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

Lebell · 02-14-2005, 08:13 PM

Smooth,

I justify it fairly simply.

A university's primary function is to instruct students not to promote a professor's personal and political beliefs. But this still isn't how I justify it.

I don't subscribe to the notion that a tenure automatically protects what is essentially a public employee (CU is a state funded college) when they something say or write something incredibly offense.

Can Ward Churchill say such things? Yes, as defined by the First Amendment, he can. Does he have the right to say whatever he wants on the tax payer dime? IMO, no.

I can respect the idea that Churchill should be allowed to say whatever he wants to academically (as in his much publicized essay), and I am still wondering if I am being influenced by the nature of his essay and how offensive I found it.

But FYI: as to freedoms and supporting unpopular speech, every year the Sons of Italy try to hold a Columbus Day parade through downtown Denver. And every year, a group called AIM (American Indian Movement), which is composed of radical Indian rights activists, disrupts it. And Ward Churchill is right in there disrupting it with them.

So apparently Mr. Churchill only wants freedom of speech for things he thinks are worthy of it (i.e. his speech, not other people's).

That is beyond the philosophical question you asked, but I would be dishonest if I didn't acknowledge that it probably affects my POV on the matter.

As to your own students, crappy writing is also beyond the scope of the philosophical points I raised. In other words, crappy writing is crappy writing and should be marked down appropriately.

But the fact remains that there are teachers who will let their personal opinions affect their grading and this is the issue that should be addressed.

02-14-2005, 08:13 PM	#31 (permalink)
Lebell Cracking the Whip Location: Sexymama's arms...	Smooth, I justify it fairly simply. A university's primary function is to instruct students not to promote a professor's personal and political beliefs. But this still isn't how I justify it. I don't subscribe to the notion that a tenure automatically protects what is essentially a public employee (CU is a state funded college) when they something say or write something incredibly offense. Can Ward Churchill say such things? Yes, as defined by the First Amendment, he can. Does he have the right to say whatever he wants on the tax payer dime? IMO, no. I can respect the idea that Churchill should be allowed to say whatever he wants to academically (as in his much publicized essay), and I am still wondering if I am being influenced by the nature of his essay and how offensive I found it. But FYI: as to freedoms and supporting unpopular speech, every year the Sons of Italy try to hold a Columbus Day parade through downtown Denver. And every year, a group called AIM (American Indian Movement), which is composed of radical Indian rights activists, disrupts it. And Ward Churchill is right in there disrupting it with them. So apparently Mr. Churchill only wants freedom of speech for things he thinks are worthy of it (i.e. his speech, not other people's). That is beyond the philosophical question you asked, but I would be dishonest if I didn't acknowledge that it probably affects my POV on the matter. As to your own students, crappy writing is also beyond the scope of the philosophical points I raised. In other words, crappy writing is crappy writing and should be marked down appropriately. But the fact remains that there are teachers who will let their personal opinions affect their grading and this is the issue that should be addressed. __________________ "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!