May 10, 2009
In News
Censorship of qualified college professors is a growing threat on US campuses & to American democracy itself. Too many times over the past decade we’ve witnessed a specific & peculiar type of censorship and a chilling effect it has on campuses everywhere. The silencing of academicians on specific topics is an example of raw political power in action in order to control learning which goes beyond parroting unquestioned or widely held ideas.
The essence of intellectual growth means going beyond generally held unquestioned ideas or fear of external censorship in classrooms. Instructors must be able to freely raise, discuss, and analyze issues relevent to their courses and which impact their students — otherwise education becomes nothing more than a robotic exercise. External political manipulation of curricula reeks of Stalinesque obedience jeopardizing more than academic freedom.
If you support academic freedom & reject intellectual censorship via political manipulation on campus –show support for Professor William Robinson (UCSB) whose position has been threatened by ADL’s effort to control how & what he teaches. Silencing those who analyze /challenge Israel’s policies or actions is unAmerican and an ominous portent for the future of democracy.
Click the link -to sign the petition – http://sb4af.wordpress.com/