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My view of college campuses today is -- things are getting polarized. It's not as polarized as it was in the 1960s, but it could get there.

At least the 1960s resulted in some positive reforms for universities. The free speech movement, for example, had an enormously positive effect on society as a whole and opened up discussions of topics not previously entertained on campuses, let alone anywhere else. It allowed for open discussions about wars, leaders, economic policies, international relations, race, etc in a way that had not been seen before.

I think discussion of that sort is healthy, even if it does become heated. I did not like the violent clashes of that time and I hope to avoid them today.

I think the question of WHO donated the flags matters to some extent, but even if Campus Peace Action had proposed putting the flags in the classrooms I would have opposed it. My first priority is to maintain the classroom as a "sacred space" free of ideological interference as much as possible.

I don't think people are turning anti-American, at least at UCF I don't see that. What I do see is people who are sick of being pushed around by what they perceive as a radical right-wing coup that took over the government and is pushing revolutionary policies through at a furious pace, destroying everything they love about America -- tolerance, the rule of law, justice, truth, compassion, civil discourse, etc. They see a group of people like ROCK who are willing to support these radical policies by any means necessary, just as the Brown Shirts supported Hitler early on in his regime by beating up and intimidating opponents, including students and professors with whom they disagreed.

I see nothing positive coming out of the polarization on campuses these days, except perhaps for some new organizations like the Progressive Faculty Federation (of which I am a founding member) which are trying to act primarily to defend ourselves against attacks like Shannon Burke's.

No need to be nice. Just be sincere and thoughtful.

Barry

I discovered by reading the link you posted earlier that you are in fact a professor. You are way above my paygrade as far as debating goes, but this last post is interesting.

You state that you want a "Sacred space" free of idealogical interference. So, in other words you choose not to display a flag in order not to take one side or the other? Does the majority detest the flag and what you think it stands for? Have you asked them? Does it matter? Do you stand when the national anthem is played? The pledge of allegiance at a grammar school play?

I gather that there are a number of students who are buying into a "Right wing conspiracy" theory that may only exist on Foxnews and AM radio. Wow, about 3% of media may be conservative minded. I suppose many of your students have forgotten what we are fighting about and instead put all they're misinformed emotions against the Patriot Act, or the spending of money to rebuild a country devestated by a lunatic. It will be interesting to read the history books in twenty years.

To be fair, you have maintained a level of civility fairly rare for liberals who post here. Most of our ideological opponents who make their way to this forum are rude and disruptive---a fact which has rendered many of us a little quick to assume the offensive.

That said, wouldn't you agree that objecting to flags being raised in classrooms is *just* as polarizing and divisive as putting them up in the first place?

I don't think people are turning anti-American, at least at UCF I don't see that. What I do see is people who are sick of being pushed around by what they perceive as a radical right-wing coup that took over the government and is pushing revolutionary policies through at a furious pace, destroying everything they love about America -- tolerance, the rule of law, justice, truth, compassion, civil discourse, etc.

I would hardly call "Bush & Co." a right-wing coup. Bush is a socialist, IMO. He supports the Medicare drug benefit, the extension of a ban on assault rifles (the very tools needed to overthrow any Brownshirts or other tyrants), and, by signing it, the USSA-Patriot-In-Name-Only act, which allows the Feds to snoop in secret through your homes and library records. If Vladimir Lenin were alive today, he would probably say, "Not bad."