I think one of the dangers of today's world, is that we are so hell-bent on pigeonholing everyone. We see it all the time on this site. Conservatives: heartless, selfish and only concerned with money. Liberals: shiftless, free-loading and bleeding hearts. The reality is that life is messy. No one fits into one box and is indicative of all the either good or bad traits of either ideology. Well, at least in my experience, the worst of or best of either is rarely what a person truly embodies.

 

If I can I have to disagree.

I'm conservative but yet I do have a heart and feel sorry for some, I'm not selfish, and am not concerned with money.

But I also don't feel America should be a dumping ground or welfare state either.

If I can I have to disagree.

I'm conservative but yet I do have a heart and feel sorry for some, I'm not selfish, and am not concerned with money.

But I also don't feel America should be a dumping ground or welfare state either.

 

You actually just agreed with me. :lol2:. I think you may not have read my post carefully.

As a current college student, here are my thoughts on the subject.

 

The college itself typically tries to stay away from specifically pushing the liberal agenda, but they are pretty anti- Republican (or should I say anti-Trump). When Trump one, we had a candlelit celebration of unity or something like that to ensure students will "stick together" during the "difficult time." When his first immigration order was passed banning travelers from certain Middle Eastern countries, we received an email from the interm president reassuring us that we "are a welcoming community" and "do not agree with the Trump's order." When some students wrote in chalk all over campus "Trump 2016" one night, there were janitors cleaning it off first thing next morning, in addition to an email from the dean of students who vowed to launch an investigation.

 

I took a class called "Africa since 1500" (I attend a liberal arts university) where the professor would take shots at Trump almost daily. However my economics 205 professor took minor shots at Obama's policies as well. Most of my business professors are much more conservative, as expected.

 

On almost every professors door there are equal signs and "safe space" indicators. I always wondered about those.

 

My brother attended and liberal arts school in Kentucky, and talked often about how liberal the schools agenda was. He took classes about Christianity taught by non Christians, and the keynote speaker at his graduation was a graduate who created a transgender/gender neutral clothing line. He is extremely far right though so his stories could have been an it exaggerated.

 

Overall, the push for the liberal agenda, at least at my 2000 student school in Ohio, is led by some young men and a lot more young women. I'd say more times than not, fraternity guys lean more right, and sorority girls are pretty evenly split. The more liberal ones absolutely post more about politics and are significantly more judgmental toward those who don't share their views. When Trump won this year, I stayed off social media all day after 11:00 am because I was tired of reading about how racist and homophobic and offensive Trump voters were from the people who preach tolerance.

I think one of the dangers of today's world, is that we are so hell-bent on pigeonholing everyone. We see it all the time on this site. Conservatives: heartless, selfish and only concerned with money. Liberals: shiftless, free-loading and bleeding hearts. The reality is that life is messy. No one fits into one box and is indicative of all the either good or bad traits of either ideology. Well, at least in my experience, the worst of or best of either is rarely what a person truly embodies.

Hats off to rockmom! One of the best posts I have ever read on BGP.. Especially agree on the underlined & bolded.

If colleges aren't pushing a liberal agenda they certainly turn a blind eye when opposing opinions try to be presented. How many times have we heard about speakers at colleges being shouted down at colleges or having speaking engagements canceled because protesters demanded it? Every year we hear about conservatives being invited to speak at commencements only to have those invitations rescinded because people object to their political views.

 

Doesn't and shouldn't open mindedness and being willing to listen to opposing views go both ways?

 

That certainly doesn't seem to be the case now.

I think the majority of college students are liberal and activism by college students is a long standing fact. I do agree that activism has gone to another level. With social media it is easier to organize protests and get people to participate. That turns what used to be a 2 or 3 person protest years ago into a march across campus or a mass shout down of a speaker.

I think the majority of college students are liberal and activism by college students is a long standing fact. I do agree that activism has gone to another level. With social media it is easier to organize protests and get people to participate. That turns what used to be a 2 or 3 person protest years ago into a march across campus or a mass shout down of a speaker.

 

So the centers of so-called open communication and free exchange of ideas have become fairly one sided. Does that trouble you at all?

 

In another thread you expressed support for a so-called fairness doctrine for the media. Should the same fairness be applied to college campuses, particularly publicly funded colleges?

So the centers of so-called open communication and free exchange of ideas have become fairly one sided. Does that trouble you at all?

 

In another thread you expressed support for a so-called fairness doctrine for the media. Should the same fairness be applied to college campuses, particularly publicly funded colleges?

 

Unless it has something to do with the class they are teaching, I think teachers and college professors should refrain from political commentary.

 

I don't think the political leanings of teachers and college professors today are much different than what they were 30 years ago. I think it is the nature of teachers and professors to lean liberal.

One of my best lessons in critical thinking was from a history professor. I have no idea what his politics were. But he taught me to examine both sides of the issue, and when presenting my opinion, to do so with facts and justification. He didn't allow hyperbole, and he didn't allow nebulous thought patterns. The second most influential of my short collegiate career was an English professor. Again, no idea of his politics, but he also refused to allow baseless rhetoric as a submission. My nephew is a PhD candidate, Public Policy. He is as liberal as they come, like way more left than anyone you would even think of meeting on BGP. He's always upset that the conservative agenda is to pervasive in academia. I suppose there are examples we can throw out all over the board. In the end, if you are a strong person, a thoughtful person, you'll learn to sort through the rhetoric. And you'll also learn to recognize what some say is promoting an agenda, is actually just an attempt to push you out of your comfort zone. I am continually amazed at the people who think there is some sort of nefarious collusion to take over the world by either the liberals or the conservatives.

 

Best two instructors I ever had in that regard were a slightly left-leaning high school history teacher and an arch-conservative experimental psychology professor at Morehead.

Unless it has something to do with the class they are teaching, I think teachers and college professors should refrain from political commentary.

 

I don't think the political leanings of teachers and college professors today are much different than what they were 30 years ago. I think it is the nature of teachers and professors to lean liberal.

 

That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the way dissenting voices have pretty much been squelched on campuses. How many times have we heard about people being invited to speak at commencements only to have invitations rescinded because some group took issue with their view point? How many times have we heard of people being invited to speak on a campus only to be either shouted down or threatened so badly that they cancel their speeches? Does the fact that many students seem to be totally unwilling to even allow anyone they deem "offensive" their right to speech bother you? Does the fact the administrations seem unwilling or unable to quell the dissent to the point that opposing viewpoints can not be expressed bother you?

That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the way dissenting voices have pretty much been squelched on campuses. How many times have we heard about people being invited to speak at commencements only to have invitations rescinded because some group took issue with their view point? How many times have we heard of people being invited to speak on a campus only to be either shouted down or threatened so badly that they cancel their speeches? Does the fact that many students seem to be totally unwilling to even allow anyone they deem "offensive" their right to speech bother you? Does the fact the administrations seem unwilling or unable to quell the dissent to the point that opposing viewpoints can not be expressed bother you?

 

One of the largest arguments was Milo Y? speaking at Cal-Berkeley. Turns out those kids were right.

 

Colleges should be fair to both sides, but I think it's fair to question the incendiary voices like the above mentioned and say Louis Farrakhan.

 

I would have a problem if Rand Paul, Ted Cruz or the likes were not welcome on campus.

I doubt Liberty, Oral Roberts, BYU, etc. ae liberal in any way. Colleges really are the last bastion of change. They can pretty much do what they want and they do. It isn't that hard to figure out which are liberal, lean liberal, conservative, lean conservative.

Best two instructors I ever had in that regard were a slightly left-leaning high school history teacher and an arch-conservative experimental psychology professor at Morehead.

 

 

You went to class. What was it like?

When I first read the thread title, I thought it was a joke. Then I started reading and saw it is a serious question. While you can certainly find a conservative professor or college, let's be honest. 90% or more of colleges and universities are VERY liberal and by far, most professors are liberal. As All Tell said, many times conservative speakers are barred from talking at colleges. Heck, a few years ago, Condy Rice was banned from giving a Commencement speech and she is one of the most accomplished women ever in this country. I have NEVER heard of a liberal speaker being banned from speaking at any college...ever...

 

The danger now is that many liberal universities now seem to condone any speech that is not liberal. That is scary...when it is OK to simply not allow dissenting speech rather than debating it in colleges...

You went to class. What was it like?

 

I went to class, maybe not as often as I should have.

 

With regard to the professor in question, he offer me his only non need-based lab assistant spot for three semesters, pretty much based on my halfway decent scientific writing skills; then the graduate assistant spot my second year of graduate school. Tutored statistics and experimental psychology as well. The guy was as straight as the proverbial arrow, but was great at developing critical thinking skills.

 

Best I can remember (and to be fair, some of that time was spent in a cannabis-induced fog), liberal/conservative ideology was something that rarely if ever came up in the classes I took (mostly science/math/psychology).