In
the studies of social sciences, about 7-9% of American professors say
they are Republican but 18% say they are Marxist,
Over the weekend, New York Times columnist Nick Kristof devoted his
attention to “a liberal blind spot” in higher education: While colleges
seek to fill their lecture halls with professors across the spectrum of
race and gender, the self-avowed liberal noticed the ivory tower
discriminates against conservative Christians. “Universities are the
bedrock of progressive values,” Kristof wrote, “but the one kind of
diversity that universities disregard is ideological and religious.
We’re fine with people who don’t look like us, as long as they think
like us.”
The numbers are staggering. In the studies of social sciences, about
7-9% of American professors say they are Republican but 18% say they
are Marxist, wrote Kristof. In other words, you have a better chance
learning under someone who follows the political philosophy responsible
for the deaths of hundreds of millions of people than one of the two
primary political parties in America today. Often, conservative
professors try to hide their beliefs — at least until they can make
tenure.
Of
course, this means conservative and Christian ideas are marginalized in
the place where people go to supposedly experience a cornucopia of
thought. It’s not just professors, either. Think back to the numerous
conservative speakers disinvited from speaking at campus events because
they held “incorrect” beliefs. Most recently, this almost happened to
Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Riley. Last week, Virginia Tech
apologized after Riley wrote how he was disinvited from the campus
because his views on race might spark student protests. The school
claims it was all a misunderstanding. Right.
The absence of free thought can be disastrous. When the ultra-liberal
thinking takes hold and there’s no way to keep it grounded through
rigorous debate, then the college floats off to la-la land. Harvard
University announced it was going to prosecute any student it found to
be a member of a male- or female-only club starting in 2017. Why?
Administrators want to combat the bogeyman of sexual assault, and
joining a frat also smacks of privilege and exclusion. In other words,
students have the freedom to think whatever they want and associate
with whomever they want — as long as the university agrees.
[Full]
