Dare to Disagree

A great opinion piece from the San Francisco Chronicle, admittedly an unlikely source for something I might agree with. Two Edged Sword Debra Saunders laments the politically correct attitude that is so prevalent in our universities regarding what can properly be said before a gathering of mushy-minded students and faculty.

We’ve been doing it for decades now, but it has become almost a requirement for “activist” students and indignant professors to shout down any and all presentations which might disagree with their enlightened interpretation of the world as it really should be. I’ve long thought that the entire purpose of education was to challenge our thinking and expand our perspectives. Listening to a well-reasoned argument that might conclude differently than what we already know to be right is a good exercise for the mind. Hell, it’s a good plan for no other reason than the classical military advice of Sun Tsu—“know your enemy.”

I love to read editorials, books and opinion columns that support my own contentions. I grind my teeth and experience acid reflux when I read sniveling, liberal garbage that says I could be wrong. But, it is important to listen and maybe even to learn what the other side of the issue might be.

Regardless, it is increasingly common for the moron class to run across the stage at commencement and throw a pie at the speaker rather than listen to the presentation. It’s more appropriate to shout slogans and drown out the disagreement, particularly if the speaker is someone with a lot more experience, education, insight, responsibility and well earned respect.

Maybe there is a level of outrageous speech that should be shouted down. It’s possible that I might have attempted to drown out the nationalist rants of Hitler or the revolutionary exhortations of Lenin in my younger days. I could maybe justify restricting the appearance of a racist fanatic like David Duke. But, it seems to me that it’s unlikely they would have been invited to my commencement. When Ann Coulter, Pat Buchanan, Dick Cheney, or for that matter Janeane Garofalo are invited to speak at an event I should either shut up and listen or opt out of attending.