Republicans Continue their War on Knowledge and Education
In the continuing right wing war on knowledge
and education, the “Bruin Alumni Association” is
offering students at the University of California
at Los Angeles up to one hundred dollars for
recordings of classes, class materials, and
lecture notes. The stated reason: to show that
UCLA professors are liberally biased. The real
reason: to promote the right wing agenda by
removing qualified professors from their positions
and replacing them with right wing ideologues.
The project is the work of Andrew Jones, the
sole member of the Bruin Alumni Association. On
the project's website, Jones lists the political
affiliation of every tenure or tenure-track
faculty member for whom he could determine
political party affiliation. Indeed, according to
Jones' lists, a large majority of UCLA professors
are Democrats. But does this mean that UCLA is
liberally biased?
Hardly. What it shows is that UCLA is
concerned with providing the best education
possible. Obviously, university professors must
be highly educated, and those who support
Democratic candidates and policies are typically
better educated than the right wing. Evidence of
this is clear: of the states with the highest
numbers of college educated persons, 8 of the top
10 states voted for John Kerry in the 2004
Presidential election. Of the 20 states with the
lowest numbers of college educated persons, 18
voted for Bush. Democrats are more likely to be
highly educated than Republicans.
Since Democrats are better educated than
Republicans, and a university has an obligation to
provide the best faculty available and the best
education available, it is only natural that a
larger proportion of the UCLA professors will be
Democrats. UCLA doesn't hire by political
affiliation, they hire by qualifications. Should
UCLA be required to hire lesser qualified persons,
simply because they are Republicans? Should UCLA
be require to compromise their principles and
their quality of education just so they can hire
Republicans? The mere suggestion, coming from a
political party that opposes affirmative action
programs and claims that people must be judged on
their merits rather than their skin color,
national background, or other attributes, reeks of
hypocrisy.
Right wing Republicans have long voted to cut
funding for schools, opposed sex education and the
teaching of genuine science, and lobbied to
replace science with their creation and
“intelligent design” myths. The attempt to
replace qualified professors with right wing
ideologues is just the latest in their long war on
education and knowledge. The right wing's
attempts to return America to the Dark Ages must
not be tolerated.
and education, the “Bruin Alumni Association” is
offering students at the University of California
at Los Angeles up to one hundred dollars for
recordings of classes, class materials, and
lecture notes. The stated reason: to show that
UCLA professors are liberally biased. The real
reason: to promote the right wing agenda by
removing qualified professors from their positions
and replacing them with right wing ideologues.
The project is the work of Andrew Jones, the
sole member of the Bruin Alumni Association. On
the project's website, Jones lists the political
affiliation of every tenure or tenure-track
faculty member for whom he could determine
political party affiliation. Indeed, according to
Jones' lists, a large majority of UCLA professors
are Democrats. But does this mean that UCLA is
liberally biased?
Hardly. What it shows is that UCLA is
concerned with providing the best education
possible. Obviously, university professors must
be highly educated, and those who support
Democratic candidates and policies are typically
better educated than the right wing. Evidence of
this is clear: of the states with the highest
numbers of college educated persons, 8 of the top
10 states voted for John Kerry in the 2004
Presidential election. Of the 20 states with the
lowest numbers of college educated persons, 18
voted for Bush. Democrats are more likely to be
highly educated than Republicans.
Since Democrats are better educated than
Republicans, and a university has an obligation to
provide the best faculty available and the best
education available, it is only natural that a
larger proportion of the UCLA professors will be
Democrats. UCLA doesn't hire by political
affiliation, they hire by qualifications. Should
UCLA be required to hire lesser qualified persons,
simply because they are Republicans? Should UCLA
be require to compromise their principles and
their quality of education just so they can hire
Republicans? The mere suggestion, coming from a
political party that opposes affirmative action
programs and claims that people must be judged on
their merits rather than their skin color,
national background, or other attributes, reeks of
hypocrisy.
Right wing Republicans have long voted to cut
funding for schools, opposed sex education and the
teaching of genuine science, and lobbied to
replace science with their creation and
“intelligent design” myths. The attempt to
replace qualified professors with right wing
ideologues is just the latest in their long war on
education and knowledge. The right wing's
attempts to return America to the Dark Ages must
not be tolerated.
posted by Jim Allyn at 1/19/2006 05:08:00 PM
<< Home