A Climate of Fear?
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In the long run, this is going to do so much harm. The idea that it will make people on both sides less extreme seems foolish, it's just going to push more people out to the fringes.
The fact that almost everything seems to have become politicized is also a Very Bad Thing.
"Among the topics that students deem the most difficult to discuss are abortion, race, the Israel-Palestine conflict, gun control and transgender issues."
If you look at these topics, what characterizes them is that people on both sides believe that there is a fundamental Truth that shall not be questioned, and that in each case the other side is morally bankrupt.
I know, I'm stating the obvious here.
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No, that's hardly a "fundamental truth". In fact it totally misses the point. The reason students say they're afraid to discuss those topics is because our schools are filled with rabid leftist teachers who push their view of these topics onto their students and threaten them if they disagree.
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The left are clearly worse at stifling debate, however I don't think it's really the teachers that are the root cause. I suspect most of the silencing is done by other students.
And my point about people considering the other side is morally bankrupt or evil is spot on.
Proud supporter of Plan 2525.
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@Doctor-Phibes said in A Climate of Fear?:
The left are clearly worse at stifling debate, however I don't think it's really the teachers that are the root cause. I suspect most of the silencing is done by other students.
I disagree.
The universities have been overrun with Leftist professors that don't mind espousing their politics and increasingly bringing politics into the grading systems of non-STEM courses.
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I'd welcome input from people with more direct experience. The last time I was in a college lecture was in the late 80's, and the kind of subjects I studied didn't exactly lend themselves to leftist indoctrination - same for my son's last experience last year. As far as I could tell there was very little political stuff being taught, but he was doing mechanical engineering and related subjects rather than bullshit courses.
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I'm a liberal professor, and my liberal students scare me
Of course, we can always find examples to back up our opinions. I'd be more interested in hearing, for example, Klaus' take on this as somebody actually involved in education.
