I was struck today by the dogmatic and closed minds produced by the liberal education of America's elite institutions. Specifically, I saw a story about the reaction of a student columnist at Duke University who threatened a trustee of that school with "student action" if the trustee goes ahead in his private transactions with the sale of the Los Angeles Times to a company controlled by the Koch brothers.
The most amazing thing about the student was his reason for making the threats. Here it is in the words of the Duke student newspaper:
Spangher [the student] is personally opposed to the sale because the Koch brothers have given money to support scientific studies that will deny climate change. A group established by the brothers—The Koch Foundation—has been a significant funder of the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature Project, which aims to address criticism of the planet’s temperature record.
Do you have that? The Koch brothers established a foundation which in turn supports scientific research that undermines the basis for belief in climate change. Let's ignore the connection through the foundation for now; that is bad enough. Instead, let's focus on a college student at a supposedly enlightened institution who is upset that someone is funding SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH that might undermine his beliefs.
In many ways, this sounds much like the Catholic Church of the sixteenth century and its reaction to scientific research that said that the Earth orbited the Sun rather than having the Earth at the center of the universe. Scientific research, by its very nature, is about the search for truth exposed as a result of experimentation and data collection. This Duke neanderthal is upset that the truth to be discovered might conflict with the beliefs that he already holds. It is the antithesis of an open mind.
So what does this paragon of liberal education do when his beliefs are threatened by science? Does he use his intellect to review the data and find fault with the conclusions? No. Instead, he threatens "student action" against those who would fund such offending science. This is the same closed mind set that allowed the IRS to target conservatives for holding beliefs contrary to those of the ruling group of the government.
The truth is that Duke should act to support the original meaning of academic freedom. This student, who threatens others with harm for funding scientific research, should be placed on probation. If he continues on his course, he then should be expelled. Of course, that is not likely to happen. Indeed, much of the Duke faculty is of the same mindset as the student in question. We saw that a few years back when the faculty ran to condemn the lacrosse players who were wrongfully accused of rape.
No wonder our educational system is failing.
The most amazing thing about the student was his reason for making the threats. Here it is in the words of the Duke student newspaper:
Spangher [the student] is personally opposed to the sale because the Koch brothers have given money to support scientific studies that will deny climate change. A group established by the brothers—The Koch Foundation—has been a significant funder of the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature Project, which aims to address criticism of the planet’s temperature record.
Do you have that? The Koch brothers established a foundation which in turn supports scientific research that undermines the basis for belief in climate change. Let's ignore the connection through the foundation for now; that is bad enough. Instead, let's focus on a college student at a supposedly enlightened institution who is upset that someone is funding SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH that might undermine his beliefs.
In many ways, this sounds much like the Catholic Church of the sixteenth century and its reaction to scientific research that said that the Earth orbited the Sun rather than having the Earth at the center of the universe. Scientific research, by its very nature, is about the search for truth exposed as a result of experimentation and data collection. This Duke neanderthal is upset that the truth to be discovered might conflict with the beliefs that he already holds. It is the antithesis of an open mind.
So what does this paragon of liberal education do when his beliefs are threatened by science? Does he use his intellect to review the data and find fault with the conclusions? No. Instead, he threatens "student action" against those who would fund such offending science. This is the same closed mind set that allowed the IRS to target conservatives for holding beliefs contrary to those of the ruling group of the government.
The truth is that Duke should act to support the original meaning of academic freedom. This student, who threatens others with harm for funding scientific research, should be placed on probation. If he continues on his course, he then should be expelled. Of course, that is not likely to happen. Indeed, much of the Duke faculty is of the same mindset as the student in question. We saw that a few years back when the faculty ran to condemn the lacrosse players who were wrongfully accused of rape.
No wonder our educational system is failing.
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