On liberal professors

by on February 17th, 2004

The debate about David Horowitz’s Academic Bill of Rights is the discussion du jour on campuses nationwide.

I think that hiring based on content is always a good thing. I think hiring more conservatives is a good thing. But for a different reason.

When only liberal professors teach liberal kids, those liberal kids lose out. I was very lucky, yes lucky to grow up in Boulder Colorado and attend Ithaca College in Ithaca New York. Those bastions of liberalism made me a much wiser, more educated conservative than I would have been living in a conservative environment.

I can thank my liberal professors for that.

I can thank my liberal speech prof for turning me on to Rush Limbaugh and turning me on to talk radio. The industry that employs me now.

But more importantly, I can thank my liberal politics professor for making me a good conservative. He challenged me. He got me so mad that I stood up and argued, politely, of course, when I thought he was wrong. Positions I had that weren’t useful or true were quickly dispatched. Positions that truly moved and effected me were made stronger by my outspokenness.

I learned more. I studied more. I was more engaged because I didn’t want to look foolish in class. I needed to make sure I didn’t go off half cocked.

Liberal kids don’t have that luxury. They don’t have to put their ideas into use. Their ideas aren’t challenged. They aren’t learning as much as a conservative kid does.

So my advice for you conservatives languishing in a liberal profs class. Debate them, nicely. Challenge them, politely. Educate them as they educate you. You might not become valedictorian, but you’ll learn a heck of a lot more. After all, isn’t that what college is really about?

So when you’re taking these Libs to task, understand the opportunity you’re possibly missing. The opportunity to learn to think for yourself. It’ll serve you much better later in life when your conservative ideals really matter.

Darren Copeland