[MD] Free Speech

[ARLO J BENSINGER JR]

[Platt]
I champion the cause of free speech no matter what fools say, either at tribal
funerals, on beer bottles or in college classrooms. But, as Pirsig points out,
individuals considered fools "by the rest of us" are sometimes the catalysts
for Dynamic growth.

[Arlo]
I'd be interested in knowing how you consider using the word "nigger" to be a
potential catalyst for Dynamic growth. Are you envisioning a modern Brujo
heralding the creation of a racially "pure" state?

[Platt]
Glad to see such student "fools" at Penn State and Temple University are now
protected from faculty reprisals by newly issued academic freedom policies. The
intellectual level can claim a victory against political social forces. Thank
God.

[Arlo]
Yes, relativism won the day. Now all something has to do to be "intellectual" is
simply "believe it to be so". No longer will anyone have to justify what they
say within intellectual discourse, now a simple "I heard it on Limbaugh" will
suffice.

Having been the target of perennial right-wing anti-intellectual crusades, I'm
sure Pirsig is happy he is no longer in the Academy (personally) with these
ongoing right-wing assaults on intellectual standards. Sadly, what you
characterize as a victory for intellectual patterns, is actually the death
throes for intellectual as it is devoured by political social forces. No wonder
you "thank god" rather than "reason".

I can see it now. Mandates to faculty to pass anyone who claims "conservativism"
regardless of merit, for fear of right-wing reprisals. Dissertions with a
bibliographic list of one reference, reading simply "Limbaugh says so". Oh yes,
what a fabulous victory for Party Ideology and social level patterns of power.
Hello Truth-by-Party, Goodbye truth-by-reason. (But then again, that's been the
Party Mantra for the right-wing since the early '90s). Its akin to the Church
demanding the Academy teach the world is flat. Its a perversion of intellectual
level dominance. But, now, who doesn't expect that from the "right"?