Julie with a B

Friday, March 11, 2005
 
More by the "Communists" at the J.C.
This is a follow-up piece by two JC instructors. The first couple paragraphs discuss what happened two weeks ago, be sure to read the article: By ANNE YSUNZA and JANET McCULLOCH
excerpted here:

"Over the past two weeks, it became clear that the fliers were a successful play for media attention; the scheme was revealingly tagged "Operation Red Scare" on the Web site of the California State College Republican organization.

The "controversy over communism" that The Press Democrat covered last week was entirely fabricated by the college Republicans, whose considerable organizational and public relations skills are evidently not matched by their actual knowledge of totalitarianism. They seem unaware of the ironic similarity between their tactics - anonymous accusations of treasonous thought crimes, posted on doors in the dark of night - and the tactics of the 20th century's most infamous totalitarian movements.

These students now claim that the red scare tactic was merely intended to open a "dialogue" about the "liberal bias" of SRJC instructors. Their new charge is not random or isolated; they speak for a national movement of Republican campus activists. This charge thus warrants a response."
...
"Instructors teach students skills in formulating and expressing their views, challenge them to keep their minds open and defend their freedom to hold and express independent opinions. In times of controversy, such as we are living through now, this job can be especially difficult - and thus all the more crucial. As teachers, our greatest shared "bias" is by far in favor of this rigorous process of free critical inquiry. The politics of this freedom, and this critical rigor, are our professional politics."
Whole article here.

- posted by JulieB @ 8:06 AM
|

<< Home

Powered by Blogger