PING!
Posted on 11/30/2006 3:07:33 PM PST by GMMAC
Campus thought police
The Ottawa Citizen: Editorial
Published: Thursday, November 30, 2006
The Carleton University Students Association is funded by a fee collected from every undergraduate.
It seems logical to assume then that the support this body dispenses should be available to all students, or at least that is what one hopes.
People from many different backgrounds come to study at a large university such as Carleton. They bring with them different views. This is good for the university and for the wider world these young people will someday engage.
The essence of university life should be to encourage a vigorous and fair debate of ideas and issues, especially controversial ones, no matter that some views might conflict with what is considered "acceptable" to a certain group that is in a position of authority.
This openness, so central to academic development, is imperilled by the current debate over whether CUSA should attempt to shut out one side of the abortion debate.
CUSA has proposed a motion, to be voted on next week, that would see a ban on support for any activity on campus that has "anti-choice purposes." The association would also assert that the association would "respect and affirm a woman's right to choose."
If CUSA really believed in the values inherent in the word "choice," the organization might have more respect for those students on the Carleton campus who, rightly or wrongly, oppose abortion on demand.
But CUSA's actions are not really about choice. They have become an example of the kind of tyranny of thought that George Orwell, who has long been a favourite of university students, would rail against. Orwell, most famous for his books Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, was passionately opposed to such intolerance.
"Collectivism," he said, "is not inherently democratic but, on the contrary, gives to a tyrannical minority such powers as the Spanish Inquisitors never dreamt of."
Modern campuses have become havens of this kind of groupthink. On issues such as the Palestinian question, on abortion and on same-sex marriage, some of today's most contentious debates, it is the belief of some people that certain ideas are not to be heard on campus.
If you oppose the politically correct view, you are vilified. Ask Rabbi Reuven Bulka, who, after being chosen to address Carleton's graduating class of 2005, came under heavy student fire because of his tradtional views about sexuality and same-sex marriage.
Margaret Somerville, one of Canada's leading thinkers on ethical matters, landed in hot water over her views on same-sex marriage when she was asked to speak at Ryerson University this past June.
If you favour the Palestinian cause, you attempt to drown out those who speak on behalf of Israel. Concordia University in Montreal was turned upside down over a visit by former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, cancelled because of politically correct protests.
Universities need to be open places. CUSA is headed in exactly the wrong direction.
© The Ottawa Citizen 2006
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Education ping.
Let McVey, JamesP81, or me know if you want on or off the education ping list.
and the students HAVE to pay? What happens if they don't? will they be thrown in PC Prison? It's sad that they are being strong-armed to finacially support somethign they don't beleive in & which directly affects them if they dissagree. http://sacredscoop.com
Universities are against toleration.
They fight for a one world view without a second opinion.
I'm not touching this with a 10-ft pole, you hoser.
I didn't think Canada had any right-wing newspapers. Surely this is from some little, unknown paper. Truly great papers in the USA, like the NYTimes, would no doubt endorse the prohibition of anti-choice thought on campuses.
Since stalking Canadian and other non-American FReepers from thread to thread to offer up gratuitous insults would get any of us suspended or banned if the nationalities were reversed, you're plainly a coward taking advantage of this double standard as well as a disgusting xenophobe.
Burning the midnight oil at the Ministry of Truth.
Well I like to think of it as "Affirmative Opinionation"...
Then don't visit this thread.
OK you hoser, I'm gone.
Is this a Canadian thing or what???
Or her boyfriends right to choose for her.....
Not sure yet, OP. Certainly, ZE is within our bounds to question the p0ster of bona fides. However, these Cansadian pukes seem to have another contract in place; more like the EU to me, just my opinion.
Knock off the personal attacks
This is just to soften them up for what's ahead when they become taxpayers. Get them used to tyranny, and the sheeple won't object.
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