“Die Luft der Freiheit weht” – the wind of freedom blows
The Free Speech Movement began in the Bay Area in 1964 and now suffers an agonizing Bay Area death 60 years later.
The Constitution is on the ballot this year. The article by James Rushmore linked above chronicles the case of Dr. Scott Atlas and his condemnation by the Stanford University Faculty Senate for his questioning of mandated government/private COVID measures they said were
“...anathema to our community, our values and our belief that we should use knowledge for good.”
He was correct and they were wrong.
Stanford is where “Die Luft der Freiheit weht”, The Wind of Freedom Blows.
The Founders and Their Vision
Leland and Jane Stanford founded Stanford University in memory of their only child, Leland Stanford Jr., who died of typhoid fever at age 15. Stricken by grief, they resolved to “dedicate their wealth to all of California’s children.” Their vision was to create a university that promotes public welfare and nurtures the “joy of knowledge”.
In pursuit of this vision, the Stanfords embarked on a journey to establish an institution that would not only educate but also inspire generations to come. They envisioned a place where students could explore their intellectual curiosities, challenge conventional wisdom, and contribute to the betterment of society.
The chosen motto reflects this vision. “Die Luft der Freiheit weht” – the wind of freedom blows. This phrase, a quotation from Ulrich von Hutten, a 16th-century German scholar, underlines their belief in freedom of thought, speech, and inquiry as the cornerstone of education.-Eric Eng https://admissionsight.com/the-stanford-motto/
Renowned Classics Professor Victor Davis Hansen received similar treatment at Stanford. He is now at Pepperdine University.
Time for a new motto on the Farm.
Super Robert. My daughter was in Stanford drosophila genetics and worked with fruitfly retrotransposons to destroy the genome. I then stopped her going to Stanford because of these dangerous experiments. But she also said that the spirit there is not according to the founders. There are mostly arrogant children of millionairs due to high annual fees and application politics.