The Importance of Free Inquiry at the Academy

Heterodox Academy has released this 3-minute video arguing for something that 20 years ago would have puzzled most people.

This video advocates for

  • Free Inquiry at the Academy
  • Encouraging the Life of the Mind, and
  •  The Use of Evidence when taking positions, rather than relying on mere feelings.

But this is 2021, and we are, in many places, continuing our descent into a new Dark Ages where an increasingly acceptable way to win an argument is to silence one's opponents, using economic threats and brute force if necessary, even at the Academy.

I fully support the following ideas of Heterodox Academy:

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I fully support the above ideas in my role as a law professor and in my personal life. As an attorney affiliated with Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), I am willing to push back against persons and organizations violating these principles where they involve violations of civil rights, including violations of the First Amendment.

In fact, FIRE has now established a Faculty Legal Defense Fund to protect the speech of faculty members.  Here is how it works:

Public college and university faculty who face a threat of sanction by their institution or have been punished for expressive activity—whether it’s instruction, scholarship, or speaking on issues of public concern—can submit matters for FLDF consideration. They can do so through FLDF’s dedicated 24-hour Hotline at 254-500-FLDF (3533), or submit a case online. Our staff quickly review the matter and, if it falls within FLDF’s mandate, connect the faculty member with one of the experienced nearby lawyers in the FLDF network for assistance.

Continue ReadingThe Importance of Free Inquiry at the Academy

Bill Maher Lambasts Those Who Fret About Cultural Appropriation.

Isaac Newton summed it up: ""If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants." Humans are at their best when they use each others' good ideas. Every human being "steals" hundreds of others' good ideas every day. It amazes me how this concept has been turned on its head by pissy woke scolds. Bill Maher comments on this issue and other dysfunctions on full display at this year's Olympics.

Continue ReadingBill Maher Lambasts Those Who Fret About Cultural Appropriation.

Attorney with Stellar Career with NY Legal Services Dares to Have an Opinion that Counters the Woke Narrative.

Here’s an example a good-hearted intelligent attorney who has been cancelled by fringe left-wing ideologues. This type of problem started off as a few rain drops (e.g., the case of Steven Pinker), but now we’re in a torrential storm. There are so many other stories emerging too. Many people have personally communicated to me that they are afraid to express their opinions--they are afraid to like my FB posts, even though they agree with many of them.

This is the case of Maud Maron, a Legal Aid Attorney who has had a long and stellar career in NY, but how dare she express an opinion that counters the prevailing narrative! Off with her head! She has filed suit against her office. The allegations described in this article by FAIR are extremely disturbing. Here's an excerpt from FAIR's article:

As a committed public defender with an exemplary record for over two decades, Maud has represented poor and low-income New Yorkers of every skin color in criminal court. But when she wrote an op-ed disagreeing with Robin DiAngelo’s illiberal claim that all white people are racist, her employer and union publicly attacked her in racially-charged social media posts about her alleged “white superiority,” what she must think simply because she is, in their words, a “white practitioner,” and how she participates in “white supremacy” and “oppresses” others solely because of her skin color. By claiming they are “ashamed that she works at the Legal Aid Society” and emphatically stating, “Enough is enough,” they made it clear she was no longer welcome at her job.

Continue ReadingAttorney with Stellar Career with NY Legal Services Dares to Have an Opinion that Counters the Woke Narrative.

Ben Franklin: It’s “a Republic, if you can keep it.”

On September 17, 1787, as delegates left the Constitutional Convention in Independence Hall, Benjamin Franklin was asked what kind of government do we have?

"A Republic," he replied, "if you can keep it."

I am stunned at the willingness of many on the political left to ignore the First Amendment out of convenience when it comes to their favorite issues. As I predicted several days ago, the ACLU has been silent. Many of us who used to fear government censorship are publicly warming up to that idea.  In recent days, Glenn Greenwald has commented repeatedly. For example:

Those who remember the recent past the federal government be able to declare and enforce its version of the "truth" re COVID.  Here's a few examples:

There is apparently something in the water that is causing Americans to become obtuse, unable to understand their own history, their own government and nuance. Many people who hear my opinions of these topics accuse me of liking it when malevolent and stupid people kill other people by spreading lies about COVID.  They think I like it when harmful false ideas are spread through social media. Many of them are proud Americans who wave flags and celebrate the Fourth of July, but they don't understand the function and power of the First Amendment and free speech (the latter of which is a broader issue). It's as though they don't understand that many truths are complex, making them unendingly imperfect and tentative. It's as though they don't understand that by allowing the marketplace of ideas to run its course, we will be in the best position to understand what is going on around us on every topic and every issue. It's as though they want to completely trust a government that excels in spewing out lies, year after year, administration after administration.

Is it too much to ask that Americans understand their own Constitution before willingly shredding parts of it?

Continue ReadingBen Franklin: It’s “a Republic, if you can keep it.”