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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: 2, Flamebait) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday August 29 2016, @11:16AM

    Wow, that's some quality Wrong to go with your normal morning bowl of Nasty. Teenagers are fully capable of making decisions every bit as good as those of adults, they simply need someone else's pool of experience to draw upon rather than their own limited pools. This is where teaching your kids about life instead of expecting a school to do it for you comes in. It helps if you are a good example but a bad one can do just as well, lucky for you.

    This idea that teenagers are still metaphorically in diapers and need coddling is both extremely new and extremely foolhardy. No, their brains are not completely developed. They will make mistakes. They will also learn from them. Yours is fully developed (though in an abnormal and badly in need of servicing sort of way) and you likely have a worse decision-making record than the average teen but we treat you like an adult just the same.

    The fact of the matter is, human beings were designed (by either nature or their creator, take your pick) to become sexually active at around twelve. Are you really brilliant enough to think that you can single-handedly outsmart whichever method of deciding that you picked? I'm pretty sure I can't outsmart a genetic algorithm that's been running for as long as it has, operating on billions of seats but then I don't have the kind of hubris it takes to be called a liberal today.

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    My rights don't end where your fear begins.
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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 29 2016, @01:46PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 29 2016, @01:46PM (#394662)

    The fact of the matter is, human beings were designed (by either nature or their creator, take your pick) to become sexually active at around twelve. Are you really brilliant enough to think that you can single-handedly outsmart whichever method of deciding that you picked?

    It's much more pleasant wading through the -1 sewer when some exposition goes on to uncover the flaws in dangerous viewpoints rather than simple retorts using name-calling.

    Thanks to both you and the author of the more detailed AC post below [soylentnews.org] for putting in the extra time.

    • (Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday August 29 2016, @02:00PM

      *Hat Tip*

      Personally, I'm only in this one because I enjoy pointing out when AH is being a moron. I prefer my women over thirty and have since I was a teenager myself. I'd rather opt for celibacy than fuck a teenager, though they are nice to look at. It's just more fun to kick AH's ass with facts and logic if I have the time.

      --
      My rights don't end where your fear begins.
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 29 2016, @02:58PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 29 2016, @02:58PM (#394737)

    The fact of the matter is, human beings were designed (by either nature or their creator, take your pick) to become sexually active at around twelve.

    Puberty always happens, without fail, at or before twelve? Thats news to me, I didn't go through puberty until 15 or 16.