Today’s blacklisted American: Leftist professor who demanded others be fired for their conservative opinions has now been fired for her leftist opinions
They’re coming for you next: Lora Burnett, a leftist professor who demanded that conservative teachers be fired or punished for expressing their conservative opinions, in February lost her university job due to the virulence of her own leftist opinions, expressed in a number of very ugly tweets.
The Collin [College] administration has now confirmed it won’t renew the untenured scholar’s contract, which ends in May, for not conducting herself “in a professional manner.”
Burnett shared images from the human resources letter she received, which allege she violated “delineated standards of conduct” through her “insubordination, making private personnel issues public that impair the college’s operations, and personal criticisms of co-workers, supervisors, and/or those who merely disagree with you.”
She characterized the firing as retaliation for “mean tweets.”
No, those tweets were not merely “mean,” they were part of a long tract record of demanding the punishment or firing of anyone whose politics disagreed with Burnett’s. For example,
In 2018, Burnett publicly demanded that several econ faculty at [George Mason University] be stripped of tenure, sanctioned, & possibly fired for no other reason than that they had received grant money from the Koch foundation.
She also demanded that the work of these individuals be censored, removed, or retracted, not because it was invalid but because the writers had a political viewpoint she disagreed with.
She has now been let go by her university, and is considering legal action.
From my perspective her intolerance of others disqualifies her as a college teacher, so her firing seems appropriate. Others on the left will disagree and say she should have the right to express these opinions, and that her firing was an example of the indiscriminate and intolerant nature of our blacklisting culture, which goes after everyone for anything they may say that offends anyone.
I can see the validity in that argument. If you are going to have free speech you must permit people to say things that are offensive, no matter who they offend. In a perfect world I think I would not care what she said, and would defend her fully, even though I find her position odious and oppressive.
At the same time, the right is under siege from people like her, who have become quite successful at squelching conservative thought as well as anyone who dares express it. Her firing is an exception to the bulk of today’s blacklisting, almost all of which is by the left, against the right.
Thus, her firing could also be considered a defensive reaction that in the long run might force the left to rethink the intolerance that now dominates its culture, as epitomized by Burnett.
That being said, I suspect some of my readers will feel some joy over this ironic story. I don’t. I see this story, including the delight that some readers might feel, as a further sign of the growing intolerance of our society.
In a tolerant and just society you never derive pleasure from the unjust suffering of anyone, including your opponents. If you do, then you are as intolerant as the bigots and petty despots who wish to squelch freedom of thought and liberty and sadly now control the reins of political and cultural power. Your targets for intolerance are merely different, that’s all.
Unfortunately too many people have forgotten this fundamental reality. I hope that maybe this story can help make people from both sides recognize it, and change their ways. Our watchword should not be how much schadenfreude we can gain from our enemies’ discomfort. Instead it should be, as historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall said once in paraphrasing Voltaire, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
It is our only hope for the future and our best chance of re-establishing the civilization we have lost.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
They’re coming for you next: Lora Burnett, a leftist professor who demanded that conservative teachers be fired or punished for expressing their conservative opinions, in February lost her university job due to the virulence of her own leftist opinions, expressed in a number of very ugly tweets.
The Collin [College] administration has now confirmed it won’t renew the untenured scholar’s contract, which ends in May, for not conducting herself “in a professional manner.”
Burnett shared images from the human resources letter she received, which allege she violated “delineated standards of conduct” through her “insubordination, making private personnel issues public that impair the college’s operations, and personal criticisms of co-workers, supervisors, and/or those who merely disagree with you.”
She characterized the firing as retaliation for “mean tweets.”
No, those tweets were not merely “mean,” they were part of a long tract record of demanding the punishment or firing of anyone whose politics disagreed with Burnett’s. For example,
In 2018, Burnett publicly demanded that several econ faculty at [George Mason University] be stripped of tenure, sanctioned, & possibly fired for no other reason than that they had received grant money from the Koch foundation.
She also demanded that the work of these individuals be censored, removed, or retracted, not because it was invalid but because the writers had a political viewpoint she disagreed with.
She has now been let go by her university, and is considering legal action.
From my perspective her intolerance of others disqualifies her as a college teacher, so her firing seems appropriate. Others on the left will disagree and say she should have the right to express these opinions, and that her firing was an example of the indiscriminate and intolerant nature of our blacklisting culture, which goes after everyone for anything they may say that offends anyone.
I can see the validity in that argument. If you are going to have free speech you must permit people to say things that are offensive, no matter who they offend. In a perfect world I think I would not care what she said, and would defend her fully, even though I find her position odious and oppressive.
At the same time, the right is under siege from people like her, who have become quite successful at squelching conservative thought as well as anyone who dares express it. Her firing is an exception to the bulk of today’s blacklisting, almost all of which is by the left, against the right.
Thus, her firing could also be considered a defensive reaction that in the long run might force the left to rethink the intolerance that now dominates its culture, as epitomized by Burnett.
That being said, I suspect some of my readers will feel some joy over this ironic story. I don’t. I see this story, including the delight that some readers might feel, as a further sign of the growing intolerance of our society.
In a tolerant and just society you never derive pleasure from the unjust suffering of anyone, including your opponents. If you do, then you are as intolerant as the bigots and petty despots who wish to squelch freedom of thought and liberty and sadly now control the reins of political and cultural power. Your targets for intolerance are merely different, that’s all.
Unfortunately too many people have forgotten this fundamental reality. I hope that maybe this story can help make people from both sides recognize it, and change their ways. Our watchword should not be how much schadenfreude we can gain from our enemies’ discomfort. Instead it should be, as historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall said once in paraphrasing Voltaire, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
It is our only hope for the future and our best chance of re-establishing the civilization we have lost.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
And more from the when they eat their own file
“In a tolerant and just society you never derive pleasure from the unjust suffering of anyone, including your opponents. If you do, then you are as intolerant as the bigots and petty despots who wish to squelch freedom of thought and liberty and sadly now control the reins of political and cultural power. Your targets for intolerance are merely different, that’s all.
Unfortunately too many people have forgotten this fundamental reality.”
Well said, Robert (note typo tweak in above, 2nd sentence, 2nd word). I admit I first thought “Serves her right,” but you are right. I’m commanded not only to love my enemy, but to give him water and food and then forgive him! It’s a steep order the Almighty makes, for sure.
This woman, like so many, confuses telling people to shut up and forcing them to go away, with expressing opinion. Her opinion may be “shut up and go away,” but her opinions also are that she has a right to ACT on her urge to boss lower orders around by force.
Acting to force one’s belief system on everyone else, as is happening today with masks and social distancing, purely derived from a belief system in modern medicine and bred into them 24-7 through health industry marketing on all of America’s various media, is very different than “expressing an opinion.”
Grocery and retail stores, restaurants, given the option to decide for themselves whether or not to require masks and social distancing of their customers, would quickly find out which direction served them best financially. And we, the consumers, would have a choice. I would loyally support any store that invited me in with the understanding that masks and social distancing are left outside unless I want to take responsibility myself and for myself. That however is deprived of all consumers by lawless decree authorized by a belief system.
People are constantly requiring me, a “pandemic denier”, to “respect” others’ opinions and rights. There is ZERO reciprocity, however. This is because of the confusion between expressing an actual opinion, and merely shouting “YOU DESERVE TO BE PUNISHED!!”
I respect a person’s right to be stupid. I REFUSE to respect stupidity.
Makes me wonder why just this one leftist? The Pence tweets didn’t seem all that terrible for those people, and they didn’t threaten violence. I doubt you’d have to go far at collin college to find similar thoughts openly expressed. She was probably in a dispute with someone who had the power to cancel her.
It is wrong to take pleasure in one of them getting it for a change, no question about it. But these are ‘unprecedented times’ aren’t they?
Dominion War Part 65 2
The Last Stand
“I have an even better reason Commander, Revenge.”
https://youtu.be/cSICN8BPda8?t=154
4:27
Yes I do feel some pleasure from her firing, Wrong I know, but that internal giggle will be with me for an hour or so,
I do not think anyone should be teaching in a university unless what they teach is fully published and in the public eye.
If they can not take criticism and debate then they must not fully trust their own research and opinion.
Debate needs to be one of the first classes for both high school and collage. No more shouting down the opposition.
This kind of insult cannot stand, this woman should be made the head of the national education foundation…
I meant that as sarcasm but we all know that every Democrat will feel her pain and will seek a revengeful way to make her whole again. These are the kind of leaders that the SS in Nazi Germany would pursue because they had no conscience and only saw one method blindly. Force. Overwhelming relentless force.
The FBI for example spends great deal of money in Hollywood for an image that does not exist. The reality it’s becoming “wet work” for the political system.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/03/exclusive-update-new-information-fbi-taking-possession-ballots-georgia-early-january-ordering-destroyed-shredder/
It appears more and more every case that the FBI has, that the evidence goes missing or is destroyed. Even people in custody somehow usually end up dead. Criminals like Hillary Clinton or not charged with a crime (after listing dozens of crimes but we’re not charged because her intent was good) (judge & jury) but others suspected of a process crime get tossed out of the bed in the middle of the night in their underwear, with CNN there to film it, by a SWAT team and helicopters.
Yes, this woman will make a nice addition to this administration, now that she’s been scorned, to go after all conservative forms of thought that don’t conform willingly. A useful tool, that is still sharp, shouldn’t be thrown away.
“for not conducting herself “in a professional manner.” is a perfectly legitimate reason for her dismissal. It may very well be that her leftist opinions have nothing to do with her firing.
The comment of “insubordination, making private personnel issues public that impair the college’s operations, and personal criticisms of co-workers, supervisors, and/or those who merely disagree with you.” leads me to believe that the administration found her to be disruptive and unwilling/unable to work with others, and might even been more along the lines of frustrated romantic interests and/or rivalries.
In the old lexicon, she might just be a shrewish bitch that can’t get along with anyone.
clay: Watch your language. You are skirting the edge of my rules forbidding both obscenities and insults.
Bob, I’m not sure this qualifies as a free speech issue. Free speech is an alienable right; it can be given up in exchange for a consideration. You can sign away your right to discuss SpaceX’s financial state and future plans via a non-disclosure agreement. You can criticize my employer publicly all you want; if I do it I’ll suffer the consequences because I signed that right away as a condition of employment.
I think the above is what is in play here. I think Collin College is claiming that Burnett violated the terms of her employment contract. I’m not familiar with the terms of that contract but it doesn’t seem unreasonable on the face of it.
Tom Woods Show Ep. 1848
Tom DiLorenzo on “America’s Stalinist Universities”
March 4, 2021
https://youtu.be/mBxp8TlKhnE
34:30
THE SELLING OF AMERICA TO COMMUNIST CHINA
Years ago I owned and operated a small dry cleaning drop store. A very simple operation where people who needed their clothes dry cleaned, suits, dresses, sweaters, laundered dress shirts etc. dropped off their clothes and I took care of it. It paid the bills, Simple. It was a business dream I had (Sarcasm). At this particular time in my life I owned three businesses, and I worked in construction. Ignorance really is bliss :)
And in my owning and operating this business I would a couple of times a week drive up to a business that was owned by a very nice guy, Tom, who was well established and had the cleaning plant and did the bulk cleaning for me. He cleaned and had everything pressed and he would either sort and bag the orders, or I would have it done in my small store. And he gave me a bill at the end of every week.
And during this time I was able to somehow buy a small building which I intended to eventually move it and another business I owned to. And with that I was basically broke. Lagging cash flow, bills and debt. This is how I fully understand and embrace the term, “Never quit”. Never means never, no matter the degree of stress and problems, as long as you can somehow see how it will pay off over time that is. Just try to be smart about it.
And as I single mindedly bulldozed my way through all of this and not allowing myself to think about or surrender to the stress and pressure or fully comprehend just how irrational it all was, (This most times defines independent business ownership), Tom was being very patient with my paying my bill. I think it got up to about $15,000.00 or so that I owed him, which when you are broke is a LOT of money.
And one day he casually, and I believe jokingly to give me a push commented, “If you do not start paying down your bill I will own your business”. BOOM! Wake up! Get out of your comfort zone. The next day I found someone else to do my cleaning.
I realigned, recalculated and refocused and applied objective logic and not emotion to the situation and paid Tom off little by little over the next year or so. Done, no lawyers necessary. And like I said he was a very nice guy and he really helped me. But objectively I could not be threatened by having him holding that potential over my head, something like him taking over or owning my business in some way shape or form. Just not acceptable. And to continue down that road and not do something about it and potentially making that situation worse, like I said, was just not acceptable.
In allowing such a situation to exist and grow and not stopping it out and surrendering my self interest, my sovereignty and self determination to “Others” I would have weakened and made myself subservient. And that is just bad and weak self destructive thinking and bad strategy. Its rational common sense.
Now replace “ME” with America, and make “Tom” the Communist Chinese government (Sorry, Tom) who will be buying and owning our debt to finance this first 1.9 Trillion “Covid 19 recovery act” bill soon to be law compliments of the now Leftist controlled Democrats and RINO Republicans. Some level of debt is OK, but what happens to you if you can not pay those who hold your mortgage? This is not difficult.
The bank, in this case the Communist Chinese, come to control you in real terms. And now make the Democrat controlled Congress, Democrat controlled Senate and the president, and weak kneed RINO’s Tom’s lawyers and bankers who pander to and are owned and who’s self interests are bought and paid for indirectly by the Communist Chinese. (Keeping in mind that this is not a new strategy, America did the same many many times in order to control those who we needed to own and control. The Communist Chinese are using our move! And we should not be so willfully naive. Willful stupidity.)
Warfare takes many different forms and its better to not have to fire a shot if at all possible. And that is how I see what is underway today in our country and the world. What is it that you see?
Karma can be so cruel. There she is, treated the way she treats others. Oh, that’s right. It isn’t Karma, it is the Golden Rule.
Robert wrote: “In a tolerant and just society you never derive pleasure from the unjust suffering of anyone, including your opponents.”
Is her suffering really unjust? Is not her suffering the same as she wishes bestowed upon others? This sounds like justice, to me, even if only poetic justice rather than social justice — the punishment of someone innocent for the actions of someone who can somehow be associated with the innocent person.
“her firing could also be considered a defensive reaction that in the long run might force the left to rethink the intolerance that now dominates its culture, as epitomized by Burnett.”
I think Robert is giving the left credit for more brains than they have. Their view of the world is more like a three-year-old’s, in that they only care about getting their own way, no matter who else is hurt, because that is what they consider to be fair. “Silence the person who disagrees with me, but don’t silence me. I am always right.” Feelings hold more sway with the left than intelligence, knowledge, or science. As the saying goes: “if it feels good, do it.”
Thus the end, Social (In)Justice Warriors feeling good, justifies the means, destroying the lives of others. I really don’t expect them to change their ways.
To Janyuary: Late to the party, but on my vacation to central Washington last year, very little attention paid to masking, Not unusual to see signs “We are not the mask police. WA requires masks, we don’t.”
Curious that people/institutions are seemingly more ‘aware’ of masking, now that the pandemic is certifiably fading. Professional communications indicate that there will be some permanent masking rules in several industries. Just a reminder to anyone who thought government would sound the “All Clear”; it never was going to happen. If you don’t want to wear a mask during every visit to a health professional, masseuse, or anyone else who may have personal contact with you in a business, you may want to start contacting your elected officials now.