“It’s Okay to Hate Republicans.” That was the title of a recent article in the proudly socialist, radical left-wing magazine In These Times. That’s typical fare for this publication. What’s remarkable, however, is its author, professor Susan J. Douglas, chairwoman of the Communications Department at the University of Michigan, who sophomorically explains why she personally “hates” Republicans.
Her university’s official policy prohibits the creation of an “intimidating, hostile or offensive educational environment” for students. While this shelters hypersensitive women or minorities from the slightest perceived “microagression,” such a “welcoming” environment apparently doesn’t extend to Republican students who have the misfortune to find themselves in her classroom.
Closer to home, we have history professor Charles Angeletti of Denver’s Metro State University. Angeletti, a self-proclaimed socialist and atheist (an incidental but, as you’ll see, relevant identification), was recently absolved by MSU president Stephen Jordan of misbehavior following a student complaint about a “lesson” he’s conducted in his class for 20 years. It consists of this bastardized Pledge of Allegiance with a partisan attack on Republicans that he hands out and encourages students to recite in class:
“I pledge allegiance to and wrap myself in the flag of the United States Against Anything Un-American and to the Republicans for which it stands, two nations, under Jesus, rich against poor, with curtailed liberty and justice for all except blacks, homosexuals, women who want abortions, Communists, welfare queens, treehuggers, feminazis, illegal immigrants, children of illegal immigrants, and you if you don’t watch your step.”
Does this typify his intellectual scholarship? Angeletti explains this defamatory pledge was written by Matt Groening, creator of “The Simpsons.” And that he uses it only as “proactive satire intended to spark dialogue in the classroom.” Yeah, right. This is the “critical thinking” ploy routinely invoked by lefty educators when they get caught red-handed proselytizing in their classrooms. It’s a kind of get-out-of-jail-free card calculated to immunize them from discipline for academic malpractice.
It’s just a coincidence that this hyperbolic rant reflects Angeletti’s own distorted, cartoonish, view of Republicans and America. In his own words, “We’re very racist, we’re very repressive, we’re very Christian-oriented, we don’t tolerate other kinds of thinking in this country. I could go on and on — and do, in my classes, for hours about things that we need to do to make this a better country.” (In the opinion of a socialist and atheist.)
Angeletti’s claim that “we don’t tolerate other kinds of thinking in this country” is dumbfounding in its irony. Not only is his thinking “tolerated,” he’s actually paid by a public university to spread his one-sided bile to impressionable young minds in his classroom. Do you suppose he ever lampoons the left as he does the right? Academic freedom isn’t absolute. It’s protected up to a point that doesn’t include license. Do you imagine MSU would tolerate his invective it were directed at politically correct victim groups like gays, women, minorities or even Muslims? Christians, however, are fair game.
In the leftist-dominated culture of academia, academic freedom is unjustly administered under a double standard. Just ask conservative instructors and students who’ve been denied due process when falsely accused or punished after running afoul of the politically correct thought police or certified victim groups.
Angeletti is a long-time, tenured professor at MSU and a radical leftist to boot. That’s double indemnity for job security. I didn’t expect him to be fired but I had hoped the administration would at least have had the courage to scold him.
Freelance columnist Mike Rosen’s radio show airs weekdays from 1 to 3 p.m. on 850-KOA.
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