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« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2016, 04:48:32 PM » |
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________________________________________ The Patriot Post Digest 8-30-2016 From The Federalist Patriot Free Email Subscription ________________________________________
FEATURED RIGHT ANALYSIS Higher Education in Disarray, but a Glimmer of Hope22
By James Shott
Higher education today is a mess. Many institutions are involved in an arms race, strongly competing to attract students for the scholarship and student loan money that they bring with them. Institutions are building facilities that are much more fancy, thus more appealing, than ever before. New dorms, sports and fitness centers, student centers, dining facilities — the list goes on.
And the “everybody needs to go to college” craze has put thousands on campuses who aren’t best served by a traditional college degree.
Those who attended college many years before this arms race began endured sparsely appointed dorms and other comparatively plain-Jane facilities, but managed to come out with a solid education. That austere environment isn’t good enough anymore.
A 2014 survey by the University of California Los Angeles showed that there are five times more leftist professors than conservative professors on college faculties these days. The worst aspect of this is that many have taken on the role of proselytizers, forsaking their duty to guide learning and maturation in their subject area in favor of indoctrinating students into the poisonous world of leftist politics, which they now refer to as “progressivism,” since “liberalism” is no longer credible.
Leftist doctrine on the college campus has led to a disintegration of the traditional college atmosphere, where students once were exposed to and challenged by a broad range of ideas. That healthy environment has become an intellectually stultifying experience. Students are now afraid of their own shadows, and ideas differing from the narrow range of acceptable leftist ideology send kids running to hide under the bed in their hotel-like dorm room.
“Trigger warnings” are expected or required to “protect” those who desire only peace and harmony in their environment from “unsuitable” content, and “safe zones,” where students may seek refuge from the rigors of life, are routine.
Now, however, an institution of higher education has decided that it’s time to push back against political correctness. University of Chicago Dean of Students John Ellison warned incoming students in a letter that there is no tolerance for the kind of student demands that have emerged recently. “Our commitment to academic freedom,” wrote Ellison, “means that we do not support so-called ‘trigger warnings,’ we do not cancel invited speakers because their topics might prove controversial, and we do not condone the creation of intellectual ‘safe spaces’ where individuals can retreat from ideas and perspectives at odds with their own.”
“Members of our community are encouraged to speak, write, listen, challenge, and learn, without fear of censorship,” Ellison continued. Noting the importance of civility among and between parties, he stated, “We expect members of our community to be engaged in rigorous debate, discussion, and even disagreement. At times, this may challenge you and even cause discomfort.”
A college education should help prepare people to cope with life, not to fear it. Political correctness is an infection threatening the nation. Getting rid of it on campuses is a big step toward producing young Americans that are educated, grown up and prepared to experience life. And we hope Ellison’s message is heard loud and clear by other administrators around the nation.
MORE ANALYSIS FROM THE PATRIOT POST
Can Religious Liberty and Medical Care Coexist?23 — Obama’s assault on America continues with new rules affecting faith-based hospitals. The Angry Bird Iowa Professor24 — She believes the school’s mascot has a negative influence on students. Racism Segment: MSNBC Serves Up Fried Chicken to NAACP25 — Oops! They help Hillary accuse Trump only to commit their own gaffe. School Reverses American Flag Ban26 — A decision to prohibit flags at football games prompted an uproar.
OPINION IN BRIEF
Stephen Moore: “We got revised GDP numbers from the Commerce Department on Friday and the economy is actually getting worse. The rate of economic growth was slightly less than 1 percent for the first six months of 2016. No wonder almost half of Americans think we are still in a recession. They are personally in recession. … Under Ronald Reagan we had growth rates quarterly of 4, 5 and even 6 percent. Economists in the ‘80s worried about overheating. Too much growth. Now growth is nowhere to be seen — except for those at the very top of the income ladder. The Democrats who keep saying how well the economy is doing seem to be living in an alternate universe. And that’s probably because so many of the left-wing pundits and economists live and work in Washington, D.C., which really is doing just fine. D.C. is booming thanks to the tribute taxpayers from real America send each month to the capital. Three of the five wealthiest counties are around D.C. That tells you everything about who is getting rich off liberal government expansion policies.”
SHORT CUTS
Insight: “The search for a scapegoat is the easiest of all hunting expeditions.” —Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969)
Upright: “American elites who say that we should learn from other countries almost always mean that we should imitate what they have done. But what we need to learn most of all is not to repeat their mistakes.” —Thomas Sowell
Non Compos Mentis: “During the Olympics in Rio a couple of weeks ago, Army Reserve 2nd Lt. Sam Kendricks was sprinting intently in the middle of his pole vaulting attempt when he heard the national anthem playing. He immediately dropped his pole and stood at attention, a spontaneous expression of heartfelt patriotism that elicited more praise than his eventual bronze medal. Last Thursday, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick chose not to stand with his teammates during the national anthem. To some, Kendricks embodies traditional All-American Forrest Gump values of patriotism, while Kaepernick represents the entitled brattish behavior of a wealthy athlete ungrateful to a country that has given him so much. In truth, both men, in their own ways, behaved in a highly patriotic manner that should make all Americans proud.” —former NBA player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
That’s sexist! “Make no mistake: the media’s obsession with forcing a Hillary press conference is ALL ABOUT HER GENDER.” —former Clinton adviser Peter Daou
Alpha Jackass: “Why are states like Texas so dead-set against helping the unfortunate, even if the feds are willing to pick up the tab? … A large part of the answer, surely, is the usual one: It’s about race. Medicaid expansion disproportionately benefits nonwhite Americans; so does spending on public health more generally. And opposition to these programs is concentrated in states where voters in local elections don’t like the idea of helping neighbors who don’t look like them.” —Paul Krugman
And last… “There’s a method to [leftist] madness. … Call someone a racist and they’ll no longer be heard. They’ve been accused of racism, after all, so they’re not just contemptible, they’re outside the realm of public discourse. That’s why the noise makers are so busily at work.” —Kay Cole James
Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis! Managing Editor Nate Jackson
Join us in daily prayer for our Patriots in uniform — Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen — standing in harm’s way in defense of Liberty, and for their families.
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