I'm a liberal professor, and my liberal students terrify me
1–10 of 57 posts
Re: I'm a liberal professor, and my liberal students terrify me
#2Very sad indeed.
Re: I'm a liberal professor, and my liberal students terrify me
#3Unimpressive; the worst he has is that someone made a groundless complaint that was handled perfectly well in 2009, and he worries that someone will make another one one day (though it seems kind of telling that they haven't..?) and it will go differently.
Why not get someone who's actually been harmed by this change in culture to write about that?
Re: I'm a liberal professor, and my liberal students terrify me
#4Unimpressive; the worst he has is that someone made a groundless complaint that was handled perfectly well in 2009, and he worries that someone will make another one one day (though it seems kind of telling that they haven't..?) and it will go differently. Why not get someone who's actually been harmed by this change in culture to write about that?
Uncynical answer: because finding someone who's actually been harmed is difficult.
Cynical answer: because anyone actually harmed will be told to check their privilege.
Suspicious, realistic answer: because authority figures are always more scared of disruptions to their power than is warranted by actual conditions.
Re: I'm a liberal professor, and my liberal students terrify me
#5Unimpressive; the worst he has is that someone made a groundless complaint that was handled perfectly well in 2009, and he worries that someone will make another one one day (though it seems kind of telling that they haven't..?) and it will go differently. Why not get someone who's actually been harmed by this change in culture to write about that?
> Unimpressive; the worst he has is that someone made a groundless complaint that was handled perfectly well in 2009
> the worst he has is that someone made a groundless complaint that was handled perfectly well in 2009, and he worries that someone will make another one one day
On top of that, also, the groundless complaint that went nowhere in 2009 was from a student accusing the professor of "communistical sympathies" for not validating right-wing talking points on the housing crisis, and the result is that the professor is especially scared of his liberal students.
Re: I'm a liberal professor, and my liberal students terrify me
#6Unimpressive; the worst he has is that someone made a groundless complaint that was handled perfectly well in 2009, and he worries that someone will make another one one day (though it seems kind of telling that they haven't..?) and it will go differently. Why not get someone who's actually been harmed by this change in culture to write about that?
The important point here is that he's changing his curriculum to avoid provocative works, so he doesn't get in trouble. If that becomes a widespread practice, we'll have a serious problem in higher education.
Re: I'm a liberal professor, and my liberal students terrify me
#7Unimpressive; the worst he has is that someone made a groundless complaint that was handled perfectly well in 2009, and he worries that someone will make another one one day (though it seems kind of telling that they haven't..?) and it will go differently. Why not get someone who's actually been harmed by this change in culture to write about that?
I think the deeper point isn't just that it will go differently now, but that he has had to adjust his material and teaching style in fear of that bad reaction ruining his career. He points to a few examples of professors who were fired because of a single student's complaint and where universities have removed activities in deference to this outspoken social justice. The shame is that the discussions which should challenge and enrich a student's mind are now being silenced and therein lies to the harm.
Re: I'm a liberal professor, and my liberal students terrify me
#8As a self-proclaimed renegade, disruptive thinker, and stubbornly practiced argumentative individual with an English Literature degree, I think this write-up hits on several valid points. The framing of discourse is important, and actually quite relevant to notions of technological / software innovation as well. Placating feelings is akin to me like being a drug dealer. Pandering for profit is a real, viable business model.
Freemium gaming is one element. Aggregating and slanting news for a specific demographic is another. Giving a voice to ignorance in the case of vaccination discussion is yet another. I could go on and on, because these things are real, visible, and frankly horrible deviations from intellectual and societal progress.
This is why trolling has become such a bloodsport and, quite frankly, one of the counter-balances to the trend. In a primal sense, trolling online is akin to purposefully challenging a person's worldview through their feelings, using drastic / hyperbolic / inflammatory rhetoric. People like Mark Twain and Hunter S. Thompson were masters, and I've studied them extensively.
For those who think this article might be a non-starter, fine, go bury your head in the sand a little deeper. It will only be a matter of time before a co-worker, an underling, or a family member exhibits this contagious mental rot and throws you for a loop. After all, if you don't feel that it's a problem, then it's not a problem, right?
Re: I'm a liberal professor, and my liberal students terrify me
#9I used to be a liberal. Then I realized that I cannot trust everyone who cries foul. I haven't turned conservative either. But I don't hold liberal views as correct by default anymore.
The problem with today's liberals is that they think political correctness is more important than factual data. Any rational argument requires dealing with cold hard facts, however brutal and hurtful they might be. There is no place for emotions in objective observation, exploration, research.
For more info on this perspective watch this video: Why So Many Americans Don't Want Social Justice and Don't Trust Scientists https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b86dzTFJbkc
TL;DR: Political correctness...aka too many pussies in the real world.
Re: I'm a liberal professor, and my liberal students terrify me
#10As a self-proclaimed renegade, disruptive thinker, and stubbornly practiced argumentative individual with an English Literature degree, I think this write-up hits on several valid points. The framing of discourse is important, and actually quite relevant to notions of technological / software innovation as well. Placating feelings is akin to me like being a drug dealer. Pandering for profit is a real, viable business…
>As a self-proclaimed renegade, disruptive thinker, and stubbornly practiced argumentative individual with an English Literature degree
You're trolling, right?