This week in fascist academia
Time for another depressing update on the fascist and childish culture that unfortunately seems to presently dominate the college campuses of modern America. (To read my earlier updates, posted almost weekly since October, go here.)
To begin, below are some stories illustrating the fascist and intolerant nature of many college administrations:
- College president at Northwest Vista College in Texas says ‘Hate speech isn’t free speech’
- ‘Jingle Bells’ rooted in racism, Boston University professor says
- Conservative club at Wartburg Colleg rejected for not conforming to school’s ‘values’
- University of Iowa threatens religious liberty by expelling Christian group
- University of Virginia stonewalls conservative club for restricting membership to conservatives
- Wartburg College censors free speech group for using the word ‘suck’
- Student hangs posters, University of California-San Diego’s bias response office launches probe against student
- Journalists handcuffed, barred from college campuses
In every case above, we either have the college administrations taking actions to suppress speech they did not like, or college facility announcing to the world that they haven’t the faintest understanding of freedom of speech or its fundamental basis for the establishment of western civilization.
The last story describes a recent Columbia Journalism Review report about how a number of universities have become very hostile to working journalists, and have even taken actions to have journalists arrested. The universities mentioned including the University of Colorado-Boulder, Keene State College, and two New York state colleges, Bronx Community College and Kingsborough Community College.
However, as I have noted in earlier updates, the fascist culture at academia is unfortunately not limited to the administrators and teachers. Many students advocate intolerance as well.
- University of Tennessee deletes its defense of free speech under pressure by student body
- ‘Internationalist’ student group calls for book ban at George Washington University
- Poet laureate of Columbia University’s marching band smears college Republicans as Nazis and white supremacists
The last story includes video of the smear, in which this so-called “poet laureate” also says that “We all know that the only way to shut [the Republicans] up is to punch them in the face.”
All is not bad news however. Below are several stories this past week that suggest that there has been some push back against this fascist culture.
- University of Virginia promises to recognize conservative club after outcry from former governor
- University of Nevada-Las Vegas professor who punished pro-Trump student with bad grades has resigned
- Bunker Hill Community College overturns policy that banned Navy vet from distributing copies of Constitution
- Report: Campus speech codes decline for 10th straight year
The last story is not all good news. While the number of colleges with restrictive speech codes continues to decline, overall 90 percent of American universities “still maintain at least one policy that either restricts protected speech or can too easily be interpreted to do so.”
The first story is actually an update on the fifth story in the first group. The administration at the University of Virginia has realized that it is under political pressure, and has therefore at least made a gesture towards the concept of free speech. We shall see if they follow through. I have my doubts.
Now available in hardback and paperback as well as ebook!
From the press release: In this ground-breaking new history of early America, historian Robert Zimmerman not only exposes the lie behind The New York Times 1619 Project that falsely claims slavery is central to the history of the United States, he also provides profound lessons about the nature of human societies, lessons important for Americans today as well as for all future settlers on Mars and elsewhere in space.
Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space, is a riveting page-turning story that documents how slavery slowly became pervasive in the southern British colonies of North America, colonies founded by a people and culture that not only did not allow slavery but in every way were hostile to the practice.
Conscious Choice does more however. In telling the tragic history of the Virginia colony and the rise of slavery there, Zimmerman lays out the proper path for creating healthy societies in places like the Moon and Mars.
“Zimmerman’s ground-breaking history provides every future generation the basic framework for establishing new societies on other worlds. We would be wise to heed what he says.” —Robert Zubrin, founder of founder of the Mars Society.
All editions available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all book vendors. The ebook can be purchased direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit, in which case you don't support the big tech companies and I get a bigger cut much sooner. Note that the price for the ebook, $3.99, goes up to $5.99 on September 1, 2022.
Autographed printed copies are also available at discount directly from me (hardback $24.95; paperback $14.95). Just email me at zimmerman @ nasw dot org.
Time for another depressing update on the fascist and childish culture that unfortunately seems to presently dominate the college campuses of modern America. (To read my earlier updates, posted almost weekly since October, go here.)
To begin, below are some stories illustrating the fascist and intolerant nature of many college administrations:
- College president at Northwest Vista College in Texas says ‘Hate speech isn’t free speech’
- ‘Jingle Bells’ rooted in racism, Boston University professor says
- Conservative club at Wartburg Colleg rejected for not conforming to school’s ‘values’
- University of Iowa threatens religious liberty by expelling Christian group
- University of Virginia stonewalls conservative club for restricting membership to conservatives
- Wartburg College censors free speech group for using the word ‘suck’
- Student hangs posters, University of California-San Diego’s bias response office launches probe against student
- Journalists handcuffed, barred from college campuses
In every case above, we either have the college administrations taking actions to suppress speech they did not like, or college facility announcing to the world that they haven’t the faintest understanding of freedom of speech or its fundamental basis for the establishment of western civilization.
The last story describes a recent Columbia Journalism Review report about how a number of universities have become very hostile to working journalists, and have even taken actions to have journalists arrested. The universities mentioned including the University of Colorado-Boulder, Keene State College, and two New York state colleges, Bronx Community College and Kingsborough Community College.
However, as I have noted in earlier updates, the fascist culture at academia is unfortunately not limited to the administrators and teachers. Many students advocate intolerance as well.
- University of Tennessee deletes its defense of free speech under pressure by student body
- ‘Internationalist’ student group calls for book ban at George Washington University
- Poet laureate of Columbia University’s marching band smears college Republicans as Nazis and white supremacists
The last story includes video of the smear, in which this so-called “poet laureate” also says that “We all know that the only way to shut [the Republicans] up is to punch them in the face.”
All is not bad news however. Below are several stories this past week that suggest that there has been some push back against this fascist culture.
- University of Virginia promises to recognize conservative club after outcry from former governor
- University of Nevada-Las Vegas professor who punished pro-Trump student with bad grades has resigned
- Bunker Hill Community College overturns policy that banned Navy vet from distributing copies of Constitution
- Report: Campus speech codes decline for 10th straight year
The last story is not all good news. While the number of colleges with restrictive speech codes continues to decline, overall 90 percent of American universities “still maintain at least one policy that either restricts protected speech or can too easily be interpreted to do so.”
The first story is actually an update on the fifth story in the first group. The administration at the University of Virginia has realized that it is under political pressure, and has therefore at least made a gesture towards the concept of free speech. We shall see if they follow through. I have my doubts.
Now available in hardback and paperback as well as ebook!
From the press release: In this ground-breaking new history of early America, historian Robert Zimmerman not only exposes the lie behind The New York Times 1619 Project that falsely claims slavery is central to the history of the United States, he also provides profound lessons about the nature of human societies, lessons important for Americans today as well as for all future settlers on Mars and elsewhere in space.
Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space, is a riveting page-turning story that documents how slavery slowly became pervasive in the southern British colonies of North America, colonies founded by a people and culture that not only did not allow slavery but in every way were hostile to the practice.
Conscious Choice does more however. In telling the tragic history of the Virginia colony and the rise of slavery there, Zimmerman lays out the proper path for creating healthy societies in places like the Moon and Mars.
“Zimmerman’s ground-breaking history provides every future generation the basic framework for establishing new societies on other worlds. We would be wise to heed what he says.” —Robert Zubrin, founder of founder of the Mars Society.
All editions available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all book vendors. The ebook can be purchased direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit, in which case you don't support the big tech companies and I get a bigger cut much sooner. Note that the price for the ebook, $3.99, goes up to $5.99 on September 1, 2022.
Autographed printed copies are also available at discount directly from me (hardback $24.95; paperback $14.95). Just email me at zimmerman @ nasw dot org.
Oh brother!