Bill:
I have a question about something you said in the previous posting to the listserve. You said that you propose that, "We would invite speakers who would tell us, calmly and rationally, things that challenge our beliefs." That is interesting--are you saying that Angela Davis has not told us things that challenge our beliefs? Have we yet had a speaker who challenges our beliefs? [Adagio: I'm not certain how RATIONALLY Davis challenges other people's beliefs, being that guns licensed to her tend to blow people's heads off]
I have found that speakers, including those of the left, with whom I tend to agree overall, challenge my beliefs all of the time.
Geoff
The intrepid, classically liberal prof counters:
Hi, Geoff,
Maybe I should have used a word stronger than "challenge." I am interested in speakers who will take the beliefs to which I am most emotionally attached and try to talk me out of these beliefs. Either I have good reasons for believing the things I do, or I don't have good reasons. If I have good reasons, I will be able to refute their challenge. If I do not have good reasons, they will have done me a big favor by challenging me.
I have no idea, of course, what your own "sacred cow" beliefs might be, but whatever they are, you would benefit from re-examining them. On our campus (and most American college campuses) the sacred cows tend to be liberal cows. That is why our campus would benefit from importing provocative conservative speakers.
Regards,
Bill I.
Byron Duvall's graphic contribution to this debate:
In response to inviting Sowell to balance the Black Panther, Davis, the leftists engage in moral relativism, if not downright unsubstantiated character assassination, if not Klingon mind control of accusing opponents of the very faults that only the accuser is guilty:
Very interesting. I find Thomas Sowell to be as offensive and potentially maleficent as it appears some people view Angela Davis. So bring him on!
Bill Klykylo
Countered by the right:
Perhaps you can enlighten us as to what is so "offensive and potentially maleficent" about Thomas Sowell?
The controversies surrounding Angela Davis are well-documented. Please do not misinterpret that statement to suggest I would prevent her from coming to campus and being heard. But to draw some sort of moral equivalency between Angela Davis and Thomas Sowell is going to require more than just an off-handed comment without some thoughtful elaboration.
Respectfully,
David Little
To this rational query, only the chirping of crickets responded...
Posts
if they had speakers like Sowell, students might ask questions that would embarrass most professors. And some of the students would see that the professors lack rational answers to reasonable questions.
ReplyDeleteThey have fought and schemed for a long time to gain power in the colleges and they won't give any up without a struggle. I know their power structure defeats the true aims of a university and of education but the lefties really don't have a clue about things like that.
The official unironic summary of Davis' visit:
ReplyDelete"Feminist scholar, writer and social activist Angela Davis lectured at Wright State as part of the 2008-09 Presidential Lecture Series developed to advance human justice and promote the university's commitment to creating a diverse university community and learning environment. The theme for the 2008-09 series is 'Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Academic Inquiry.'"
As was pointed out, the alleged diversity of academic inquiry includes inviting speakers from the left, far left, and then outright Marxists Communists.