Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Leading geophysicist had prestigious lecture at MIT canceled after outraging ‘totalitarian’ Twitter mob by arguing that academic evaluations should be based on merit not racial ‘equity’
Daily Mail ^ | 10/05/2021 | Ariel Zilber

Posted on 10/06/2021 12:15:55 AM PDT by Oshkalaboomboom

A prestigious lecture at MIT which was set to be delivered by a University of Chicago geophysicist was canceled due to pressure from ‘woke’ students because the professor argued for ‘academic freedom and merit-based evaluations’ rather than 'equity.'

Dorian Abbot was denied the opportunity to give the Carlson Lecture, which is devoted to ‘new results in climate science’ and hosted by MIT’s Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences.

The lecture was scheduled to be delivered on October 21, but Abbot learned over the weekend that EAPS would be canceling his talk.

'I am a professor who just had a prestigious public science lecture at MIT cancelled because of an outrage mob on Twitter,' Abbot writes on Bari Weiss' Substack newsletter that was published on Tuesday.

'My crime? Arguing for academic evaluations based on academic merit.' Many progressives now argue that equity - equality of outcomes - is more important that equality - giving everyone the same opportunity.

Abbot writes that he has been a target of ‘woke’ students since last year when he posted several videos on YouTube denouncing the rioting in Chicago that erupted in the wake of the police-involved killing of George Floyd.

The professor writes that he was normally averse to speaking out about politics, ‘but the street violence of the summer of 2020, some of which I witnessed personally in Chicago, and the justifications and dishonesty that accompanied it, convinced me that I could no longer remain silent in good conscience.’

Abbot posted clips on YouTube in which he ‘argued for the importance ‘of treating each person as an individual worthy of dignity and respect’ and ‘giving everyone a fair and equal opportunity when they apply for a position as well as allowing them to express their opinions openly, even if you disagree with them.’

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Chit/Chat; Education; Society
KEYWORDS: academia; education; freespeech; mit; preferences; race; woke
How many people look forward to living in a world where you fly in an airplane, drive over a bridge, get treated in a hospital, etc., etc., etc. by someone who is doing that job or designing that product because they fit the correct profile rather than actually being the best qualified for it?
1 posted on 10/06/2021 12:15:55 AM PDT by Oshkalaboomboom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Oshkalaboomboom

What can I say? The inmates have taken over the asylum.


2 posted on 10/06/2021 12:27:08 AM PDT by Still Thinking (Freedom is NOT a loophole!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Bad parenting...

Youth Soccer


3 posted on 10/06/2021 12:29:13 AM PDT by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oshkalaboomboom

MIT was once the dream school of every young tech geek. Is it now anything more than a politically correct diploma mill?


4 posted on 10/06/2021 12:42:56 AM PDT by ArcadeQuarters (Remember the 2020 backstabbers. No more RINOs ever!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oshkalaboomboom
Were I a brilliant academic with something to offer -- a mathematician, a medical researcher, a scientist -- and were I younger, I would defect to Russia. Take my skills to Russia where they would be appreciated, and I would be respected and rewarded.

Why should anyone with anything to offer stay in the U.S.? Talented men must do the work for the entire diverse team, then share the credit with the diverse teammates -- and smile and pretend that everyone deserved to be on the team.

5 posted on 10/06/2021 12:45:04 AM PDT by Angelino97
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ArcadeQuarters

MIT kind of surprised me a bit with what happened, personally it getting tiring of organizations bowing down to a offended minority of people who punish people for wrong think.

I guess it goes to show you, intelligence does not equate wisdom.


6 posted on 10/06/2021 1:20:28 AM PDT by the_individual2014
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Oshkalaboomboom

Yesterday’s posting on same; https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4000880/posts


7 posted on 10/06/2021 1:23:43 AM PDT by SES1066 (Ask not what the LEFT can do for you, rather ask what the LEFT is doing to YOU!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oshkalaboomboom
‘giving everyone a fair and equal opportunity when they apply for a position as well as allowing them to express their opinions openly, even if you disagree with them.’

This is how we got to where we are, by appointing Leftists to positions of power because they were competent, whereupon they would not themselves use the same criteria, but would ONLY approve Leftists.

Tolerance of the intolerant is a losing strategy.

8 posted on 10/06/2021 1:28:28 AM PDT by SauronOfMordor (A Leftist can't enjoy life unless they are controlling, hurting, or destroying others)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SES1066

Notice how the two titles are completely different? I did 3 searches before I posted, using the full title and just the words “Twitter” and “lecture” and the searches came up empty. When there is a situation like that there isn’t much you can do to avoid posting duplicate articles.


9 posted on 10/06/2021 1:44:42 AM PDT by Oshkalaboomboom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Oshkalaboomboom

Maybe Abbott could lecture at Trump rallies. His audience would be more intelligent, too.

(No, I’m not being sarcastic, facetious or derogatory. The audience really WOULD be smarter — Trump supporters, as opposed to woke students.)


10 posted on 10/06/2021 2:02:03 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Florida: America's new free zone.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oshkalaboomboom
When there is a situation like that there isn’t much you can do to avoid posting duplicate articles.

Oof, ease off there FRiend, no criticism intended here! You are ABSOLUTELY OK in this posting. My humble intention was only to allow readers to see the comments in the earlier posting.

11 posted on 10/06/2021 3:17:22 AM PDT by SES1066 (Ask not what the LEFT can do for you, rather ask what the LEFT is doing to YOU!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: ArcadeQuarters

Dunno, but I saw it as stunning all those profs lining up to do the academic lynching.


12 posted on 10/06/2021 4:10:22 AM PDT by sauropod (Bidet was no prize before he put the “d” in “dementia.” - Schlichter)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Oshkalaboomboom

The few voices of sanity are being targeted for suppression. Today, you can murder, if you’re the right color, but the unforgiveable crime is saying the truth about minorities.


13 posted on 10/06/2021 5:35:44 AM PDT by I want the USA back (Dethrone the ruling elite. Redistribute their wealth. Take away their power. Annul their privileges.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oshkalaboomboom

so much for campus diversity and free expression.


14 posted on 10/06/2021 5:37:08 AM PDT by 1Old Pro (Let's make crime illegal again!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson