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posted by CoolHand on Monday August 29 2016, @01:42AM   Printer-friendly
from the it-takes-all-kinds dept.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/opinion/sunday/a-confession-of-liberal-intolerance.html?_r=0

WE progressives believe in diversity, and we want women, blacks, Latinos, gays and Muslims at the table — er, so long as they aren't conservatives. Universities are the bedrock of progressive values, but the one kind of diversity that universities disregard is ideological and religious. We're fine with people who don't look like us, as long as they think like us.

O.K., that's a little harsh. But consider George Yancey, a sociologist who is black and evangelical. "Outside of academia I faced more problems as a black," he told me. "But inside academia I face more problems as a Christian, and it is not even close."

I've been thinking about this because on Facebook recently I wondered aloud whether universities stigmatize conservatives and undermine intellectual diversity. The scornful reaction from my fellow liberals proved the point.

"Much of the 'conservative' worldview consists of ideas that are known empirically to be false," said Carmi. "The truth has a liberal slant," wrote Michelle. "Why stop there?" asked Steven. "How about we make faculties more diverse by hiring idiots?"

To me, the conversation illuminated primarily liberal arrogance — the implication that conservatives don't have anything significant to add to the discussion. My Facebook followers have incredible compassion for war victims in South Sudan, for kids who have been trafficked, even for abused chickens, but no obvious empathy for conservative scholars facing discrimination.

The stakes involve not just fairness to conservatives or evangelical Christians, not just whether progressives will be true to their own values, not just the benefits that come from diversity (and diversity of thought is arguably among the most important kinds), but also the quality of education itself. When perspectives are unrepresented in discussions, when some kinds of thinkers aren't at the table, classrooms become echo chambers rather than sounding boards — and we all lose.


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  • (Score: 1) by Demena on Monday August 29 2016, @04:59AM

    by Demena (5637) on Monday August 29 2016, @04:59AM (#394470)

    Do you understand that you just mentally masturbated over everyone? Do you understand that you actually committed a deliberately offensive act and took joy in it? And you wonder why you are scorned. Do you understand that from your ridiculous tirade you would force attitudes, actions on people?

    Religion is not the answer it is the problem

  • (Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday August 29 2016, @10:53AM

    Take your pick. Societies are created either by religion or men with guns. If you think I'm wrong, you simply failed to spot your own religion. Here's a hint, if you entered the society voluntarily, you either were a man with a gun or it is a religion.

    --
    My rights don't end where your fear begins.
  • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday August 29 2016, @01:56PM

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Monday August 29 2016, @01:56PM (#394671) Journal

    Who really gives a flying fuck that you were offended? There may be two or three people who actually care. The rest of us are laughing at you.