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Oregon Student Blasted for Mentioning Lack of Professorate’s Political Diversity
Vocal Minority ^ | 7/20/09 | EricTheRed_VocalMinority

Posted on 07/20/2009 9:02:48 AM PDT by EricTheRed_VocalMinority

This sad story stemmed from an editorial in the University of Oregon’s campus paper The Daily Emerald at the beginning of June. Its author, journalism grad student Dan Lawton, is a self-described liberal and political independent who couldn’t help but notice the virtual non-existence of conservative and/or Republican representation in the university’s journalism, law, political science, economics and sociology departments.

Lawton’s column read in part:

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reflect,” Mark Twain once said. I spent my first few months as a graduate student here doing just that. I came back to school to prepare myself for a career in which I would be expected to defend my convictions. I matriculated seeking discourse and found conformity, and as I realized there would be little intellectual challenge going left, I drifted right.

In part, I believe this transformation aided my intellectual and professional development. Liberal journalism is so normative that it’s difficult to stake a claim. But if your politics are independent enough that you can occasionally gravitate across the aisle, there’s an expanse of fertile ground waiting. From this realization I have profited, but, in general, the dearth of conservative viewpoints damages the experiences of University students, regardless if they acknowledge it.

The lifeblood of learning is exposure to a diverse and combative set of viewpoints. This sort of framework allows students to sift through ideologies and compose their own independent belief systems. The concept of “diversity” and the “marketplace of ideas” shouldn’t just act as convenient adages for

(Excerpt) Read more at vocalminority.typepad.com ...


TOPICS: Government; Politics
KEYWORDS: education
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1 posted on 07/20/2009 9:02:48 AM PDT by EricTheRed_VocalMinority
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To: EricTheRed_VocalMinority

Sounds like Dan Lawton, “self-discribed liberal,” just had an epiphany - and is probably soon going to become a Conservative.

Quick - some one send him the Freerepublic.com website!


2 posted on 07/20/2009 9:04:43 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: EricTheRed_VocalMinority
“If you like conservatism you can certainly attend the University of Texas and you can walk past the statue of Jefferson Davis every day on your way to class,” he wrote in an e-mail.

I am a died and true Longhorn fan, but for anyone to insist that UT is a conservative school is insane. They don't call it the "Berkley on the Brazos" for nothing. This prof needs to have an evaluation of him mental faculties.

3 posted on 07/20/2009 9:08:46 AM PDT by cspackler (There are 10 kinds of people in this world, those who understand binary and those who don't.)
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To: cspackler

Lawton did a great job reporting an issue that makes elite academics uncomfortable. They’re hateful, visceral reaction just proves how right he was.


4 posted on 07/20/2009 9:12:58 AM PDT by jyoders19
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To: PGR88

In many ways today’s conservatism traces its roots to classic liberalism. Today’s “liberals” are really leftists who are pushing for fascism, but they’re too dumb to know that fascism comes from the left so they push on in blissful ignorance of the damage they’re doing.


5 posted on 07/20/2009 9:13:38 AM PDT by Trod Upon (Obama: Making the Carter malaise look good. Misery Index in 3...2...1)
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To: EricTheRed_VocalMinority

By coincidence, I’m a graduate of the University of Oregon’s journalism program. This was back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, but my experience in the Emerald People’s Republic was the start of my move toward conservatism.

This young man is going through the same journey, in the same place. Nothing opens your eyes more than the strident leftwing totalitarians down there in Eugene, where everyone is tolerant as long as you say and do what the elites want you to say and do, and diversity means varying hues of Marxist and leftist thought.

I sometimes miss those Earth girls in their peasant dresses, wearing Birkenstocks, hanging out at Sundance eating Nancy’s Yogurt.... and the bike paths were a dream for those of us young enough to use them. My gardens were always productive, too. I suspect that even now, 25 years later, some of those things are still there.

The intolerance, though, was stifling. Glad I’m not there.


6 posted on 07/20/2009 9:13:51 AM PDT by redpoll
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To: EricTheRed_VocalMinority
. . . . . . who couldn’t help but notice the virtual non-existence of conservative and/or Republican representation in the university’s journalism, law, political science, economics and sociology departments.

I think I need to sit down! This is such a shock . . . !



/sarc

7 posted on 07/20/2009 9:18:27 AM PDT by DustyMoment (FloriDUH - proud inventors of pregnant/hanging chads and judicide!!)
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To: cspackler
I am a died and true Longhorn fan

That would be either "dyed in the wool" or "tried and true," if you were looking for the real cliche.

8 posted on 07/20/2009 9:21:32 AM PDT by webheart
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To: webheart; cspackler

I can never remember if it’s “You buttered your bread, now sleep in it” or “You made your bed, now eat it”...


9 posted on 07/20/2009 9:24:21 AM PDT by ErnBatavia (Impeach now....not next month... now)
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To: webheart
I am a died and true Longhorn fan

That would be either "dyed in the wool" or "tried and true," if you were looking for the real cliche.

Either that or he died and took his keyboard with him. Nyuck! Chicago anyone?

10 posted on 07/20/2009 9:27:13 AM PDT by BoneHead
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To: EricTheRed_VocalMinority

Basically campuses our bastions of leftist bigotry.


11 posted on 07/20/2009 9:45:40 AM PDT by Lurkina.n.Learnin
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To: EricTheRed_VocalMinority

the sad fact is universities are about generating a degree “meal ticket”

This means universities are no longer about creating well rounded individuals and thinking men and women.

It is about intelectual conquest in order to produce drones waiving dear leader’s little blue book and shouting down those opposed to the intelectual conquest by the left.


12 posted on 07/20/2009 9:51:06 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: redpoll

Oregon State guy here, but us old Beavers won’t diss a good Duck. Sometime soon we should start sending our conservative kids to become college professors and take back these far left training camps.


13 posted on 07/20/2009 9:53:00 AM PDT by Dutchboy88 (I AM JIM THOMPSON)
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To: webheart

Don’t mix your euphemisms before they hatch.


14 posted on 07/20/2009 9:54:11 AM PDT by Disciplinemisanthropy (III III IV)
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To: Lurkina.n.Learnin

These left wing bigot professors today are cut from the same cloth as the wackos standing in front of the schools screaming for segrigation.

They are using institutional discrimination to hide their lack of qualifications.


15 posted on 07/20/2009 9:57:26 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: cspackler

UT is not called “Berkeley on the Brazos”. The Brazos River is nowhere near Austin. Rather, it runs through Waco, home of Baylor University, renowned worldwide as “Sodom on the Brazos”.

UT is more like “Cornell on the Colorado”.


16 posted on 07/20/2009 10:06:14 AM PDT by B-Chan (Catholic. Texan. Monarchist. Any questions?)
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To: EricTheRed_VocalMinority

That is not just a good argument it is great writing regardless of the point being expressed. This guy has a future as a columnist.


17 posted on 07/20/2009 10:08:46 AM PDT by jimfree (Freep and ye shall find!)
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To: B-Chan
UT is more like “Cornell on the Colorado”.

Berkeley By Barton Springs?

18 posted on 07/20/2009 10:10:20 AM PDT by r9etb
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To: EricTheRed_VocalMinority
The guy writes well, but alas his argument is of the "if everybody would just...." variety. As in, "if the University would just be diverse, it would be better."

Well, it would be better, probably. The problem is that human nature would tend to militate against it for a variety of reasons.

And, note, putting the idea to work would require UofO to replace tenured professors according to an explicit political criterion -- bad enough when it's done somewhat unconsciously, as now; but really, really bad when the political criteria are applied as a matter of bureaucratic policy.

Hard to see how to reverse the process, short of a string of a) very tough and honest Dept. Chairs who can revise the demographics; and b) the availability of good, non-liberal candidates.

19 posted on 07/20/2009 10:23:29 AM PDT by r9etb
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To: webheart
I am a died and true Longhorn fan

That would be either "dyed in the wool" or "tried and true," if you were looking for the real cliche.

Not to pick nits, but its not the Brazos river, its the Colorado.

Gig'em Aggies!!!

20 posted on 07/20/2009 11:05:15 AM PDT by jdub (A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.)
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