Way back in 2007, soon after we had opened our doors here at GraniteGrok, I wrote a post titled “The Academy – its dirty laundry keeps spilling out; University of Delaware – degrees in indoctrination?” …And it has turned into a problem.
The radical left and liberal groupthink has overtaken our colleges and universities. It is threatening the free exchange of ideas and views. This is now the whole raison d’etre for its existence. In other words, while there is much talk of freedom in the theoretical, in reality, political correctness rules the day.
Unless one talks the talk decreed by that groupthink, you are in deep sneakers.
The two examples from the 2007 piece;
- SYRACUSE, N.Y., January 19, 2006—A New York appeals court has determined that Le Moyne College wrongly removed graduate student Scott McConnell from its education program for endorsing corporal punishment in class. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) first brought McConnell’s case to public attention last year. “This is a great day for all those who believe colleges should keep their promises to students,” said FIRE Interim President Greg Lukianoff, hailing the ruling. “Le Moyne College has learned that it cannot promise freedom and fairness but deliver repression and injustice.”
- …Want to become a social worker or a teacher? Prepare to acknowledge and embrace the notion of “dispositions” – only those that think and believe as we do are able to be what we are…The three groups — the National Association of Scholars, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education — emphasized slightly different points in their letters. But in general they said that the council’s accreditation standards include ideologically skewed requirements, such as a mandate that social-work programs pursue “strategies of advocacy and social change that advance social justice.”Such a standard forces a “progressive” ideology upon students, and it’s inappropriate — and a violation of the First Amendment — for the department to implicitly endorse the standard in its hiring criteria, the critics said. The letters said “political conservatives” and “Christians of traditional moral views” would be unable to graduate from social-work programs under those standards, unless they kept their views to themselves, and thus would be unable to get a job in the department’s Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.
As bloggers are wont to say “Go read the whole thing.”
Remember, I wrote this in 2007 and this problem has only gotten worse from an “ideology groupthink” that only allows for one set of thought on campus – Conservatives need not apply.
And in this “screwed up “gender is everything” environment comes yet another story from the Daily Wire. Some snippets (reformatted, emphasis mine):
Student Suspended From Education Program For Saying, ‘A Man Is A Man, A Woman Is A Woman’
A New York university has suspended an education student from mandatory teaching programs for posting Instagram videos expressing conservative ideology.
Ah yes, only Progressives need to apply. It’s like back in the early 1900s: “No Irish need apply.” Or worse, the same signage for Blacks (“Negros” at the time).
But here we are, back again, where the Party of Jim Crow is going after “dispositions” and philosophy rather than skin color or national origin. REAL tolerance, I see. Hypocrites all around…
State University of New York (SUNY) Geneseo sent an email to education student Owen Stevens placing him on suspension from his field teaching programs after his peers uncovered videos of him preaching conservative dogma. The school claims that Stevens’ videos “call into question” his ability to “maintain a classroom environment protecting the mental and emotional well-being of all of [his] students.”
According to a copy of Steven’s suspension obtained by The Daily Wire, the education student will remain suspended from participating in in-school field experiences and courses that have field experiences until he completes a “remediation plan.” The remediation plan includes taking down his Instagram videos, toning down his social media presence, and attending school-sanctioned training.
In other words, you can’t have and practice (er, Free Expression) – you can ONLY of the approved groupthink that has taken over the Ivory Tower. “You will be assimilated – or destroyed” is the message of these Mind Tyrants.
Stevens told The Daily Wire he refuses to take part in “re-education” training.
“After review of all available materials, I find that, based on your continued public stance and social media presence, you do not consistently demonstrate behaviors required by the Conceptual Framework of the School of Education,” the Dean of the School of Education wrote in an email to Stevens.
Translation: OUR behaviors are the only ones allowed. Your upbringing, your beliefs, your conscience – they all now belong to US. WE will approve what is allowed to be in this industry.
The university claims that Stevens violated the school’s inclusivity doctrine, which requires teachers to foster “a diverse campus community marked by mutual respect for the unique talents and contributions of each individual.”
Yeah, we know what that “inclusivity” means.
The Dean also insinuated that future teachers are required to support all aspects of homosexuality and gender identity. During one of his Instagram videos, Stevens said, “A man is a man, a woman is a woman. A man is not a woman and a woman is not a man.” The Dean told Stevens that his scientific stance on biology is “in conflict” with the state’s Dignity for All Students Act.
Science! WE will determine what your Science will be – welcome, you are now the present version of Galileo.
“You continue to maintain, ‘I do not recognize the gender that they claim to be if they are not biologically that gender,’!” the Dean said. “This public position is in conflict with the Dignity for All Students Act requiring teachers to maintain a classroom environment protecting the mental and emotional well-being of all students.”
It isn’t enough to just treat students all the same in a classroom. GOOD teachers, regardless of their political beliefs, can do that easily. As we Christians say “Love the sinner, hate the sin” (“for we ALL have come short of the glory of God”). One can reject all the Left’s reconstruction of gender and sex into nothingness but still treat each and every student the way they need when it comes to knowledge transfer capabilities of teachers.
Other videos on Steven’s Instagram page include him explaining how Columbus Day isn’t about celebrating every facet of Christopher Columbus’ life and how race-based clubs can be toxic to racial progress. Stevens told The Daily Wire that he’s received threats from his peers since his videos were uncovered.
“I’ve received threats and horrible incidents of students who all feel like they are making the world a better place by becoming the woke thought police,” Stevens said. “Overall, I want justice and the right thing to be done.”
Which seems to be the main purpose of colleges and universities today – the academic versions of the East German secret police, the Stasi. Need I really have to tell y’all that is the environment that Academia is teaching is the norm-to-be of American life?
According to email correspondence obtained by The Daily Wire, the university also sent out an email to all students and staff condemning Stevens for his posts. “Yesterday, I was made aware of a current student’s Instagram posts pertaining to transgender people,” the university’s president wrote. “I want to take this opportunity to publicly restate my deep personal commitment to promoting social justice.”
Yep, these folks have decided to make social justice a religion – and they are the missionaries. Yep, history is repeating itself – while they decry Christopher Columbus and his “xenophobic” war against the indigenous people, they haven’t a clue that they are the modern day Columbus bringing their religion to the heretic masses – at the point of a “wanna job?” sword.
Same thing just a different time. And again, they can’t seem themselves in that repeating history.
In the same email, the president insinuated that the school would like to take action against Stevens, though it cannot infringe on his First Amendment rights.
“There are clear legal limitations to what a public university can do in response to objectionable speech,” the president wrote. “As a result, there are few tools at our disposal to reduce the pain that such speech may cause.”
In a statement to The Daily Wire, a SUNY Geneseo spokeswoman said that the school does not believe that it is infringing on any student’s right to free speech.
“Although we cannot comment on any particular student, SUNY Geneseo respects every student’s right to freedom of speech and expression,” the spokeswoman said. “By choosing to enter into certain professional fields, students agree to abide by the professional standards of their chosen field. At times, these professional standards dictate that students act and behave in certain ways that may differ from their personal predilections.”
The school has openly promoted left-wing ideology in its departments in the past, despite its claims that political ideology should remain outside of the classroom. In an Instagram post, the education school promoted a resource guide for faculty, staff, and teacher-candidates to become “anti-racist” educators.
Lies. Period. Just lies. Or they are quite the idiots – you know, that old “Piled Higher and Deeper” joke.
No, I can’t accept that they don’t realize that they are oppressing (using the verbiage of the Left against the Left) a powerless student. The quintessential Left’s crie d’acord of “Power Imbalance.”
This public school, supported by tax dollars, is supposed to hold to the First Amendment – both Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Expression (being able to act on one’s belief system without worrying about fear of retribution). The School, the Dean, and the President are ALL violating his Civil Rights – and trying to get away with it.
And Academia fails to realize that their status in the world is starting to fall.
