Déjà vu Again!

I’m continually astonished at the circuitous logic of the elite universities of this country. Take a look at this emerging brouhaha at the University of Wisonsin:

Ward Churchill Clone in Wisconsin?

When I saw Brit Hume comment on it, I was initially outraged that a school would intentionally allow someone to place such an absurd thesis before an undergraduate university class. But, we should all be aware that tenured professors have a lot of latitude and some of them espouse decidedly controversial views. I’ve personally professed views in class that I don’t hold, simply to promote discussion and foster student thinking on the topic. But, I don’t make those views the core concept of the course.

Then I went to the link above and read the University Provost comments. They seemed logical and reasonable as a defense of freedom of educational inquiry. Until, that is, I read between the lines. I’ve got enough experience in front of undergraduate students to know that what the prof says is what the students believe and will mouth back at the drop of a blue book. If Professor Barrett suggests some extreme revision of the events we’ve all seen so many times on TV, the mushy minds will internalize it and deny their own recall.

Teaching most assuredly should foster thinking, reasoning and independent judgment of observations. But, there also is an obligation for both the teacher and the institution which that teacher represents to place fact before the students. Creating a rational argument that the Holocaust didn’t happen, that genocide was inflicted upon Native-Americans through distribution of smallpox infected blankets, or that al-Qaeda doesn’t really exist is possible, but decidedly disingenuous. It should not be allowed in a responsible institution. That is NOT denial of academic freedom. It is common sense.

Then I got to the last paragraph of the Univ. of Wisconsin statement. This twit isn’t a tenured professor! Apparently they actually went out and hired the idiot to spout this drivel for a single semester! Disgusting.