Academic freedom under siege from right

Baltimore Sun ^ | 2/28/06 | LIONEL S. LEWIS

[kaotic133]

Its fine. Smart kids learn to rebel from indoctrination.

Stupid kids grow up believing what they are told.

All the smart kids will become conservatives, and the drooling brainwashed ones become socialists. The universe is in balance, things haven't changed a bit!

[muir_redwoods]

What is it about a position as a professor at a university that suggests that someone can say any damned thing and not suffer the consequences associated with his message? Freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences in the private sector, it is freedom from governmental censure. The rest of us can react anyway we want so long as it's legal, including firing you if we strongly disagree with your message.

Being a university employee is not a shield for fools.

[Neoliberalnot]

I can tell you it is not a joke. This article is exactly the opposite of the truth. Liberal bias is blatant and rampant, especially in the humanities. Less bias is prevalent in the hard sciences, engineering and math departments, but it doesn't end there. The tolerance for a diversity of opinion is non-existent. Conservatives are marginalized at the least. And if you hope for a pay raise and tenure, you best keep your opinions to yourself. I have been in higher ed for 25 years and it isn't pretty nor is tolerance prevalent on campuses where the PC crowd rules all for none.

[DeweyCA]

Well-known leftist professor Stanley Fish (0f Duke), wrote: "Teachers should teach their subjects. They should not teach peace or war or freedom or diversity or uniformity or nationalism or anti-nationalism or any other agenda that might properly be taught by a political leader or talk-show host."

Stanley Fish is a nutjob on many issues, but on this issue he is totally correct. This should be the standard for all teachers, liberal and conservative.

[mcvey]

Right on!

McVey

[colorado tanker]

Lewis is indeed a leftie. A professor emeritus of sociology, usually the most leftie of the humanities. Teaches a course in "diversity." Author of "When Power Corrupts" which laments the fact that non-academics have some say in campus administration, which the faculty should control. And, Lewis is the author of an interesting work, "Cold War on Campus: A Study of the Politics of Organizational Control," decrying the effects of anti-Communism on campus.

To a guy like Lewis, all are welcome at the diversity table, except conservatives, who are just too darn dangerous to have around.

[Earthdweller]

"I'm always afraid of being "outed" as a conservative professor (one of probably 2 on my campus)"

I admire you for recognizing the futility of falling on your sword in the enemy camp. Come here to be replenished and go forward to duplicate yourself. :)

[gaijin]

Suspicion and distrust, always a part of campus culture, have been exacerbated.

Funny...that was EXACTLY the feeling I had throughout the entire semsester of EVERY Liberal Arts class I HAD to take at UC...

Hey, they did it to ME, why shouldn't we do it to THEM?

[Teacher317]

he wished the Iraq war would involve "a million Mogadishus," in reference to the 1993 conflict in Somalia in which 18 U.S. soldiers were killed,

Didn't those soldiers take out one thousand armed "insurgents" before being taken? (along with 3000 injured)

You know, I think I agree with the leftist snot. A 50+ to 1 kill ratio? I wouldn't oppose long-term success like that for our military.

[Teacher317]

That also means he wishes for 1 billion dead Iraqis (1 million times 1 thousand)...
but abhorrent facts shouldn't get in the way of expressing his "valid opinion".

[Morgan in Denver]

Agreed, thuggery exists on both sides. The difference seems to be Republicans have no problems with holding our side accountable, Democrats cannot make the same claim.

[Morgan in Denver]

Agreed, students are not falling down in front of the leftist propaganda today. It's a welcome change. Still, there are enough uneducated students in high schools and colleges that it makes it necessary for conservatives to demand a fair hearing.

The problem in CO is a perfect example of this. Some students were outside protesting in favor of free speech for the teacher. It is an Obvious and Fair observation that neither these students nor old media understands the concept of free speech nor the constitution or laws.

[Dont Mention the War]

In truth, the American campus is a healthy mix of different opinions, cultures and viewpoints. I hope that it will remain so, despite those who would impose political bounties on anyone - professor or student - who might wish to pursue ideas and speak their mind.

Why would I want to put a bounty on someone that has no value?

[Morgan in Denver]

I cannot tell you how much I agree with what you've said about making the professor define a hate crime. The problem is that it does not work.

These leftists believe with their whole being that President Bush is the devil incarnate and anything Republicans do is horrible.

Let's be honest, this is NOT new. The left manufactures a story, the press reports it as news and as the left presents it as true, then the left (Democrats) use the very same story as proof they were correct in damning Republicans and conservatives.

In other words, they create the story, then claim it must be true since it's in old media. This is EXACTLY why the NY Times and other media outlets of old media are losing readers, losing investors, and losing their credibility. New media, all the new news sources, are proving them wrong.

[loveliberty2]

The real censors and mind controllers in academia are those who have systematically removed the teaching and learning of the principles and ideas which gave birth to American liberty!

America's founding ideas have been as effectively removed from the schools' curricula as if there had been a "burning of the books," except it has been done surreptitiously and behind the cloak of "academic freedom." How shameful!!

[Morgan in Denver]

I have to admit, I've never eaten anything made with C++. Must be a hard chore on your part.

Not always true, but worked. I had a very liberal professor in college. I approached him about what it would take to get an A since I was opposed to everything he stood for? He said as long as I used authoritative sources for my opinions, he would be okay with it. Point being, he did not care what "I" thought but he would be fair on my cites of authoritative resources. It worked for both of us. I got my A+ and he was able to claim it wasn't his fault I had the supporting authority to support my views.

Granted, there are few today who respect different opinions and the left is not as tolerant as they claim to be.

Morgan

[freema]

Yep, and it's about time America got in these classrooms.

[BnBlFlag]

A sorry pack of lies. The threat to Academick freedom is from the Left and the PC crowd.

[festus]

First the seige. Then the pillaging !

[festus]

What's a conservative college professor?

Unemployed.