Posted by Guest Blogger John Burns—
The University of Illinois has finally come out of the closet, formally and openly declaring war on the Freedom of Speech on their campus. Exposing this bare policy to the world, apparently no one is safe – not even professors.
Ken Howell, a professor of Catholicism and Modern Catholic Thought was explaining the positions of the Catholic Church regarding homosexuality. In an email to students meant to assist them with their exam preparations for the course, Howell reiterated the Church’s stance on homosexuality. Howell then, as he has on numerous occasions, explained that his personal moral views are aligned with the Catholic Church.
In an episode reminiscent of Stalinistic purges or Mao’s Cultural Revolution, Students complained to the administration, citing “hate speech.” The admins defended their assault on speech: “The e-mails sent by Dr. Howell violate university standards of inclusivity, which would then entitle us to have him discontinue his teaching arrangement with us.” So, the university politburo rewards the “political commissars” of the classroom, and persecutes our modern day Thomas More.
Welcome to 1984.
Of course, the irony here is the constantly disingenuous, pathetic overtures socialist progressives make to free speech and rigorous debate. One cannot escape college without hearing about the Catholic Church’s assault on Copernicus’ and Galileo’s notion of a heliocentric universe. “This,” as they love to pontificate, “is the perfect example of how religion kills the free association of ideas, roots out free thinking, and persecutes unfavored points of view. With religion, dogmatism and sacred cows stampede rationality.”
Well, the anti-religion crowd has nonetheless cultivated dogmatism and sacred cows of their own. Socialist pundits will dismiss this, arguing that anti-Tyranny students often try to get their profs fired.
The difference, of course, is that in this instance the professor was not making assimilation of his ideas a prerequisite for passing the course. Offering up your ideas, and forcing students to internalize them are two different things…Socialist professors being guilty of the latter, and with high frequency.
The list of cases where anti-Tyranny students have been punished and persecuted by socialist professors and administrators is endless. There is no such thing as free speech on college campuses for those who disagree with the socialist progressive agenda. I know a large number of former and current students who have been persecuted – in some instances even to the point of being expelled or beaten by shock troops pet university security personnel. See here for an overview of how US Colleges are bastions of socialism and persecution for anyone who disagrees. See here for a typical example of professors actually indoctrinating US college students through intimidation and force.
