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Jon Stewart Rips Fox News Religious Hypocrisy

Dogmatic Students Are The Problem, No "Liberal" Professors

This little study confirms what virtually faculty member already knows.  Students cry bias whenever anybody challenges their ideas.

A regular theme in conservative critiques of higher education is that liberal professors discriminate against right-leaning students. Many faculty members (with studies to back them up) reject the charge. Even if faculty members may lean left, they argue, there is simply no evidence of systematic bias in how students are graded and treated.

A new study in the journal College Teaching suggests that it's possible that some students do perceive bias, but that the reasons may have to do more with their own identities than with anything taking place in the classroom. Notably, the author does not cite his findings simply to rebut the conservative critics, but to suggest that there may be classroom techniques that would lessen the perception of bias.

The study examined 148 female students and 123 male students at a land-grant university in the Southeast where political attitudes among students are fairly evenly split. The students were given two sets of questionnaires -- one on how settled and resistant to change they were (in politics and the rest of their lives) and the other on their perceptions of bias from their faculty members.

The study found that students -- even in the same classrooms -- didn't perceive bias in the same ways (or at all), and those who perceived bias were those who were resistant to changing any of their views. The finding extended to some who identified themselves as being far on the left and resistant to change, and who believed that they had some biased conservative professors. But among both left-leaning and right-leaning students who didn't score high on resistance to new ideas, there was little perception of bias.

Darren L. Linvill, the study's author and director of basic courses in the department of communication studies at Clemson University, said that while his research (including interviews with the students claiming bias) found no evidence of real bias, the findings about perception should be of concern to faculty members.

Many faculty members -- himself included, Linvill noted -- play devil's advocate to many students, expressing a range of views. This time-tested classroom technique, he said, may not work with students who arrive in class determined not to hear new ideas.

Students, especially super conservative students, tend to make charges of bias whenever their preferred ideas are challenged.  So, in classes that emphasize teaching critical thinking skills and logical reasoning and where the professor plays devil's advocate in order to faciliate the development of those skills they are bound to get allegations of bias from dogmatic students.

 

"Little Winstons" Trying to Edit Wikipedia Paul Revere Page

You've probably heard about Sarah Palin's family vacation.  She's riding around the country learning about American History.  Some of news coverage of the tour indicates she definately needs an educational vacation this summer.  She either doesn't quite understand what Paul Revere actually did or cannot communicate her understanding clearly.  In typical Palin fashion, she is refusing to admit any fault in either her understanding of US History or of her ability to communiate it clearly, she doubled-down on it.  The "great communicator" she is not.  Some of her supporters have taken things a little further.  From Little Green Footballs:

Man, you’ve gotta almost admire the sheer blind dedication of Sarah Palin’s wingnut acolytes.

Now they’re trying like crazy to edit the Wikipedia page for “Paul Revere” to make it match Palin’s botched version of history. Here’s the Revision history of Paul Revere; check out the edits that are being reversed.

Also see the discussion page for an entertaining exchange between Wikipedia editors and a would-be revisionist.

via littlegreenfootballs.com

In George Orwell's 1984  - which, I think, is a much better referrence our current economic predicament than Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged - the main character, Winston, works in The Ministry of Truth.  His job is to go back and revise the content past documents that make up "the official record" so that it suits the political leadership's current political purposes.  But, in order for the machine to work, enough people have to be willing to do this kind of work.  Totalitarian regimes require a measure of popular support in order to carry out their plans.  It looks like some Palin supporters are willing to do this kind of work.  They're Palin's "little Winstons."  Thankfully, Wikipedia is not the official record.

Philosophy Is Useless Because "No Two Philosophers Agree About Anything"

Here's another poorly reasoned, pseudo-intellectual attack on philosophy.

This guy is talking out of his ass.  The idea that no two philosophers agree on anything is simply false.  It's an absurd statement.  So absurd that he cannot possibly mean it literally if he has an informed view of the subject he's talking about.  But, moreover, let's just run his argument the other way.  There's widespread disagreement among religious people over which religion is correct.  Theologians in different religions disagree with one another, but they also tend to have internal disagreements within those religious traditons as well.  So, according to this guy's reasoning, religion is useless too.

Tennessee Senate Bans Teaching the Debate Over Homosexuality

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A bill passed Friday by the Tennessee Senate would forbid public school teachers and students in grades kindergarten through eight from discussing the fact that some people are gay.

Opponents deride the measure as the "don't say gay bill." They say it's unfair to the children of gay parents and could lead to more bullying. Supporters say it is intended to give teachers clear guidance for dealing with younger children on a potentially explosive topic.

The bill isn't likely to be taken up by the House before lawmakers adjourn this spring, but the sponsor there has said he would push it forward in 2012 when the General Assembly comes back for the second year of the session.

Passage would make Tennessee the first state to enact such legislation, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In 2003, Washington defeated a proposal similar to Tennessee's, as did California in 2005 and 2006. A Louisiana law forbids the use of sexually explicit materials depicting homosexuality in sex education classes.

Under the proposal, any instruction or materials at a public elementary or middle school would be limited to age-appropriate lessons about the science of human reproduction.

The legislation was amended from the original version, which said no elementary or middle schools will "provide any instruction or material that discusses sexual orientation other than heterosexuality."

via www.huffingtonpost.com

To review. Do not talk about homosexuality, but be sure you "teach the debate" over Evolution. As another critic of the law points out, it may have other consequences.

However, a critic said the new wording could create other problems.

Sen. Roy Herron, D- Dresden, said it "may inadvertently prevent the teaching of ethics, morality and abstinence."

 

 

Identity Politics: From the Founders to Malcolm X and Obama

It's been an interesting couple of weeks in identity politics.  David Barton and Prof. Richard Beeman were each on The Daily Show discussing religion, the Founders, and the Constitution. Some basic Dead White Male stuff regarding what the Founders intended regarding the sepeartion of church and state.   Cornell West made some, er, suprising, criticisms of Obama.  And, a Black Studies Professor and a Harlem activist debate black history and black consciousness on Democracy Now.  Check out some highlights below the fold.

Jon Stewart and Bill O'Reilly Debate Common at the White House

Here's John Stewart taking Fox News to task for selective moral outrage regarding Common's White House performance.

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O'Reilly invited Stewart on his show to debate his criticism of Fox and what the fact that Common was invited to the WH implies about the Administration.

To me it's pretty clear Fox News will look for and twist anything they can in order to make the Administration look bad. This is just another "paling around with terrorists" type smear.

What's Patriotism?

That release included the comment from Martin, “I also thought today brought out a wonderful display of patriotism among the students conducting the counter-protest.”

The online arts blog, allography.com responded by selling “Civil Discourse Kits” of water balloons and bottles on eBay. The online posting had the added message, “If you want to let Mr. Martin know how you feel about him and thank him for redefining what is meant by patriotism and civil discourse, we urge you to call him …”

There also was a petition started at Change.org criticizing Martin and LSU’s media relations staff, arguing in part, “LSU’s Chancellor did nothing to denounce the violent mob — even praising the ‘patriotism’ of the ‘counter-protest.’”

However, Martin clarified in his updated statement, “I do not condone the behavior of that portion of the crowd who … resorted to verbal threats and physical actions against the student while and after he tried to read his statement.”

Martin also stated, “Let me make these points clear: I do not condone the burning of the flag, but I defend the right for someone to express their freedom of speech by doing so. I applaud the many who responded with great passion to speak up for what their flag represents, and that was the purpose of the inspiring patriotic counter-protest that was organized …”

The organized counter-protest that continued after Haas’ departure included the pledge of allegiance and the singing of the national anthem.

via www.2theadvocate.com

I'm pretty sure that if you threaten a guy's life and pelt him with water bottles and trash because you don't like the way he's exercising his First Amendment rights, then you are not patriotic.  Even if you sing the national anthem and say the pledge of allegiance afterwards.  

Free Speech Confusion?

Headlines across the country and even in the UK recounted Army Pfc. Seth Froom's vehement words caught on student video, "My brothers died for you."

Froom yelled these words repeatedly Wednesday at communication studies graduate student Benjamin Haas during the heated protests over his intention to burn an American flag on the Parade Ground. Haas faced more than 1,000 angry students during his demonstration against Isaac Eslava's arrest last week for burning flags belonging to the University.

But Froom said he didn't mean biological brothers — he meant his brothers in arms, noting friends killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"I've seen the video of myself. Of course when it first happened what made me say it was [to show Haas] there was someone present in that audience that has seen and felt the loss of life," Froom said. "You can see on the camera, you can see his head drop to the ground for approximately two seconds ... I don't know if anything I said held any sway."

A day after the fiery protests that light up state and national news, Froom, who has studied business at the University, said he meant to defend the flag's liberty at the protest and doesn't necessarily regret confronting Haas. Haas tried to recite a speech instead of burning the flag before students drowned him out with chants of "U-S-A" and "Go to hell, hippie, go to hell." According to University Media Relations, Haas didn't acquire the proper burning permits to light a fire in the city.

"Me having personally lost friends and my friends having lost friends through the armed forces for that flag ... for [the protest] not to have anything to do with that nation and our nation's current political situation — it really offended me," Froom said.

Froom's show of emotion wasn't rooted in an aversion to free speech — he's more than willing, he said, to defend those rights in the military. He simply doesn't apologize for the effects potentially offensive speech might evoke from the public.

Police eventually moved Froom from the scene, as well as Haas.

"I am willing to fight for those [First Amendment] rights, and the many other soldiers who fight for those rights every day will agree with me when I say, if it promotes the liberty and honor of our nation, we're all for it. ... but for someone to go to such lengths to disrespect our American symbol is the utmost disrespect."

SG President Cody Wells appeared on Fox News on Wednesday morning in a video interview where he applauded LSU students' efforts to hamper Haas' speech and disinherited acts that would offend the "majority's" American patriotism.

via www.lsureveille.com

So, I guess these guys did not hear about the SCOTUS decision on Westboro Baptist. 

Angry Mob on Campus

 (Hat tip: Salon.com) And, here I thought the hippies were supposed to be the ones that spit on the morally righteous patriots.  Everything really is ass-backwards in Louisiana, isn't it?   The fact that more people turned out to counter-protest a guy over flag burning than turned out to protest the school budget cuts tells you everything you need to know about that place.