Leftism is an intellectually bankrupt mindset that counts reviling one's country as a virtue (unless you happen to live in a communist or islamofascist one). As soon as you stop blaming America for most of what is wrong in the world, you will welcome the sight of our flag, whenever and wherever you encounter it. I know. I was a delusioned leftist once myself.
Pphhbbttt. :)P
First, I don't condone most of the comments made by leftists you cite here. I have leftist friends who fly off the handly sometimes, (just like most people do), and I try to get them to consider whatthey say more carefully. I oppose leftist extremism just as I oppose rightist extremism. Stalin? Hitler? Who's worse? I don't want to find out through personal experience, that's for sure.
I think we're making progress. You admit that leftist extremism exists. ;-) But of course, "extremism" is a very objective term. Stalin and Hitler were both evil (another relative term, but I can't think of a better word. Darn my state university edumacated brain) and I think that you would agree that President Bush, as much as you may disagree with him, is not in any way comparable to either. Do you still believe that a "radical right-wing coup [that] took over the government?" You might also want to read Bill Sammon's AT ANY COST.
I also did not call America a racist, fascist state.
I did not mean to imply that you had. I should have been clearer; I was speaking in general. But I also think you'll agree that you won't see many such signs at a "right-wing" gathering.
By the way, there is slavery in the U.S. Most of it is in the sex trade, but some of it is also in agriculture.
Ah yes, again true. Wicked and awful in any form. I mean that it is not really practiced openly, as it is in places such as the Sudan.
I accept your point that I will tell students to feel free to express any opinion they wish. Since President Hitt said the flags are meant to symbolize our free speech, I hope to keep him to his word on that.
I bet he does. I hope so.
Back to "chiling effect." If there are flags in the classroom and some students get punished or beaten up because they say something negative about the flag, that would have a chilling effect.
True. For all of our bluster here, I do not believe you will ever see any story of any FReeper, or of many conservatives, taking physical action against someone for their opinions. There are exceptions of course, and those come from both the left and right. Threats against self or property are another matter, of course. A student getting beaten up for ANY opinion is wrong and should be grounds for punishment and/or expulsion. This should be true for the left and the right. I sincerely doubt that any student wil be beaten up for expressing opposition to the flags. I mean, this has been going on for a couple of months now...has it happened at all? Of course, common sense should also apply. You may have the constitutional right to walk through south central LA or harlem at midnight wearing a klan uniform. But you'd be damn stupid to try and, I would say, deserving of what happens to you. That chilling effect thing goes both ways...if it is known that you oppose the flags, would a student that supports them feel intimidated in your classroom?
IF Shannon Burke and ROCK police people's views about the flag too much, that would have a chilling effect. I'm not saying itdefinitely will happen, but I am concerned it might,
A legitimate point. But again, are you really expecting ROCK members to be listening outside every classroom door of every class to see what the professor might say? Do they even have that many members? :) Concerns about what "might" happen could paralyze one completely over any issue. Be your level-headed self and say that you might not agree with the flags, but you acknowledge that many do, and let's discuss.
Justice. I think OJ is guilty and nobody said boo to me about being a racist. But is there equal justice for blacks and whites throughout the country? Most studies of the issue I've seen say no.
I'll acknowledge that. But I don't see any connection to that nasty "radical right-wing coup" that you said is "destroying justice." Have you met any conservatives who said that all black defendants are guilty and all white ones are innocent? I sure haven't. And it may be more of a class thing than racial per se. See: Grubman, Lizzie. It was that radical left-wing lawyer William Kunstler that said specifically that all black defendants are innocent in a white racist society, i.e. the US.
Here are some stats on the anti-war views in the media -- http://www.fair.org/reports/iraq-sources.html
Thanks, I'll look at 'em.
See stopshannon.com for the Burke quote. My comment about his homophobia was a general one. I heard him talk about homosexuals today on the radio. He speaks derisively of them, saying they speak with lisps and then laughing about it. It's crude elementary school style homophobia.
Oh come on. Juvenile it may be. But it is still protected speech. I saw Eddie Murphy say on TV that white people can't dance and Redd Foxx say "there ain't nothin uglier than an old white woman." I laughed my ass off. As Dennis Miller said, he refuses to treat homosexuals like faberge eggs who will break at the slightest touch. If they wish to be treated like anyone else, then they too will be poked fun at, as are whites, blacks, men, women, heterosexuals, metrosexuals, bisexuals, anythingelsesexuals. Come, join our reindeer games. :)
I am concerned for my future at UCF. Because of the flag issue. I am worried that a misled public will think that because I oppose flags in classrooms that I am a dangerous American-hating traitor ,etc. I could see the administration bowng to that kind of pressure. At the very least, I feel insecure about it.
Okay, I understand your feelings, but I really don't think you should worry. Have you spoken to the ROCK members about your thoughts? You said you love America and I see no reason from your postings to disagree. If you don't do anything worse than what I mentioned earlier...say you disagree, but you acknowledge that others do agree with it, so let's discuss it...I mean, no one should be upset by that. There's a world of difference between that and that Professor at TX (Jensen, I think), who said anyone who blows up the Pentagon gets his vote. That, I would say, is over the line. Be a good-humored person and be respectful and encourage all your students to be the same way...my favorite professor as an undergrad was a staunch liberal who disagreed with me on almost everything. When I applied to be an intern in Trent Lott's office (ah, when I was young and naive...), he wrote a wonderful tongue-in-cheek letter to the senator saying his efforts to convert me to the high ideals of the Democratic party had failed completely. :)
I could entertain you too with lots of stories about pro-war people going nuts -- like the guy who drove his pickup truck into a crowd of protesters.
Lock him up. If anyone was killed, fry him. I say that in all sincerity.
Of course Ann Coulter can speak freely and ROCK can bring her to UCF. But she is not a "lone voice." Add Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly, and many many others. Coulter is way off base and her audience is not particularly critical of her. I think it's healthy to hear anti-Coulter voices too. That doesn't mean that I'm not scared stiff by her.
That's the free market, Prof. :) Rush, Hannity, O'Reilly, and others are popular because people like listening to them. I've ever heard any of them advocating any kind of violent acts against anyone else. As opposed to Mssr. Baldwin. Calling Ann "off base" is your opinion, no more valid than mine. :) And no, she does not go without criticism. Many conservative pundits did not look kindly on TREASON, Horowitz for one. She was released from NATIONAL REVIEW after her "invasion" column. There are many opposing voices...Michael Moore (try and avoid him nowadays), Al Franken (his new book is on the best-seller list), Jim Hightower, Paul Krugman, etc. I am not scared of any of them. Amused, yes. Frequently driven to fits of nausea, yes. But scared, no. :)
Of course there are conservative faculty members. I know some of them.
You should tell them to set up a similar group.
I don't know MECHa.
See: http://www.panam.edu/orgs/MEChA/nat.html I find it disturbing that this group resides on college campuses with barely any criticism.
Here's an idea for you (if you're brave enough)...repeat all those quotes I've given to you (after you verify them) and ask if the quoted people are racists or hatemongers or what. See what your students say. I just bet that you'd get some lively discussion. ;)
No, because blacks don't get justice, or because whites don't get justice? If the answer is the former, you need to broaden your reading.