any fashion, the consequences of your actions can and likely will follow you around for a long time to come.

As to the specific actions of these rioters, how this matter is handled going forward should depend entirely on the severity of their crimes while participating. Those who simply showed up and joined in some chanting and then dispersed when ordered to do so were probably not arrested. If they don't turn into repeat offenders, perhaps their suspensions could be cleansed from their record after an appropriate period of time. Those who erected structures in restricted areas or - in the most serious cases - physically assaulted law enforcement officers should be shown no such sympathy. If they are willing to do such things as young adults, potential future employers, and others should be able to learn that in advance. Clear demonstrations of antisemitism should be made known as well, every bit as much as evidence of potentially violent discrimination against any group.

The students at Columbia appear to be among the worst of the lot. As of this morning, their encampments are still in place and the university is still "negotiating" with them. This is precisely the type of "education" that they shouldn't be receiving. The school is teaching them that they can get away with violating the law without consequences under the guise of free speech. All freedoms have limitations when they begin adversely affecting others. It's a harsh lesson, but it's one that these rioters need to be taught.