State Legislator Confronts 'liberal College Campuses'

Los Angeles Times ^ | Saturday, November 29, 2003

[Buck W.]

DENVER -- Worried that left-wing professors are using college classrooms to bully those who don't toe the liberal line, a Colorado politician says it might be time to pass a law protecting students who hold more conservative or religious views.

Republican state senate president John Andrews recently sent a letter to Colorado's 29 public colleges and universities, asking them to explain how they handle cases of ideological discrimination and how they promote diverse points of view. Their answers are due by Monday. If he's unhappy with what he hears, Andrews vowed, he'll sponsor legislation to "ensure academic freedom."

Exactly how the bill would do that has not been worked out yet.

"To say college campuses are liberal is like saying water is wet," Andrews said. "I have heard that a conservative viewpoint is decidedly unwelcome."

[temijin]

Temijin wrote a poem: we want free speech for thee, for her and him and he and she, and for you too, if you agree

[temijin]

sorry, didn't mean to be redundant, just havn't been creative for a while, if you can call it that.

[Hobsonphile]

Leftism on Campus ping!

If you would like to be added to the Leftism on Campus ping list, please
notify me via FReep-mail.

Warning: During the school year in particular, this can be a high volume ping list.

Regards...

[KC_Conspirator]

True story.

In order to get my history degree I had to take a final class where I wrote a long term paper. My work schedule only allowed for a class that had a subtitle "Women's History". The class was basically a leftist attack on men and the professor (I use that term loosely) attacked me in class because I was the only male (out of 4 total, to show how popular this junk class was). Even the young feminists would approach me after class and say "What was the teacher's deal?". I wanted to write a paper on the most influential political woman of the the time - Margaret Thatcher. However, the leftist nazi teacher gave me a choice - Pat Schroeder or Anne Richards. I argued with her and produced a paper - in which she gave me an "F". I transferred to another university to finish my degree.

[lelio]

A better solution is to send your kids to more conservative private colleges.

That's what I can't understand. Its like complaining that raw sewage stinks when you're wading in it. What did you expect when you walked out there?

What majors are there where people are exposed to this liberal bias? Its pretty hard when you go for an engineering degree. Perhaps if you're majoring in philosophy or a liberal arts degree you encounter a lot, but that comes with the teritory.

[gdc61]

sounds like "Cat in the Hat" to me.

[misterrob]

Thanks for that thought. While I don't favor discrimination in any form this seems like applying the thought police to ensure that diversity is present. Of course, since govt. decided that affirmative action was necessary maybe this is a natural progression.

[jriemer]

They could start be removing federal monies from college campi. Then federal rules and regulations would be over too. Wait until the dust settles and see what is left. May not have any problems after that.

This would have the unitended consequence of reducing college costs and increasing # professors teaching classes instead of TAs. There's a huge cost burden for Federal compliance with regulations for grants and loans that are passed on to students in the form of tuition. Federal grant money never reduces tuition, it's spent on research or buildings or a professor's "research" vacation. Also, no federal grants means these professors have time on their hands which *gasp* could be applied to teaching.

[archy]

The trouble is that everyone on staff is liberal, and they like to keep it that way. Good luck getting tenure if your colleagues know you're a conservative...

Sorry. In the name of diversity, most of them will have to go.

After all it's for tthe children...

-archy-/-

[little jeremiah]

It's amazing how many social and other problems could be solved almost overnight when government monies are removed. When, O when will that happen? I pray I will see the day.

[Indie]

Personally, I consider that most "higher education" is relatively useless. Better to have technical schools for the technically minded, nursing and other healing arts schools for those types, apprenticeships for various trades and skills, and so on. Most of the crap that's taught in centers of learning is tripe at best and evil indoctrination at worst. And keeping young people irresponsible party animals into their mid 20's is stupid too. Let them work part time and go to community college.

Wow. Good hit on 4 wasted years of a "liberal" education!! I was a victim and I couldn't agree more with your post. College "trained" me for zilch, as far as getting a job. (SMU in Dallas in case anyone is curious.)
And yes if you didn't pull the party line on your essay blue book tests, you got a C rather than the marxist A, even though your argument was equally valid and there was no correct answer.

[RightWingAtheist]

I don't think this law would work in the way intended; it would probably wind up backfiring, and only increasing anti-conservative bigotry on campus.

[Holden Magroin]

This is a publicity stunt to expose liberal hypocrisy and ruffle a few liberal feathers. But I seriously doubt there's a blacklist anywhere against conservative job applicants. The fact of the matter is that few conservatives are interested in pursuing careers in academia.

When I was a student, I only had only one professor who seriously tried to indoctrinate her class. But this lady was so far to the left, she made Ted Kennedy look like a centrist. Among other things, she made the class watch a documentary narrated by Susan Sarandon on the School of the Americas, listen to audiotape lectures by Ralph Nader on the military-industrial complex, and read textbooks published by some obscure "independent" publisher. (I think part of the proceeds went to save the rainforests.) Most of the students finally turned against her when she said that high school football perpetuated capitalist patriarchy.

[WVNan]

What majors are there where people are exposed to this liberal bias?

What majors? Communications, English, Literature, sociology, philosophy, history, political science, statistical analysis, just for starters. Basically, if you are preparing to be a teacher in any field beyond the sciences, you will be subject to liberal professors. The college community life is permeated and populated with the liberal mind-set. The profs. have usually lived in that isolated culture for so long they have no grasp on reality, if they ever had it to start with. I was old when I went to college and was immune to the clap-trap, but I saw what happened to the young people. I also have a college professor daughter who has been captured by the liberal propaganda. She didn't used to be like that when she was busting her butt waiting tables to pay for her education.

[capecodder]

They could start be removing federal monies from college campi. Then federal rules and regulations would be over too. Wait until the dust settles and see what is left. May not have any problems after that.

Correct.

And this is why EDUCATION VOUCHERS ARE NOT THE ANSWER!

Remember: If you take the king's shilling, you become the king's man.

[Republic If You Can Keep It]

EDUCATION VOUCHERS ARE NOT THE ANSWER!

Really?

Then I assume you're against the G.I. Bill?

[Alissa]

I remember hearing from a professor how communism was actually very good for the average Chinese peasant.

[dennisw]

Mario Savio

[Redbob]

Even those who are pursuing engineering degrees are not immune; we are/were after all required to take a number of courses outside engineering and the sciences.

[capecodder]

I am saying that if a school accepts federal funds directly or indirectly through a student's financial aid package, then the school must accept all applicable federal law and regulation.

Supreme Court case in point: Grove City College v. Bell (1984)