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Fear of Liberalism?
by David Eller, Ph.D.
| Let's see. The conservatives control the White House, the Congress, most large companies (how many liberal CEO's do you know?), and virtually all churches. Now it seems that evil liberals are teaching evil liberalism to your children in colleges, in cahoots with the liberal media. Strange how this liberal media is all owned by big business, which is inherently conservative (see above). And many colleges are private and run by or affiliated with religious institutions, which are also inherently conservative (see above). Still, public colleges appear to hire way too many Democrats, so we need state law to "level the playing field" for Republicans and to guarantee "diversity" in the teaching profession. At least that is what Colorado State Senate President John Andrews, under the happy influence of David Horowitz, says. |
Not long ago I attended a speech given by Horowitz, who is spearheading the "Students for Academic Freedom," in Denver. He argued that all he wanted was toleration for all points of view, an inclusive academy, and a more civil, less partisan intellectual debate. All this as he was selling copies of his book, "How to Beat the Democrats and other Subversive Ideas." |
I have news for you. I have been a college teacher for over a decade, and never once have I asked nor been asked about political affiliation. Contrary to what angry conservatives would like you to think, there is no "liberal agenda" on campus. No one knows or cares what your politics are. Even if there were a "liberal agenda," what do the conservatives want to do about it? Ask job applicants to list their party membership? Establish quotas for hiring Republicans? Aren't these the same people who are opposed to racial quotas? Oh, but when they are the ones affected by "discrimination"… |
Actually, there is an agenda on campus, and it is called education, and education is inherently liberal. The point of higher education is questioning, challenging authority and tradition. It does not reject all established ideas, just the bad ones. It was liberal education that put the sun at the center of the solar system, that ended slavery, that gave women the right to vote and to get an education, and that offers whatever small chance our society has of surviving another millennium. I don't even know what conservative education would be: teaching the same old errors and prejudices we always have? Letting one party or sect dominate the discussion? Telling non-conservative or Jewish or female or black or gay or non-Christian students that they are wrong and evil? Are conservative "colleges" like Bob Jones University and Liberty University the models they admire? We've been there already: it caused hurt minds and hurt bodies and made for a meaner and less enlightened society. |
Social and intellectual progress has always been made by "liberals"; conservatives by definition try to keep things the way they are. Except when things are not going the way conservatives like, that is. If conservatives want jobs at colleges, let them get an education, do high-quality research, and apply along with the rest of us. But, when they get here, they might not like all the "diversity" they tout today. The academy plays favorites with no one, and all their precious conservative ideas will be subjected to "liberal" argument and criticism. |
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