Free speech for me but not for thee
According to a study reported here on yesterday, college faculties are overwhelmingly liberal——at some of the institutions considered to be prestigious up to 75% liberal.
Now one of the basic tenets liberals supposedly worship is freedom of speech. After all that's the reason faculties across the country have given for supporting the University of Colorado's Ward Churchill despite his hateful comments, apparent plagiarism and lack of academic credentials. And that's the reason set forth by Duke University when they allowed a hate filled anti Israel forum.
Undoubtedly similar orientations and beliefs prevail at faculties in Canada. But wait! Eighty professors have protested the forthcoming appearance of an academic at the University of Toronto, one who is factual and reasoned, highly credentialed and academically prolific.
And faculties across Canada and the U.S. are silent about this blatant attempt to silence free speech; new ideas; fresh thinking. Why? Well, the academic in question, Daniel Pipes, is so—o—o politically incorrect —— he is opposed to Islamism which he carefully defines as a distorted version of Islam, a radical Islam whose supporters advocate violence against those who don't believe as they do. He clearly states that he is not against the Moslem people and the Moslem religion.
But his detractors ignore this and label Pipes a bigot, a racist and worse. As with Lawrence Summers, president of Harvard University, an individual who dares utter a word against accepted liberal dogma is to be condemned; his/her presence is not to sully sacred academia.
Hypocrisy, thy name is college faculty.
Ethel C. Fenig 3 30 05