February 16, 2004
Tales of liberal bias
Andrew Sullivan is inviting readers to contribute stories of the liberal bias they have encountered in academe:
EMAIL OF THE DAY: "It isn't just Duke. I just wanted to pass along this anecdote from my days attending Indiana University. It was the fall semester of 1994 and it was also the evening of the midterm elections which brought the Republicans to majority status in the House. My prof strolled into class (a class on the Beatles) and began to spew left wing hate in all directions. He said he could not belive a country was so naive as to elect the Nazis (how I tire of this comparison) to head the House of Representatives. Then, as an aside, he smiled and winked at the class, and said, "well, at least I know no one in here contributed to the end of America as we know it". I wanted to stand up and scream, "I did!! I am bringing about a revolution in American governance and I am damn proud of it". But, feeling a little ostracized, I did not. I am not one who normally gets "offended" by other people and the things they say but, I have to say I was on this occasion." Readers are hereby invited to send in any reminiscences - past or present - of blatant professorial political bias in today's academia. Not just expressions of opinion, but attempts to intimidate or exclude opposing opinions.
I'm looking forward to the responses. Meantime, I'll just note that Critical Mass has been soliciting and publishing such tales for the better part of two years now.
Highlights include: last fall's discussion about what is really meant by the term "conservative" in academe, a series of letters from readers about the pros and cons of going to graduate school, a reader's firsthand account of Brown's minority orientation, and the letter from a SUNY student defending the infamous Tunnel of Oppression. Most recently, there was last week's discussion of the seminar as a mechanism of ideological policing.
There's more where those came from. Just use the search function to dig them up.
posted on February 16, 2004 8:29 AM
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