UCLA alumni group targets 'radical' professors

nesf

http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/01/18/professors.targeted.ap/index.html

I know this isn't a new issue, but this kind of thing depresses me. When disapproving of the present goverment is considered to be "radical" for a professor/lecturer...

ronbyrne2005

yeah it is rather depressing,that and the general foxnewsisation of american life. the thing is most people would be classed somewhat as left wing in america but the righ seems so much more vicous and determined to suceed in its agenda.when i say left wing i mean liberal in terms of social policy/public services etc

nesf

ronbyrne2005 wrote:

the thing is most people would be classed somewhat as left wing in america but the righ seems so much more vicous and determined to suceed in its agenda.when i say left wing i mean liberal in terms of social policy/public services etc

Really? Everything I've read has always talked about the slight majority of right wingers in the US. (Though the middle grounders make this irrelevant really)

ronbyrne2005

there have been surveys showing that the majority of people beleive in the main policies of the democrats such as social welfare safety net, medicaid/medicare, social security, improved public services increased education spend etc although they wouldnt be anywhere as near to the left as europe/ireland

John_C

It's not exactly analagous, but the last few times a government minister has visited UCD they've been made unwelcome with things ranging from simple protests to ministers being barricaded into buildings or rooms. So you don't need to go as far as America to find a college with it's freedom of speech under attack.

Sand

I know this isn't a new issue, but this kind of thing depresses me. When disapproving of the present goverment is considered to be "radical" for a professor/lecturer...

As John_C has already noted, it wouldnt be the first time free speech was attacked on a campus. In Ireland I remember there was bus loads of students heading down to Cork to disrupt a speaker there - the holocaust denier David Irving AFAIR. Not a likeable man, but then free speech isnt just for speech you like. And I remember a professor in a US Uni in the early 90s losing his job because he referred to native americans as indians in a lecture. But then that was the hey-day of the PC police.

In this case, it sounds well over the top. Id be curious to know just what portion of time is spent on denouncing Bush compared to teaching? I can only think the lecturers are making throwaway jibes - anything more serious and theyd be up for review for not doing their actual job, tapes or no tapes.

there have been surveys showing that the majority of people beleive in the main policies of the democrats such as social welfare safety net, medicaid/medicare, social security, improved public services increased education spend etc although they wouldnt be anywhere as near to the left as europe/ireland

Polls can be prepared with loaded questions and careful selection of sample groups tbh. The only polls that matter - elections, have demonstrated that Republicans hold the upper hand. /me shrugs

rsynnott

The university is taking legal action, apparently. http://www.townhall.com/news/ext_wire.html?rowid=46451

Snickers Man

Sand wrote:

And I remember a professor in a US Uni in the early 90s losing his job because he referred to native americans as indians in a lecture. But then that was the hey-day of the PC police.

I don't believe this story. I believe this is an urban myth propagated by morons nostalgic for the days when you could cheerfully call a spade a ******.

I believe that at least 60 per cent of what such people say is crap.

I challenge you to provide credible corrobative evidence that such a person really was sacked just for using the word indian in a lecture.