First of, I'd like to introduce myself, I am a noble prize nominee (a friend nominated me, I mean if it is good enough for
Dr. William Hammesfahr, its good enough for me), and though I run a site which has posts by 5 other nobel prize nominees I occasionally cross post here, because... um... now and then it is fun to actually have some one read what I wrote.
Anyway, the actual article about the Florida bill is below the fold.
THE LAW COULD LET STUDENTS SUE FOR UNTOLERATED BELIEFS. TALLAHASSEE - Republicans on the House Choice and Innovation Committee voted along party lines Tuesday to pass a bill that aims to stamp out "leftist totalitarianism" by "dictator professors" in the classrooms of Florida's universities.
The Academic Freedom Bill of Rights, sponsored by Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, passed 8-to-2 despite strenuous objections from the only two Democrats on the committee.
Oh, I don't know if you all were aware of this but the constitution was Amended a few years back, and all bills much have a name that means exactly opposite of what the bill is about.
While promoting the bill Tuesday, Baxley said a university education should be more than "one biased view by the professor, who as a dictator controls the classroom," as part of "a misuse of their platform to indoctrinate the next generation with their own views."
The bill sets a statewide standard that students cannot be punished for professing beliefs with which their professors disagree. Professors would also be advised to teach alternative "serious academic theories" that may disagree with their personal views.
Being a noble prize nominee, I think pretty much any theory I come up with would qualify as a serious academic theory, so next year expect to see Florida professors teaching:
Rain is God's tears because you must have done something bad, and the thunder... um, God is hungry becomes you didn't sacrifice a goat for him you cheap bastard. It'll require two semesters to teach it I believe.
But Baxley brushed off Gelber's concerns. "Freedom is a dangerous thing, and you might be exposed to things you don't want to hear," he said. "Being a businessman, I found out you can be sued for anything. Besides, if students are being persecuted and ridiculed for their beliefs, I think they should be given standing to sue."
During the committee hearing, Baxley cast opposition to his bill as "leftists" struggling against "mainstream society."
"The critics ridicule me for daring to stand up for students and faculty," he said, adding that he was called a McCarthyist.
Baxley later said he had a list of students who were discriminated against by professors, but refused to reveal names because he felt they would be persecuted.
"We need more frivolous lawsuits!" declares Republican Baxley.
I'm really starting to worry that the ruling party has been so infiltrated by the religious extremists that they believe they are being persecuted like Jesus was. As they sat in the theaters last year watching Mel Gibson's movie they said to themselves, "that whip tearing apart his flesh is like listening to a liberal professor. That crown of thorns is hurts as much as an editorial against Bush. Oh why must they torture Bill O'Reilly so!"
Also posted over on This Century Sucks, but its harder to read over there.
