Posted on 12/18/2014 3:26:16 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
U-M professor Susan Douglas
Susan Douglas is a University of Michigan professor and department chair who is not shy about expressing her viewpoints - political or otherwise.
Earlier this week Douglas penned a column for the independent nonprofit magazine In These Times titled "It's okay to hate Republicans."
"I hate Republicans," she wrote to begin her column. "I can't stand the thought of having to spend the next two years watching Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, Ted Cruz, Darrell Issa or any of the legions of other blowhards denying climate change, thwarting immigration reform or championing fetal 'personhood.'"
University of Michigan spokesman Rick Fitzgerald responded on behalf of the school, saying it didn't share the same viewpoints as Douglas.
"The views expressed are those of the individual faculty member and not those of the University of Michigan. Faculty freedom of expression, including in the public sphere, is one of the core values of our institution," Fitzgerald said in an email to The Ann Arbor News.
"At the same time, the university must and will work vigilantly to ensure students can express diverse ideas and perspectives in a respectful environment and without fear of reprisal. The university values viewpoint diversity and encourages a wide range of opinions."
U-M's anti-discrimination policy states that people affiliated with the university cannot create "...an intimidating, hostile, offensive, or abusive environment for that individual's employment, education, living environment, or participation in a University activity."
The column was met with backlash from at least one member of the U-M Board of Regents, and Grant Strobl, the chairman of U-M's chapter of Young Americans for Freedom and a member on the National Board of Governors of Young Americans for Freedom.
Regent Andrea Fischer Newman wrote in a post on Facebook that she found Douglass's column "extremely troubling and offensive."
"...This particular column, which expresses and condones hatred toward an entire segment of individuals in our society based solely on their political views, fails to observe an equally important value of our University -- respect for the right of others to hold views contrary to our own. Professor Douglass's column ill-serves the most basic values of a University community," Newman wrote.
Strobl said in a statement that Douglas' column "...is blatant intolerance, and the university should take action on the behalf of intellectual diversity and all of the students who are intimidated into silence."
He continued: "In the position of an instructor, she can intimidate and inhibit the student's freedom of expression. I believe there is a difference between displaying your own beliefs as a instructor and making statements that are hateful and may intimidate students into a certain ideology."
The article was removed from In The Times' website this morning before reappearing under a new url.
A spokesperson for In The Times emailed The Ann Arbor News stating that the article was originally titled "We can't all just get along," but was then changed, without the author's knowledge or approval, to "It's okay to hate Republicans."
"The author rejects the online title as not representative of the piece or its main points. Her preferred title has been restored. We have also removed from the comments section all threats to the author's life and personal safety," the publication's spokesperson wrote in an email.
Douglas wrote in her column that in the 1970s, she worked for Republican senate minority leader Fred Lippitt in Rhode Island and "loved him."
"He was a brand of Republican now extinct -- a 'moderate' who was fiscally conservative but progressive about women's rights, racial justice and environmental preservation," she continued.
She added that her loathing of Republicans is a "recent phenomenon" and pointed out things like "Rush Limbaugh's hate speech"; "the GOP's endless campaign to smear the Clintons over Whitewater, then bludgeon Bill over Monica Lewinsky;" and "the ceaseless denigration of President Obama," as her reasons for hating Republicans.
"According to researchers, the two core dimensions of conservative thought are resistance to change and support for inequality. These, in turn, are core elements of social intolerance," she wrote.
"So now we hate them back. And for good reason. Which is too bad. I miss the Fred Lippitts of yore and the civilized discourse and political accomplishments they made possible. And so do millions of totally fed-up Americans."
I was pretty much with ya up to this point, Susie.
I will tell the Board of Regents in a letter. Diversisty my fanny. Conservatives have rights too. If she does not like that tehre are others, she is free to leave Michigan. But I will stress to the Board of Regents that every work that has been published she now be denied. Her political viewpoints are at best divisive and her ability to reason is questionable. The women needs to go elsewhere , however with no endorsements from the Michigan Board of Regents, her pension should also be eliminated. Let her see how the people whom have paid for this bietch to be there and her days will be numbered. I know Ann Arbor is a liberal hellhole. I have to go there in January for an appointment with the oncologist at the U of M.
Unfortunately we keep handing those positions to the democrats. We picked up a few of the spots this year but not nearly enough.
Ugly, and quite likely, a fetus killing dyke to boot.
More proof that you can’t spell SCUM without U M.
The left just wants to get along. The republicans are the real haters. Can’t you see? That’s why the left hates them, and conservatives.
Don’t use your mind to read the facts about global temps, don’t use your mind to realize children in the womb are being murdered thru abortion. Just feeeeeeeeeel and hate.
Who is she kidding. She probably secretly loves everyone on that list except Cruz and maybe even him.
All the ad hominem attacks on her appearance are demeaning to FR. That’s what people do when they can’t argue the facts.
"According to researchers, the two core dimensions of conservative thought are resistance to change and support for inequality.Ah, the old “Studies Prove” con that Thomas Sowell punctured years ago. Read the link, it’s an oldie-but-goodie.But quibbles about “studies” aside, the reality of “conservatism” is that it matters what is to be conserved. And in America, the theme is freedom. Help us to preserve freedom, and we’re right there with you. But of course freedom is what the modern so-called “liberal” seeks to subvert.
Show me where I attacked her appearance.
Yes. That’s her. Thanks for the correction. I didn’t realize she died this year. Thanks for sharing.
You hate Republicans, Susan? OK, I hate Marxist college professors along with RINOs.
Rush Limbaugh has a hate speech show?My gosh, I guess this Looney kook never listened to Rush or wouldn’t know Rush’s voice if he went up to her with a glass of Two If by Tea...
She is so ugly her inflatable doll RAN AWAY!!!
I hate them too, Susie, because they're not doing any of those things.
Someone stuck human dentures and a bad wig on a fish and gave it a job.
Not nice. I do not care. Why are socialist/commies so ugly? The hate putties and leaks out?
She’s definitely a demodummie and an ugly one at that.
Isn’t that “hate speech”? Shouldn’t the polarizing, propagandist skank get fired for “hate speech”? Live by “hate speech”, die by “hate speech”. Hang the radicals by their own rules.
Thanks cripplecreek.
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