Holy ****...I can't believe something like this has actually been considered.
While promoting the bill Tuesday, Baxley said a university education should be more than “one biased view by the professor, who as a dictator controls the classroom,” as part of “a misuse of their platform to indoctrinate the next generation with their own views.”
I love how there's no citations about how often, if at all, this is the case in university classrooms. How many students have actually been failed or kicked out of a class for disagreeing with a professor, for example?
Even if there was a high perecentage of such occurrences, rather than allowing the students to sue, they could use a more passive approach, such as anonymous grades (as is already done in most APA accredited law schools.)
Students who believe their professor is singling them out for “public ridicule” – for instance, when professors use the Socratic method to force students to explain their theories in class – would also be given the right to sue.
Wow, critical analysis and questioning count as "ridicule". If you dont want to have your theories criticized, why the hell would you attend a college or university?
But Baxley brushed off Gelber’s concerns. “Freedom is a dangerous thing, and you might be exposed to things you don’t want to hear,” he said. “Being a businessman, I found out you can be sued for anything. Besides, if students are being persecuted and ridiculed for their beliefs, I think they should be given standing to sue.”
Freedom is a dangerous thing? I can't even count how many alarms went off when I read that. I would be ok with this legislation if it responded to failed grades, refusal to acknowledge the student in class, or actual slander in response to contrary personal beliefs. However, the legislation as it stands is apparently designed to combat critical analysis, and also considers facts and reason as "personal beliefs".
Why is it so unheard of to say the professor shouldn’t be a dictator and control that room as their totalitarian niche?”
Well my guess is because there's no real evidence that this is what's going on at all. He has a list, but doenst want to show it. Interpretation: ********.
“I expect to be out there on my own pretty far,” he said. “I don’t expect to be part of a team.”
Wow, another renegade politician who don't give a damn 'bout no critics. Where've I heard that before? Presenting yourself as a martyr in this case just seems to be a convenient way of evading the fact that the critics just might have a ****ing point.
Alright, time for the anecdotal evidence. I've seen what this guy's allegedly concerned about in class. One very conservative student is constantly the butt of jokes from one very liberal professor. But you know what? The student has nothing to worry about, because the professor has no idea which final exam (the only grade in the class) is his. We get numbers to put on our papers, so it's anonymous. There's protection of academic freedom right there.
This isn't about protecting academic freedom; it's quite the opposite. It's an attempt to insulate conservative beliefs from reality. This wouldn't be true if the legislation was restricted to curbing ridicule or disrespect, but it in fact expands to critical analysis--a key component to any university classroom, particularly law school. I pray (and from me, that means something) that this doesnt pass the other committies, or, God-forbid, the Florida legislature.
