Prosecuting Campus Thoughtcrimes

Submitted by Diane Farsetta on

"Some Republicans are pushing a measure through the House of Representatives meant to ensure that students hear 'dissenting viewpoints' in class and are protected from retaliation because of their politics or religion. Colleges say the measure isn't needed, but with Congress providing billions of dollars to higher education, they are worried," writes the Wall Street Journal. This "Academic Bill of Rights" is from "Marxist-turned-conservative activist David Horowitz" and his organization, Students for Academic Freedom. Through SAF, Horowitz "has called on students to report professors who they think promote a political viewpoint or discriminate against students for their beliefs." As Molly Riordan reports in our latest, just-about-to-hit-mailboxes issue of PR Watch, SAF directed members to investigate the "political party affiliations of university professors" in "humanities and social science departments, which are perceived as more liberal than the sciences." (If you don't already receive PR Watch, become a member/subscriber today!)

Main Source: 
Wall Street Journal (sub. req'd.), October 4, 2005
Topics: 
Right Wing
Education
U.S. Government

Comments

snevel replied on

While Horowitz likely means for his "Academic Bill of Rights" to be a hammer that disgruntled conservative students can use to bash teachers with whose politics they disagree, punishment of "thought crime" on campuses is rampant across the U.S.

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (I'm not affiliated w/ it) has been defending both student and teacher rights for years in this arena.

Check out:

http://www.thefire.org

for more information about their mission and the cases the have handled. There are even a number of downloadable PDF file of Fire's guides to student rights on campus.