Extremist Prof Gets Message
BY CHUCK FOGLAND
Courier Columnist
20 October 2004
Leftist Professor Stephen Helmericks is now doing research at Colorado State
University -- he is no longer teaching. And the students at Colorado State
University are celebrating. In a particularly radical fashion, Helmericks
slammed capitalism, defamed Ronald Reagan and blasted President George W.
Bush over the summer in a sociology class. His remarks were offensive and
his language lurid. He also instructed the class about illegal drug
activities in which he and his son partake.
As reported in mainstream media, one student, a military veteran whose
husband is currently serving in Iraq, took a stand. However, she was met
with an attack against the war of which, according to Helmericks, we are
fighting for "no G*d d@#n reason." If that weren't enough, Prof Helmericks
then told the student that she should take the class with a different
professor.
Some professors continue to have an aggressive attitude toward anyone who
dares to challenge them. Harassment is not uncommon with these extremists
and Helmericks epitomizes ferociousness that other viewpoints are likely to
receive in their classrooms. Heavy ego and a shot of left wing viciousness
equates to bully-pulpit lectures that strive to indoctrinate the masses of
young minds, not unlike Hitler in Nazi Germany. Worse, it is way over the
line for a professor to tell a paying student at a public, state-run
institution to leave and take the course in a different section.
Leadership in the state legislature was kept abreast of the situation and
pressure from them on the administration including the president of the
university, the dean of the college and the department chair forced it to
take action. Notably the students did see accountability of the department.
The Sociology Chairman, Louis Swanson expressed serious disapproval of
Helmericks actions. Chairman Swanson took strong accountability for the
department in favor of student rights. Action was taken and Helmericks wrote
a letter of apology to the student and expressed his regrets to his class.
Unfortunately for the student, she had to resort to an external group, the
College Republicans and Republican leadership to help this happen - but it
was too late. She had already dropped the course.
I had a lesser version of this occur to me last year. Through insinuations
and outright promulgations, Prof Kinnear of Economics called President Bush
a liar, attacked capitalism and vehemently opposed free market solutions to
health care. When I called him on his bias, he denied it, said I took his
words out of context and attempted to shut me up by belittling me. I believe
in freedom of speech, but why is it that liberals do not exercise the same
belief?
I contacted my state representative, Democrat Angie Paccione (HD 53) for
assistance. In usual left wing form, she took the side of liberal academia,
and told me I should work within the constraints of the system.
Unfortunately Rep. Paccione fails to see that the liberal establishment runs
the university and it has a long history of ideological discrimination.
Imagine if a liberal student received this kind of treatment from a
conservative professor. By not personally looking into the matter, my
representative failed not just me, but more than 20,000 other students at
CSU.
In sharp contrast, when Republicans—including Senators John Andrews and Mark
Hillman, as well as Representatives Shawn Mitchell and Jim Welker—were asked
for help, they responded. A clear message came at the start of the Fall
Semester with the removal of Helmericks from CSU teaching duties. Setting a
clear precedent to all bullies in the classroom, Swanson made a move for
academic freedom. Finally, we have a turning point in favor of students.
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