Idiot University of Kansas
I tell you -- the best thing that ever happened to Dorothy was getting out of Kansas. Too bad she never realized that,
First, we have the Matthew Limon case, where he was sentence to 17 years for having sex with a 14-year old boy when, had he had sex with a 14-year old girl, he would have served only about 4 years.
Now we have the University of Kansas, gutless wonders of the midwest. Paul Mirecki, a Harvard-trained theologian and head of the university’s Religious Studies Department, was scheduled to teach a course examining Creationism -- oh, excuse me, Intelligent Design -- in the spring entitled "Special Topics in Religion: Intelligent Design, Creationism and Other Religious Mythologies". Mirecki is no fan of Creationism, and that's no secret at the university. However, he made the mistake of publishing comments to a listserve that attacked religious fundamentalists. As a result, the university has cancelled the course for the spring. The university claims the course will be taught in the future, though they are not sure when or who will teach it. In addition, they claim that it was Mirecki's comments, and not pressure from relgious groups, that caused them to cancel the course.
Right. Sure. Of course.
Let's see, an environment when you hear the following doesn't lead to making a decision that flies in the face of academic freedom:
State Rep. Brenda Landwehr, a Wichita Republican, doesn't want Mirecki to teach religious studies courses. “It’s hard to teach religion if you don’t believe in it.” She also wants hearings when the Legislature resumes next month. She said she wants to know whether professors are exhibiting any intolerance. “It may show we’re not providing fair and balanced opportunities to our students.”
First, we have the Matthew Limon case, where he was sentence to 17 years for having sex with a 14-year old boy when, had he had sex with a 14-year old girl, he would have served only about 4 years.
Now we have the University of Kansas, gutless wonders of the midwest. Paul Mirecki, a Harvard-trained theologian and head of the university’s Religious Studies Department, was scheduled to teach a course examining Creationism -- oh, excuse me, Intelligent Design -- in the spring entitled "Special Topics in Religion: Intelligent Design, Creationism and Other Religious Mythologies". Mirecki is no fan of Creationism, and that's no secret at the university. However, he made the mistake of publishing comments to a listserve that attacked religious fundamentalists. As a result, the university has cancelled the course for the spring. The university claims the course will be taught in the future, though they are not sure when or who will teach it. In addition, they claim that it was Mirecki's comments, and not pressure from relgious groups, that caused them to cancel the course.
Right. Sure. Of course.
Let's see, an environment when you hear the following doesn't lead to making a decision that flies in the face of academic freedom:
State Rep. Brenda Landwehr, a Wichita Republican, doesn't want Mirecki to teach religious studies courses. “It’s hard to teach religion if you don’t believe in it.” She also wants hearings when the Legislature resumes next month. She said she wants to know whether professors are exhibiting any intolerance. “It may show we’re not providing fair and balanced opportunities to our students.”
Sen. Kay O’Connor, an Olathe Republican: “We’re not in the taxpayer-funded hatred business. Why should taxpayers give him [Mirecki] an opportunity to profess his hatred for Christians?”
I feel sorry for Paul Mirecki. I bet he wishes he wasn't in Kansas anymore.
posted by Rod Carveth at 10:28 AM
1 Comments:
I hadn't heard about this UKansas case. It's such B.S. The University is engaging in a kind of censorship in cancelling the class.
Now that the Christian right has succeeded in convincing Americans that the media is liberal, they're targeting Universities. The so called "Academic Bill of Rights" is one such example. This case is another.
It's the "Thought Police" for a new generation.
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