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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TimF who wrote (28174)	9/7/2006 10:00:44 PM
From: JohnM	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 541264

Tim, I can appreciate the way you wish to address this issue but it's not the way I am. There are three extremely important points for me here. First, there several right wing groups whose agenda/intent is to have "liberal" (note this is different from "extremists") faculty members forced out of universities. Horowitz and Pipes are the most visible. Second, that's quite similar to the intent of Ahmadinejad but the institutional differences between the US and Iran gives that intent a different meaning because the obvious consequence is different. Third, the lack of respect for the traditions of academic freedom shown by the present administration in not commenting on that, given they come from not only his political party but from the particular segment he has governed from, is, at best, worrisome, at worst, yet one more indication as to just how terrible the period is that we are passing through. I've said these repeatedly. You come at the issue from a completely different place. Let's move on to other matters.

To: TimF who wrote (28174)	9/7/2006 11:29:26 PM
From: neolib	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 541264

IMO, the right-wing campaign against "leftist bias" in academics is best seen in the light of the evolution issue. They see Darwin as a dangerous leftist who directly attacks right wing values, and would like nothing better than to see evolution depart not only grade & high school, but college as well. And they are actively working both privately and through political means to achieve this. In 2000, I might have voted for McCain if he had made the Rep ticket, but this issue is why I will never vote for him if he makes it this time. He very stupidly made some comments supporting the ID crowd and I lost all respect for him.

To: TimF who wrote (28174)	9/8/2006 2:39:46 PM
From: Suma	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 541264

Most professors whom I know want more than just injecting knowledge of a subject into a head they want to have student's learn to THINK.. To do this there must be opposing positions... when available... As far as biases those have to be evident... as I have not seem many persons here who view things from the center (sic) exhibit biases too as probably do professors.. This does not mean that a student has to echo the teacher's way to thinking in an exam. The main goal is to get that student to think for himself as he has probably been brain washed all his life as we all have... by society,religion and yes, even parents.