The freedoms of speech and thought have been cherished in this country since its founding. The spirit of America is built on the bedrock of unalienable personal liberties guaranteed to all.
The universities and colleges should reflect those freedoms while also introducing many different topics and ideas for public consumption. The worst thing for an American school system to do is to inhibit the expression of ideas or create an environment hostile to different beliefs preferring one set of ideas to another whether they are political, social or religious.
Unfortunately the educational system has become a vehicle and willing participant in the forceful spread of leftist ideals, values and propaganda.
Across the nation conservative students and teachers are finding their beliefs and ideas unwelcome in many areas of academia. Regrettably this is no surprise seeing that the leftist, Democrat supporting National Education Association (NEA) controls many aspects of our children's education. Take the event last week in South Brunswick in which a teacher was criticized for erecting a social studies bulletin board. What was the offending material; pornography or other obscenities perhaps?
No, posted along with images of Ben Franklin, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution on the bulletin board was the damning evidence - pictures of President Bush and the first lady. This so enraged some parents during back-to-school night, they complained to the school administration.
California Polytechnical Institute dragged another conservative before an elitist tribunal with his academic record at risk. Steve Hinkle's crime was putting up a sign advertising Mason Weaver, a conservative black speaker and author who was coming to campus.
The sign read "It's OK to Leave the Plantation" (the title of the author's book) and had information about the open forum discussion.
Even though he acted very respectfully, some students who witnessed this dastardly deed called the police accusing him of everything from racism to having been threatened by his presence because he was a white male. The school prescribed for him a visit to the school psychologist for tolerance classes and the writing of letters of apology to all of the students he "offended." He refused and brought legal action on them and won.
This is just a taste of the extent of liberalism's hold on the academic world and sadly there are newspapers and Web sites full of academia's abuse of conservative thinkers.
You now might be saying to yourself, "No it can't happen here Matt." Not very surprisingly you would be wrong.
While I have not heard of any Republicans being dragged in front of judicial affairs committees for posting flyers, there is much evidence of liberalism's stronghold over this campus.
For instance, our last three "Community Indoctrination (Learning) Days" have featured liberal speakers and/or liberal discussion groups in almost every situation.
A conservative has not been in sight on these days. Instead we host authors like Tim O'Brien who last year bashed the president, we sanction mock gay weddings and we hold debates over how drug laws are violating people's rights.
To be fair, Rich Lowry, a conservative columnist did come for a debate my freshman year, but that has been the extent of the school-sponsored conservative speakers. Apparently, introducing students to the other side of the argument has been shown to be too dangerous.
Let's face it, the academic world (along with the mainstream media and the entertainment industry) is hostile toward anything that doesn't follow the liberal world view.
You don't believe that man evolved from an ape? You're a religious nutcase whose ideas are archaic and dangerously Christian. Of course man evolved from nothing and how dare you suggest otherwise! Keep your religion to yourself!
Do you support the president and you're a Republican?
You're a rich, white, gun-lover who hates minorities. Your president, by the way, is an idiot, a liar, a thief, a warmonger, a hypocrite, a draft dodger; he is in the pockets of big business and a baby killer!
I could go on and on and on about the common leftist responses to my positions, but I think you get the picture. The freedom of speech and tolerance for ideas oftentimes, unfortunately, only applies to liberals and their ideology. Conservatives need not apply.
To put this in perspective, however, I am going to reverse the roles for all of you liberals out there who enjoy this sheltered academic bubble of thought.
How would you feel if everyday in class the teacher derided Kerry, or said the right to choose is immoral, or called gay marriage an abomination?
This would be a taste of your own medicine I think you would find difficult to swallow.
This article is a part of a larger wake-up call for liberal academia. Your time of intellectual domination is coming to a close. We want real freedom of speech and open-mindedness on our campuses, not the status quo where only some beliefs are legitimate.
We don't want the teaching lecterns in our classrooms and forums turned into soapboxes for your political and moral opinions. We have had enough of being ostracized in our own schools. We're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore.
