Posted on 09/22/2009 10:13:21 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The American university is the anti-Disneyland, the saddest place on Earth.
Today's colleges can make MSNBC seem fair and balanced and give the term "clinical depression" a sunny and joyful flavor.
It's no wonder so many prominent liberal intellectuals are angry, begrudging, and gloomy. They imbibe four to ten years of it during their college studies. And their brethren in the media give them a consistent platform for their gloom.
A few years ago, the Washington Post discovered that over 72 percent of college professors classify themselves as liberal. The study showed that the most left-leaning departments are in the humanities, "where at least 80 percent of the faculty say they are liberal and no more than 5 percent call themselves conservative." Needless to say, I'm a man on an island in my field of English literature.
I spent the summer working on my Ph.D. at a particular state university in the eastern part of our country, where I was exposed to misery and resentment I had only heard in rumors. Everyday was filled with the faults of conservatism and capitalism, while extolling the virtues of social justice and moral relativism. American democracy doesn't truly exist, my colleagues would say, and inequality between races, gender, class, and sexuality is as strong today as ever. America, they believe, is beholden to rich, white men who exploit others for the greed of the nation's privileged elite.
My professors lectured that "[economic] class is not discussed enough in classrooms today," "capitalism doesn't care about history," and "the university is the last bastion of socialism, where knowledge and money should be separated." All of these things were said with straight faces by tenured professors who required we purchase textbooks they helped write, while teaching for universities that charge tens of thousands of dollars in tuition.
Only in a liberal's distorted logic does it make sense to preach about fairness and exploitation while making money off the very people they're trying to convince.
We dived deeply into the socialism of Paulo Freire and the atheism of Friedrich Nietzsche, along with the radical feminism and the America-blaming postcolonialism of various theorists. We were even shown a film clip mocking the traditional institution of marriage during our gay studies.
It was upon reading Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto (twice!) when I spoke up. And I nearly started a riot. After hearing the professor proclaim that "not everyone has a chance to succeed in this country," my hand could not restrain itself from raising. I argued that everyone possesses different talents, work ethics, social connections, and personal attributes that may lead to different levels or types of success; but opportunity in America is equal for all. That's why I love this country, I said, and why this land has been a shining example for freedom, equality, and prosperity across the globe.
That didn't go over well. The majority of the class, with liberal reflex fully engaged, harped about income levels, racial discrepancies, and gender issues, while I fended for myself. I explained the difference between equal results, which they were actually seeking, and equal opportunity, which we all have been given by our creator and the laws of this country. I received nothing but appalled disgust that I could believe in such antiquated and fantastical notions. I kept quiet the rest of class.
This is the sadness that exists in higher learning today. This is the hopelessness that our students are being fed; that we do not control our own destiny, that there is no God or ultimate value system, that certain groups are constantly exploited, that someone else is always to blame. I spent much of my summer frustrated and annoyed over politics.
But a stronger feeling soon took over: pity. I feel truly sorry for those that hold such a pessimistic view of our country. I feel like they are missing out on the creative genius of our founders and beautiful determination of the American people. I feel the ignorance of personal responsibility and the jealousy of others will continue to distort our nation's vision for generations to come.
Our universities should be a place of optimism and possibility, triumph and truth. We need success stories not sob stories. Our nation is the most prosperous and generous on the planet, and our students need to be reminded of it daily. We stand for equality, hope, and positive production, and anyone can become a success.
After speaking out in favor of conservatism that day, an interesting thing happened on my way back to the dorm. Several of my classmates, also fellow college English instructors, caught up to me and told me secretly, "We just wanted you to know that we agree with you." I replied, "Then thanks for letting me get hung out to dry in there." They laughed at my half-joke, but then quickly turned serious and said, "We were just too scared to say anything."
Conservatism, truth, independence, and freedom always need to be defended. And optimism about the blessings of our nation should not be ignored. When I return to my studies next year, hopefully I can rely on some new friends to get my back.
“and the atheism of Friedrich Nietzsche”
Compared to the rest of the people liberals are simply mad for, I find Nietzsche to be a breath of fresh air. Don’t get me wrong, I also kinda hate him. But he’s so blatantly against everything they profess believe in, from democracy to Truth itself, I find his popularity ironic.
I had no children—a wise decision for which I give thanks every day. If I had, an agonizing concern, in addition to what Obama and cohorts are doing to this country—would have been having to think of any grandchildren being indoctrinated in such schools.
I would have counseled non-existent children to do all they could to enroll their progeny in the few schools that would be acceptable to me, i.e., Hillsdale College and a few religious-based colleges.
That second dash should have been a comma.
Just to note that I know better.
I have to tell this story. I haven’t read a story about a “liberal” professor that comes close...
I took college courses first in the ‘80’s then later in the ‘90’s. I remember a better balance of college professors back in the Reagan years. But, even then, there was one crazy professor we had for a required physical education course:
First day of class, she told us how she’d sued the college for discrimination in order to keep her job. The rest of the year she assigned lessons nothing like one might expect for physical education: She gave us personality quizzes. We watched movies on natural foods. Once we had to pretend we were painting each other colors. (That was very uncomfortable.) Once I walked in late to find the room dark and the entire class lying on the floor listening to nonrhythmic music. And so on.
I attended every class and did every assignment. On the last day, she told us to grade ourselves. She told us to answer two questions: (1) “Is the world a better or worse place today than it was in the past?” (2) “What grade should I receive for this class?”
Each and every student answered, “The world is a worse place today,” and “I should get an A for this class.” She accepted each answer. I was the last student. I said, “I think the world is a better place,” and gave some reasons why. A guy behind me whispered, “Just tell her what she wants to hear.” But, I went on, “I think I should have an A for this class because I did every assignment and came everyday.”
She answered, “I don’t think you’ve learned anything here, and your grade will be a D.” (A “D” meant I’d have to take the class all over again.) After class, I went up to her to protest, and she told me to come to her office the next day. I did, and she handed me a stack of cards and told me to sit at a desk and sort them. The cards had words like, “happy”, and other emotions. Bewildered, I played along, pretending to sort the cards. Then I took the cards back to her desk. She said, “Did you learn anything now?” I lied, “Yes, I did.” And she gave me a higher grade.
Just keep thinking that if the present cycle of events in government continue, it will be the so-called intelligent statists (I don’t want to use the word liberals as not all liberals are the same) who will suffer the most when things finally crash. They have preached and teached nothing but dependence on the government, so let them figure out how to survive when the thing they rely on for everything is no longer there to hold them up.
That’s the greatest irony here. Those bozos consider themselves heroes and think they’re doing people the greatest favors, yet in reality, they are doing them the greatest crime, virtually guaranteeing them failure and disappointment the day government is no longer their nanny.
He was an athiest. He hated God, man, and morality. It is not a wonder why the left loves him.
College’s pessimistic? Don’t spend so much time in the Social Pseudo-Science building. We’re still lighting things on fire over in Engineering.
“Once I walked in late to find the room dark and the entire class lying on the floor listening to nonrhythmic music.”
I don’t think it’s possible for music not to have rythm. That is its one fundamental aspect. if there is no rythm, there is no music. It doesn’t have to be what you’d call steady or regular. Perhaps you mean polyrythmic.
Well, she called it “nonrhythmic”. It was music from India, and it didn’t have a steady/regular rhythm. I’m not knocking it; it was interesting music. I’m only knocking the class.
“He was an athiest. He hated God, man, and morality. It is not a wonder why the left loves him.”
Not everyone hates God, man, and morality in the same way. You can do so and end up being a capitalist, a socialist, a democrat, an aristocrat, an anarchist, a totalitarian, or whatever. If all liberals have to hang their hats on is Nietzsche’s atheism and his relentless criticism of Christianity, I still find it funny. How fascinating can his starting point be when he ends up at a conclusion opposite to you?
What I recommend to everyone is if their kids taking anything technical and have electives is to take Economics for social sciences and ancient history for humanities. Both usually are good. I know first year economics opened my eyes to a ton of things. Also arguing against a seminar room full of liberals is a ton of fun and is a great learning/debating experience
My trophy wife and I have been discussing the probable coming end of uber liberal and uber expensive universities which only produced Graduates with IUD’s/Instant Unemployment Degrees.
We shudder while listening to younger relatives and friends with children in universities or colleges or getting ready to go, discuss the cost of a worthless IUD BA/BS degree.
The few who had 529 investment programs for their kids saw those 529’s get crushed in the past meltdown. When our sons went on to higher levels of learning, we had some savings and thank God for the line of credit and some money that hadn’t been wiped out by the Carter years. Lines of credit in many areas have cancelled even if the parents have high credit ratings due to the falling value of their homes.
We have been suggesting the kids explore community colleges while working to have some work experience. Then to look into the on line universities where the left wing bs isn’t there besides the cash savings.
The left wing professors have made most of our colleges liberal cess pools where they have tenure and sometimes don’t even serve as professors. They get raises and the costs of educating a child go up each year at a rate several times the cost of living.
My trophy wife and I have been discussing the probable coming end of uber liberal and uber expensive universities which only produced Graduates with IUD’s/Instant Unemployment Degrees.
We shudder while listening to younger relatives and friends with children in universities or colleges or getting ready to go, discuss the cost of a worthless IUD BA/BS degree.
The few who had 529 investment programs for their kids saw those 529’s get crushed in the past meltdown. When our sons went on to higher levels of learning, we had some savings and thank God for the line of credit and some money that hadn’t been wiped out by the Carter years. Lines of credit in many areas have cancelled even if the parents have high credit ratings due to the falling value of their homes.
We have been suggesting the kids explore community colleges while working to have some work experience. Then to look into the on line universities where the left wing bs isn’t there besides the cash savings.
The left wing professors have made most of our colleges liberal cess pools where they have tenure and sometimes don’t even serve as professors. They get raises and the costs of educating a child go up each year at a rate several times the cost of living.
The lesson of the 529s is to never willingly allow the state to hold your money.
Students Ask For Horowitz, Administration Says No:
http://www.yaf.org/Blogs.aspx?id=1809&blogid=78
St. Louis University Dean close-minded.
Time for some college journalism....take your cameras to school day...”Operation Crack another Nut” let’s see what really goes on in these classes!
I have two girls who will start at 14 in the Community College. One wants to be an Occupational Therapist, one wants to be an Electrical Engineer.
Because they are starting young, I control what they take. No Psych, no Sociology, no crap.
They will each walk out of school with a four year degree by the time they are twenty, totally wrapped in my care. Because the thing is, if they don’t take what I want them to take, they don’t get the money from me.
I looked into Hillsdale, I can’t afford the tuition, even if I got two full time jobs and dad got another.
I view the modern progressive state as a vast abattoir of humanity - a spiritual slaughterhouse when not an actual one. These “bozos” are like the abattoir’s attendant “judas goats”, which are followed by the trusting beasts onto the killing floor, from which the “nanny” will exit to mingle with another nervous group of future hamburgers.
The so-called “helping professions” especially are peopled by the heartless - how else explain their willingness to turn other humans into unproductive beggars with an attitude of entitlement by disability.
IMHO, these judas goats should be horsewhipped publicly; then driven into the sea as enemies of all humanity.
Metaphorically, of course.;^)
not sure if you saw my earlier post but both of them will probably have to take sociology/humanities electives. If it is offered first and second year economics will cover sociology, especially see if they can take second year econometrics
You can even see what sort of professor is teaching it by looking up their publications.
My experience was bad, but not quite as bad as that one. I’m a history graduate. Oddly, I became a Christian at University, the whole dorm and bar scene had zero appeal for me, so I ended up hanging around some very good Christian folks.
Good on you for fighting them and telling them the truth! I had quite a few professors who had the same attitude, and I was the same with them. I am your customer, and I’m spending big dollars to come here in class. If I like what you do, then I’m happy. If I don’t like it, I am going to be unhappy, just like you would be to be paying money for something that is not what you want.
They said I had the wrong idea, and I told them, look, you have two schools of thought in education.
1. Liberal education.
2. Consumerist model.
You aren’t offering me number 1, the idea of learning for the sole value of learning has gone out the window entirely. Some of you still adhere to the model, but the majority have not. What does that leave me? A consumerist model. I pay so much and I receive a degree at the end. If you sincerely believe in liberalism, then you ought to value truth and justice, just as they did.
I’m glad to be done, I was so tired of fighting with profs just to get an education, and I’m thankful that I had the support of someone who loves me very much or I would not have made it through.
I have family that are Obama fanatics. They've verbally attacked me for being a conservative and now I don't talk to them anymore. It's sad to see so many people in my family, brothers, sisters, nephews choose ideology over blood.
"My professors lectured that "[economic] class is not discussed enough in classrooms today"" "We dived deeply into the socialism of Paulo Freire and the atheism of Friedrich Nietzsche, along with the radical feminism and the America-blaming postcolonialism of various theorists....It was upon reading Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto (twice!) when I spoke up."
Encompassing areas of economics, political theory, and philosophy, The Communist Manifesto is beyond the mental competence of English literature professors. Interesting how often the study of literature in colleges becomes political ideology.
For later.
Perhaps mentioning Hillsdale was not a good idea. I am not familiar with its costs, only its ideology.
OP
Trust me, If it’s wasn’t 20,000 a year (that is tuition), I would send them.
You know- that is an interesting point. Why are they ?
I think it is unexamined narcissism: they are so wrapped up the glory of the image of themselves as helpers that they never even notice the damage they are inflicting. It's all about them.
I'm pretty sure they wouldn't invite such a guest lecturer today. My alma mater has changed a lot since I attended, and not for the better.
You have my empathy. With me it's my children who won't speak to me or come to see me because I'm a Christian and a conservative. I will probably die without ever seeing some of them again. My consolation is what Jesus said, "Who is my mother and who are my brothers?...whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother." Whoever rejects my Father in heaven has only my prayers.
Bingo!
My 13yo is resisting taking community college courses. (He’ll turn 14 in two months.) He’s small and thin compared with the other boys we know who are his age, and that is a factor in his decision.
But, now that he’s reached this age, I’m not sure I want to send him, after all, like we’d planned. If he takes the Composition or History courses that are required, for example, he’ll be subjected to all sorts of propaganda. He’s solid in his values and principles at this point, but there’s so much he doesn’t know about the world, yet. He’s in no rush to grow up, and I want him to enjoy his innocence.
Also, he says he doesn’t want to start college courses until he can drive himself. I’m pushing for him to start at 15. Hopefully, he’ll have grown by then. ;-)
COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
Ave Maria University
Christendom College
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Grove City College
Hillsdale College
John Paul the Great Catholic University (Also see this Free Republic thread.)
Patrick Henry College
Thomas Aquinas College
It's a short list. ;-) I hope there are more out there.
Catholic University of America
Belmont Abbey
George Mason University in Virginia (welcomes conservatives)
BYU Brigham Young
University of Dallas
Air Force Academy (USAF Colorado)
Wheaton College (Ill)
West Point
Furman University, SC
United States Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point, NY)
College of the Ozarks
Samford University
Thanks...I cant tell you how many email I have recieved regarding how and what can we do to influence education...to impact education....to take back education.
I am going to snd them all to Glenn Beck!
You might add George Wythe College in Utah. They follow the methods and curriculum that George Wythe used to teach many of the founding fathers, including Thomas Jefferson. Its fairly new and not yet accredited I think. I believe Glen Beck is one of its sponsors.
I talked to some of the kids through our homeschool group who are graduating from the community college at 17. Tell your son, no one asked their ages, even at 14.
We were told to start them in the evening classes with the adults. They are more serious and less judgmental. Also start with something easy like keyboarding. It builds confidence.
Hope that helps.
I’m wondering how I ever overlooked the Air Force Academy? (I have a son in CAP, and cadets from the academy visit sometimes to talk with his squadron.) Shame on me!
Thanks for the list.
Thanks for the advice. I’ll tell him.
Thanks! I’ll add it.
I heard Rush today mention Hillsdale as one of only 50 worthwhile colleges in the country. Would like to see the rest of that list.
anything...i mean anything is better than this...
WAKE UP AMERICA!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aqMTD5UFmU
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