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<p>Cultures differ in important ways, and the presence of very different cultures in a society can lead to strife. An example would the presence of Muslims in the West. Even if only a very small fraction are terrorists, that fraction can do immense damage and reduce the quality of life for everyone. I think restricted immigration and assimilation of those who do immigrate is a better and more realistic ideal than multiculturalism.</p>
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<p>The problem w how multi-culturalism is advocated by the “progressive” (the latest euphemism for liberal) community on college campuses, is that we are not supposed to be making value judgements about other cultures. Other cultures are just “different”, not better or worse than Western culture, unless of course they are cultures we personally disagree with like Talibanism.</p>
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I absolutely, emphatically believe that. I also just as emphatically believe that many liberals (and college professors in particular) do love America. I also just as emphatically believe that many liberals (and college professors in particular) are ambivalent. I live in an area where the leftiest of left views aren’t pulled back to the center and I know many people in academia and not, who believe down to their souls that America is what is wrong with the world. What I do think is that one of the differences between conservatives and libarals is that liberals tend to be more idealistic and aspire to the perfection of the human condition whereas conservatives tend to be more likely to deal with what’s actually in front of them. I ascribe to the roots and wings theory of politics.</p>
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My daughter also got an A in the writing class in which she thought the teacher was pushing a single point of view. She liked getting an A for its own sake, but it also made her reevaluate the teacher’s fairness–positively. I don’t see much wrong with a professor espousing a point of view as long as students aren’t punished for having opposing views–that’s the whole “marketplace of ideas” thing.</p>
<p>Two of my kids are either conservative or libertarian and have had professors who were self-described lefties. All have graded fairly and done a good job of teaching. I don’t think anyone could possibly ask for more than that.</p>
<p>I would also note that these days students can often find out a lot about professors before choosing classes, including how they teach, how they grade, their point of view, etc.</p>
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<p>I agree with this. I also think it is good if a student can have professors with more than one bias, even opposing biases, from time to time. I think this is the actual objection of those who feel the academy is too liberal. fwiw. The lack of exposure to what they would call more conservative ideas.</p>
<p>But, honestly, what is most interesting to me is that 24% of college kids say they hold libertarian ideas and favor them highly, and still the professors tell the kids these are invalid positions: to want the government to stay out of the bedroom and to stop telling us what to do with our bodies and our money. </p>
<p>The professorial bias which links libertarian to “conservative” is also a media bias, and is interesting. So, my personal feeling is that the general bias in the academy is mostly pro status quo, and that is a very conservative position, even if the professor believes it is liberal.</p>
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<p>Help me out here. Are you saying that those who have different beliefs other than “mainstream American” (whatever that is - that’s a whole other debate) “don’t belong” here? Funny, it seems that quite a number of recent immigrants on CC hold a belief which is contrary to “mainstream American thinking” – that admission to elite colleges should be solely or primarily based on SAT scores, with little allowance made for either life circumstances, athletic ability or participation in extracurriculars. I may disagree with them, but they certainly don’t need to leave the country just because they don’t engage in “mainstream American thinking” about what should qualify one for college admission. Part of the beauty of a free country is that people are free to think different things. Which is why we can have a BYU and a Liberty U and a Harvard, and I can vote with my pocketbook to send or not send my kids to any of them if I don’t like their professors.</p>
<p>So I’m wondering about that history professor at Pensacola Christian who discovers that his student is an atheist…</p>
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<p>Bombing is a more serious matter than posting something on College Confidential that you disagree with. It’s not just the different beliefs but the willingness to use violence to promote them.</p>
<p>Oh, yes, I agree that the willingness to use violence to promote one’s beliefs is terrible. I wonder how that translates to your assessment of certain flavors of Christianity, given happenings such as Tim McVeigh / OK City, those who have shot at or bombed abortion clinics, and the like. I’m guessing you’d agree that people of those same religious persuasions should be monitored just as carefully by our government.</p>
<p>Out of curiousity, I took a look at Pensacola’s website, because I thought it likely that they have a requirement of non-atheism for admission. It doesn’t exactly say that, although the application asks if the applicant has trusted Jesus Christ as his/her saviour. Elsewhere on the site it notes that students are not permitted to “promote hyper-Calvinism,” so that particular viewpoint (whatever it may be) is out.</p>
<p>College students change? Right? That’s what happens with free inquiry?</p>
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<p>The objection to liberal promotion of multiculturalism is not that people with different ways of thinking should leave the country. It is the idea that one is not allowed to make a value judgment about which approach is better.</p>
<p>I think you are talking about media bias and political discourse Bay. I think the idea of holding “judgements” at bay (no pun intended) while inquiring is a positive in an academic environment.</p>
<p>And, yes, there are radicalized professors who disallow questioning from both sides, which is VERY different from bias. But, in actual practice, I think it is rather rare. A classroom might not be as welcoming to the view a student espouses, and I do know of students who have been dinged for this in their grades, but mostly, mostly, this is not the case.</p>
<p>I think if a professor downgrades a student for disagreeing with him, that it’s not about ideology but about ego.</p>
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<p>How about the white supremacist guy who killed 6 people in the Sikh temple in Milwaukee? Or the Virginia Tech shooter, a Korean immigrant? Funny how when the person has a certain, “acceptable” background we are willing to look at the individual (and no one would speak of trying him as an “enemy combatant”), but when he comes from certain cultures or parts of the world we instantly jump to generalizations.</p>
<p>Well, I don’t think it’s really and truly all that odd. The truth is that there is a Jihad against the United States right now. Like it or not, there is an actual declared holy war against us, so it’s not odd to say, radicalized islamists pose a threat to our national and personal security. It’s a bit much to extrapolate from that to the idea that peaceful muslims who came here to get away from those same terrorists, who kill more muslims than anyone else, are all radical islamists.</p>
<p>As far as I know, with the exception of some very bizarre individual seperatists, there isn’t any other religious group which has declared a war on us and on our way of life.</p>
<p>The failure to acknowledge this is just as silly as the fear of peaceful muslims, imho.</p>
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What about the Westboro Baptist Church?</p>
<p>exactly! :D</p>