Academic Freedom Bill of Rights: or, Doesn't Everyone Love Orwellian Language?

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Agathon
What is sad is that most of these people were about 4 years old when Nevermind came out. So my pop culture references come off as really lame.

Jesus....

And what would you say about me ? Recently I found a box with old books that I haven't seen for 30 years. Most were crap, but I really enjoyed rereading some Captain Marryat books.

[GePap]

This is a really stupid law, thought I do not thinka any well reasoned, well debated arguement backed by good evidence should ever be graded badly due to content.

But I have nothing but contempt and scorn for any idiot who claims to be "indoctrinated". Anyone intellectually lazy enough to be indoctrinated should not have been allowed in a university in the first place.

[Dracon II]

In the interests of studying different cultures of course religions should be taught. But they should not be taught as truth, but as specific cultures.

As for creationism vs. evolution. If we gave equal weight to creation in biology, wouldn't we have to be fair to all the hundreds of different versions of it in the world today and in history? I mean, teaching that God created the earth in six days is just as plausible as teaching the aboriginal belief that a gigantic rainbow coloured snake is responsible for shaping the greater share of the world's topographical features.
.... or L. Ron Hubbard's belief that an alien called Xenu dumped millions of undesirables in a volcano and then hydrogen bombed it... trapping their spirits in the bodies of humans....

[Mr. Harley]

The comment about the fight over American high school textbooks is right on the mark. Here are two examples, one conservative and one liberal.

Multiple states have already removed/are in the process of removing the term "evolution" from their textbooks. It may be "gradual change over time" or they may add so-called Creation Science (look up that thread in OT is you need more data). Interestingly enough, many devout Christians are opposing this, as they realize that it will become a struggle over "who's Christianity" gets taught.

However, in some textbooks they attempt to teach history without Religion, in an attempt to avoid "offense". So now you have high school World Civilization courses that teach the crusades in one-two paragraphs, essentially stating there was a war in that region and so many thousands died. Of course that level of understanding creates a President who names his initial campaign against Iraq "Operation Crusade". And the oops - let's change it when you get a huge backlash from the Moslem World.

[Ramo]

Wow, this sure is a retarded law. Between suppression of academic freedom, the reductions in NSF grants, reductions in federal financial aid and rising tuition in state schools, and severely limiting of student visas, I think that the Republicans are consciously trying to destroy the quality of US education, and hell any trace of academia in this country.

[TCO]

whaaaaaaah.

[Ramo]

That's ridicule, not whining (unlike the retards who ran to nanny state because they couldn't stand listening dissenting opinions). To think that laws like this could be in any way beneficial to education or the academy takes a special kind of idiocy.

[DAVOUT]

I can only pity the poor Americans.

[Bosh]

Originally posted by shawnmmcc
The comment about the fight over American high school textbooks is right on the mark. Here are two examples, one conservative and one liberal.

Multiple states have already removed/are in the process of removing the term "evolution" from their textbooks. It may be "gradual change over time" or they may add so-called Creation Science (look up that thread in OT is you need more data). Interestingly enough, many devout Christians are opposing this, as they realize that it will become a struggle over "who's Christianity" gets taught.

However, in some textbooks they attempt to teach history without Religion, in an attempt to avoid "offense". So now you have high school World Civilization courses that teach the crusades in one-two paragraphs, essentially stating there was a war in that region and so many thousands died. Of course that level of understanding creates a President who names his initial campaign against Iraq "Operation Crusade". And the oops - let's change it when you get a huge backlash from the Moslem World.

Right, there's been massive fighting over the content of history texts and the more politicized they get the worse the content gets (and then there's Japanese history texts which are apparently even worse than American ones). I am POSITIVE that the same kind of watering down and removing of all the interesting things that could concievably offend someone would happen in exactly the same manner in Florida's universities if this law is passed.

Its not left vs. right, its education vs. insanity.

[TCO]

Originally posted by Ramo
That's ridicule, not whining (unlike the retards who ran to nanny state because they couldn't stand listening dissenting opinions). To think that laws like this could be in any way beneficial to education or the academy takes a special kind of idiocy.

The law is silly. (Actually I was too bored to read the first post, but I'll grant you that.) But to generalize to some "war on education by the Repubs" is silly, Omar.

[Kidlicious]

The same problem exists in college textbooks as high school textbooks but to a lessor degree. That's why interaction with a knowledgable person with an opinion is important.

[chequita guevara]

Boshko, I love your avatar. I must have it.

[TCO]

I wonder what Kid wrote?

[TCO]

When did you move south from NAS Jax, commie?

[chequita guevara]

Two months ago, and I've been walking around with a smile on my face and a ten-foot boner since then. God! I love Ft. Lauderdale!