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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.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 29 2016, @04:22PM
My primary problem with liberals is how presumptuous they tend to be. Tell one you own a gun and then try to convince them you are for gay marriage.
Nice stereotyping all "liberals" under one fictitious brush. Hypocrite much?
I know several people who are both arms-bearing and support gay marriage. I'll go so far as to say if you actually told somebody this, they'd accept you at face value. Have you actually tried it? What reaction does a so-called liberal have? "You must be lying, you can't support gay marriage because non-sequitur?" I'd be surprised if anybody except a small minority called you a liar.
I'd be more inclined to believe you if you said, "I'm anti-abortion and in favor of the death penalty," but even then I'd guess the reaction would be more of curiosity and asking how you can support a superficially contradictory position rather than claiming you are lying.