tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452233.post4251654773537876002..comments2023-11-24T02:59:25.896-06:00Comments on College Freedom: John K. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07095262644379400681noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452233.post-39183907370582195702009-03-19T12:21:00.000-05:002009-03-19T12:21:00.000-05:00Having been trained by Horowitz in the labor-savin...Having been trained by Horowitz in the labor-saving methodology of close-reading websites for political bias, I must say I am shocked by the blatant indoctrination practiced in Penn State's Jewish Studies program. (It's every bit as horrific as that practiced over at Women's Studies. I can't imagine how Horowitz missed it. A simple oversight, no doubt.)<BR/><BR/>In the site's "Message from the Director" we read that the program has a "focus on the experience of modern Jews, as they encountered both the horrors of the Holocaust and the opportunities in America and elsewhere in the Diaspora as well as worked to build modern Israel." Completely excluded here is the political perspective of those anti-Zionist Jews who worked <I>against</I> the creation of modern Israel. The pro-Zionist political bias is obvious.<BR/><BR/>Even worse, the site provides access to the Penn State Israel Alliance, whose purpose is to indoctrinate students in Zionist ideology. No links are provided to pro-Palestinian sites.<BR/><BR/>The whole program, of course, is based on a balkanizing conception of identity politics that gives short shrift to the universal principles of the Enlightenment.<BR/><BR/>Horowitz is SO right. Academia is corrupted by political bias and identity politics through and through. John, please let him know about the political bias of the PSU Jewish Studies program--trust me when I say that he's a straight-up guy who recognizes political bias wherever it is found, not merely when it concerns women and other special-interest groups.<BR/><BR/>Joel Harris and Lark, I trust you will share my sincere outrage.<BR/><BR/>--EveningsunAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452233.post-84311805120786174902009-03-18T23:13:00.000-05:002009-03-18T23:13:00.000-05:00I would also be interested to hear what Mr. Wilson...I would also be interested to hear what Mr. Wilson finds so abhorrent and restrictive about this Academic Bill of Rights. It occurs to me that the only people who would ever be worried about the adoption of such a framework of academic conduct are those who <I>do</I> perceive ideological indoctrination to be a proper role of education. <BR/><BR/>The kind of teachers who use math class to raise "social issues," for example (see for instance the El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice in Brooklyn, at which was held a three-day conference on "Math Education and Social Justice.")<BR/><BR/>The motive of such educators is <I>not</I> to provide our young people with a framework of intellectual skills upon which to build a rational view of the world. Nor is their motive to impart our young people with the marketable skills they need to succeed at making a living. Rather, their motive is a political one - to indoctrinate kids with their preferred political views, presumably in the hope that in doing so the prevailing political balance of America will be shifted in their favor. <BR/><BR/>Such teachers should <I>not</I> have positions in public learning institutions. It <I>is</I> possible to hold strong political views personally while presenting a balanced, impartial take on knowledge professionally. The ability to do so is what <I>makes</I> a good teacher. <BR/><BR/>My history teacher from 25 years ago, Mr. Bains, was one such teacher. I took history lessons from him for two years and never once was able to figure out what his political views were, despite his lessons covering almost every aspect of political history. It wasn't until years later that I found out through another teacher that he and his wife were members of the socialist Workers World Party. <BR/><BR/>THAT is a good teacher. If Mr. Bains can hold such strong views and yet educate impartially then there is no reason at all why this standard cannot be held by all teachers. <BR/><BR/>Those who cannot teach to such a standard have no business working in a public educational establishment.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08697550861249531433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452233.post-64583284161488483442009-03-18T11:04:00.000-05:002009-03-18T11:04:00.000-05:00Interesting take on things Mr. Wilson. The part th...Interesting take on things Mr. Wilson. The part that I find interesting is that you seem to find Horowitz's Academic Bill of Rights as something that is "imposed" on a university. This seems a bit strange to me. When the Bill of Rights (the original one) was "imposed", it increased freedom. I have read the academic Bill of Rights and it does not sound like an onerous document to me. Why don't you itemize WHY it is a document that limits freedom.Joel Harrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16552287621449910618noreply@blogger.com