ACTA's Must-Reads
« The limits of academic freedom | Main | Election opens a can of worms »
Fresh air
A fascinating student editorial on free speech and ideological double standards appears in today's Harvard Crimson:
Since January, an intolerant atmosphere has prevailed on campus. Summers’ remarks on the innate differences between men and women may have been politically incorrect, but the response of the Harvard faculty and the national media was even more disgusting. Despite a month of national coverage, most critics did not even address Summers’ comments, simply dismissing them as inappropriate for someone in his position. While I respect and support the few journalists who thoughtfully analyzed the claims and provided opinions from which we could form our own thoughts, the reaction of the rest of society should act as a warning sign to all who were watching. The day that our academic minds are stifled is the same day that our society stops progressing.
The author goes on to draw connections between the anti-intellectualism that characterizes politicized attitudes toward campus speech and the ever-broader speech codes that are appearing in the workplace. It's a refreshing alternative to the increasingly entrenched notion that what we should all be striving for is a world in which no one need ever be offended, and in which this desire is often elevated to the status of a right. Well worth a read.
Posted by acta online on April 26, 2005 at April 26, 2005 03:50 PM