Some news organizations are against protests at Princeton University regarding Woodrow Wilson, others are in support and some just want the whole story.
PRINCETON - Not 12 hours after Princeton University student protests came to a close last Thursday evening, the events on campus were generating national headlines.
News organizations and politicians from the L.A. Times to Governor Chris Christie have spent the past week weighing in on one of the protestors main demands: that Princeton University should remove President Woodrow Wilson's name from campus due to his racist past.
University President Christopher L. Eisgruber said Sunday that the university's board of trustees would form a committee to look into Wilson's history and consider removing his name.
Across the country, the response varies:
Salon.com: We have the Woodrow Wilson debate all backwards
Writer Corey Robin argued Friday against the idea that the student protesters are squashing free speech, saying that there was little talk about Wilson's legacy before the protests.
He wrote, "Even more important, Princeton's students have shown us that it is precisely the kinds of actions they have taken -- which are uncivil, frequently illegal and always unruly -- that produce speech. Not just yelling and shouting, but also informed, deliberative, reasoned speech."
Los Angeles Times: Should Princeton Dump Woodrow Wilson?
The Editorial Board of the L.A. Times wrote that the objection to Wilson is understandable but noted that he was an important figure in Princeton University's history.
They wrote, "Yet the sad reality is that the United States has a long history of racism... In some situations, an attempt to eliminate offense can amount to rewriting history. Better in those cases to acknowledge the history and learn from it. In other cases, the names should go."
Politico: What Woodrow Wilson did for black America
Writer and Professor Jonathan Zimmerman gave a nod to the protesters' arguments that Wilson was racist but wrote in depth about the former president's progressive values, cautioning Princeton University against misremembering Wilson.
"But I hope the conversation includes a full reckoning with Wilson's legacy, including his expansion of government regulations and services. His conservative antagonists certainly remember that. It would be a pity if liberals forgot it," he wrote.
The New York Times: The case against Woodrow Wilson at Princeton
The New York Times Editorial Board gave resounding support to the protesters in an editorial Tuesday. They called Wilson a racist who was honored by the university at a time when black citizens were not treated as people and they called for the university to take back that honor.
"(Wilson) was an unapologetic racist whose administration rolled back the gains that African-Americans achieved just after the Civil War, purged black workers from influential jobs and transformed the government into an instrument of white supremacy," they wrote.
The Washington Post: Backlash against erasing Woodrow Wilson's name
Writer James Hohmann rounded up opinions on Wilson and the protests from various Princeton University alums and from trustee Chris Christie who told The Post, "I am disappointed in the administration and their reaction to it," according to Hohmann's article.
"Several prominent Republicans connected to the Ivy League institution are decrying the process, which will include public meetings in the spring, as political correctness running amok," Hohmann wrote.
The Star Ledger: Princeton students, learn the entire history
The Ledger's Editorial Board also wrote a piece, agreeing that Wilson was racist but saying that he was a product of his time and that he was flawed.
"We must be careful how we judge historical figures, because their entire character is not only about the bricks, it's also in the mortar. They were human and imperfect, some of them were scoundrels, and each had flaws and failings," they wrote.
Nj.com also uploaded a poll for readers to put in their own reactions to the protests and thoughts on Woodrow Wilson - should his name go?
Anna Merriman may be reached at amerriman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anna_merriman Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.