Yesterday, Sen Mumpers introduced legislation into the Ohio senate called the academic bill of rights for higher education. Clearly he is in the mode of naming things their opposite, like the Clear Skies Initiative.
From the
Columbus Dispatch
This bill would
prohibit instructors at public or private universities from "persistently" discussing controversial issues in class or from using their classes to push political, ideological, religious or anti-religious views.
This is simply incredible! I'm having a hard time thinking what isn't controversial in colleges. All the liberal arts are out. How about geology, them rocks can't get too controversial. Well, someone might bring up the Tsunami and Bush's first offer of 15 million in aid. Perhaps math or physics? Nope, I hear there's some controversial theories Chaos or String or something (hey, you science & math folks, chime in with your controversies).
Why this legislation?
Mumper, a Republican, said that many professors undermine the values of their students because "80 percent of them (professors) are Democrats, liberals, or socialists or card-carrying Communists" who attemp to indoctrinate students
Maybe all of those profs are dems because they are thinking people with consciences. Or maybe because they want to make a difference in people's lives instead of make a quick $200,000 recommending NCLB. How awful were those Commie pinko librul profs on their poor students? Well,
Mumper said he's been investigating the issue for months and has heard of an Ohio student who said she was discriminated against because she supported Bush for president.
If it took him several months to "hear about" one student who was disgruntled, then grade inflation is worse than I thought. If he is looking for real problems in academia, he need go no farther than the thousands of students who will have to drop out because of the reduction in Pell grants, courtesy of the prez.
This issue is a national one. If it isn't in your backyard yet, it will be.
The language in Mumper's bill comes from a 2003 booklet by conservative commentator David Horowitz that lays out how students can adopt the "bill of rights."