Another email from a conservative faculty member:
“I survived, and have become moderately successful, in academia by keeping silent about my political opinions, something I learned early in my graduate career at the University of Michigan. Most of my criticisms of Democrats or veiled praise of Republicans are couched in terms that suggest personal distance from conservative points of view. Last year, I came up for tenure, and I realized then how thoroughly I self-censor. I was in the car with a close long-time friend and fellow academic (at another institution), and I told her how difficult it was for me to overcome this compulsion not to speak. I then spent half an hour telling her what I’d bottled up for thirteen years – that I voted for Bush, that I watch Fox News, etc. At the end of it, she said, “I knew your husband was a conservative, but I never realized you are, too.” In fact, I’m fairly confident that this self-censorship is not necessary; my department has a live-and-let-live attitude on many things. But I continue to self-censor, largely out of habit, but partly because there are a few people in the department who could never get over it.”
I hear very similar stories from many academics when I’m on lecture tours of colleges. It just strikes me as a terrible shame that at universities of all places, people are censoring themselves from expressing their actual opinions. It’s not healthy for anyone.
MORE DUKE: A lefty prof argues that there is indeed too little ideological diversity at Duke:
Where are the Greens, Labour, the Christian Democrats, the Socialists, the Communists, the Workers Party, the Black Panthers, Puerto Rican independistas, etc…? Where is the truly wide range of partisan organizing that, across the globe, offers diversity in imagining options for the future?
No I’m not making this up.
EMAIL OF THE DAY: “I’d been mulling over this option and although Valentine’s Day isn’t the most opportune time to suggest it, I took advantage of a long car ride this morning to run something past my wife. “If they passed the FMA or if Colorado (where we were married) or Virginia (where we now live) passed some same sex marriage ban, would you consider opting out of our marriage in favor of a civil union.” Before I could explain my rationale she answered, “Oh, absolutely.” Reminded for the 10,000th time why I married her.” – more feedback on the Letters Page.
The Dish 