PC Campus: Academia’s Top 10 Abuses of 2008

[PoliCon]

Political correctness ran amuck in our nation’s school system this past year, and Young America’s Foundation has once again compiled our “best of the worst” academic abuses for 2008. From “free speech zones” to transgendered speakers at military academies, the following list may make you both laugh and cry in the same breath. That probably isn’t too surprising, however, since we are talking about academia after all…

1. The free speech “zone.” A student at Yuba College in California was sent an ultimatum by the school’s president: discontinue handing out gospel booklets or face disciplinary action and possibly expulsion. That’s right—gospel booklets. Ryan Dozier, the 20-year-old student, had the audacity to distribute Christian literature without a school permit, which restricts free speech to an hour each Tuesday and Thursday. Yuba College even directs students to where on campus they are allowed to exhibit free speech. In this case, it’s the school theater. Campus police threatened to arrest Ryan if he didn’t comply with the “free speech zone,” oblivious to the fact that students don’t need permission to exercise the First Amendment’s free speech and religious clauses.

2. Transgendered activists in, pro-life speakers out. Liberal administrators at the University of St. Thomas, a Catholic institution in Minnesota, censored the appearance of prominent pro-life speaker Star Parker because campus officials felt “uncomfortable” and “disturbed” by previous conservative speakers at the school. The University’s mission statement claims it values “the pursuit of truth,” “diversity,” and “meaningful dialogue.” Except, not really—or better yet, as long as the said “pursuit” doesn’t offend leftist predilections. Meanwhile, within the past year, the same school hosted Al Franken, the bombastic liberal comedian, and Debra Davis, a transgendered activist who believes God is a black lesbian. Realizing they had a public relations disaster on their hands, the head honchos at St. Thomas eventually reversed the ban on Star Parker.

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http://yaf.org/blog/?p=163&cpage=1

[FlaGator]

http://yaf.org/blog/?p=163&cpage=1

They ban what they fear because they know that they cannot defend what is indefensible.

[Bubba Dawg]

It has been a good while since I was in college, 1991, and I attended a state university, but there weren't these kind of restrictions inplace in 1991 when I graduated.

I'm amazed at these examples. And saddened.

[noonwitch]

It has been a good while since I was in college, 1991, and I attended a state university, but there weren't these kind of restrictions inplace in 1991 when I graduated.

I'm amazed at these examples. And saddened.

There weren't these kind of restrictions when I was in school in the 80s, either. I don't think these incidents represent every public university, though.

At WMU, I was involved in Intervarsity Christian Fellowship during my freshman year. We met at the episcopalian church on campus, but Campus Crusade for Christ met in the student center. IVCF, Campus Crusade, the Navigators, the Hillel Foundation and various denominational groups all had university sanction and could be listed in the student activities book. There was a catholic church right off of campus (between WMU's campus and Kalamazoo College's) that also was listed in the book. The Moonies, Maranathas, and Hare Krishnas were not given univeristy sanction, because they were all considered cults, although the Moonies regularly advertised in the student newspaper classified ads.

Being West Michigan and all, we did have the occasional "street preacher" on campus, telling us we were going to hell while we were walking to class. They were usually ignored by the students, but occasionally, there would be a confrontation between either an arrogant, atheist student and the preacher guy, or a drunk student (they didn't call us Wastern Michigan University for nothing). The campus police usually sanctioned the student harrassing the preacher, not the preacher.


The episode in the list that most bothered me was the one with the professor who walked in on a student praying with another professor and got upset-what is his damage. I assume this happened in a semi-private setting, like the professor's office or the just-emptied classroom. It just sounds so childish, on top of being a free-speech issue.

[AmPat]

If atheists and liberals continue on this path, they will sow the seeds of their own demise. What they condemn now will be used against them eventually.

Christianity OTOH will survive and flourish, It has much practice over many years of dealing with various persecutions.

[PoliCon]

I just get a kick out of them saying that they are for the free exchange of ideas and freedom of expression - but then they want to limit it for anyone who does not agree with them.

[FuroraCeltica]

At universities in England, this happens too. My Christian Union at college were lucky. Other colleges near us were told that the Christian groups would not be allowed to use university facilities unless they allowed non-Christians to be leaders...and they also had to not be "homophobic".

Just another day in the Peoples Revolutionary Socialist Dictatorship of the European Union...