Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Academic 'Bill of Rights' or Government Censorship?

Lebell · 02-13-2005, 06:55 PM

Gents,

I counter that it WILL work, simply because it will serve as a very real reminder that academics are there to TEACH students how to think, not to make them little Republicans, Democrats, Communists or whatever..

This is not a matter of disagreeing with your biology teacher of the ATP cycle or with your math teacher over how to do a Fourrier transform. It is about expressing your views in a politics class that Nixon wasn't such a bad president and not having the gal wearing Birkinstocks give your paper a "D" for it. It is about expressing your view in a law class that the 10 commandments has no place in modern jurisprudence and not having the old guy at the front who listens to Rush on the way to work mark you as "unsatisfactory".

While it would be great if all academics could separate their personal feelings regarding social issues from teaching, the fact is that some can't.

A school I'm very familiar with, CU, is a good example of such a place. I've had friends attend there that say it is better to keep your opinions to yourself in certain classes than risk retribution.

That is WRONG, plain and simple, and I would welcome legislation to remind academacians of the fact, especially ones like Ward Churchill.

02-13-2005, 06:55 PM	#17 (permalink)
Lebell Cracking the Whip Location: Sexymama's arms...	Gents, I counter that it WILL work, simply because it will serve as a very real reminder that academics are there to TEACH students how to think, not to make them little Republicans, Democrats, Communists or whatever.. This is not a matter of disagreeing with your biology teacher of the ATP cycle or with your math teacher over how to do a Fourrier transform. It is about expressing your views in a politics class that Nixon wasn't such a bad president and not having the gal wearing Birkinstocks give your paper a "D" for it. It is about expressing your view in a law class that the 10 commandments has no place in modern jurisprudence and not having the old guy at the front who listens to Rush on the way to work mark you as "unsatisfactory". While it would be great if all academics could separate their personal feelings regarding social issues from teaching, the fact is that some can't. A school I'm very familiar with, CU, is a good example of such a place. I've had friends attend there that say it is better to keep your opinions to yourself in certain classes than risk retribution. That is WRONG, plain and simple, and I would welcome legislation to remind academacians of the fact, especially ones like Ward Churchill. __________________ "Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." – C. S. Lewis The ONLY sponsors we have are YOU! Please Donate!