University as a source of social protest and civil liberties movement? (1 Viewer)

[LazyBoy]

An occurance on this forum has gotten me thinking about university as a source of social protest and a strong force in the civil liberties movement. My question is do people still consider university as a place for freedom of speach, protection and encouragement of civil liberties and as a place that encourages social protest?

 

[Not-That-Bright]

Universities are great places, that encourage discussion about all various issues from different perspectives.
Of course they're still a place that encourages civil liberties and protest... My main gripe with universities are that they're a little too much to the left. Take for example the dean of Harvard making comments about how there could be inate differences between men and women, huge protests, almost gets fired.
Clive Churchill makes comments claiming that the victims of 9/11 were legitimate targets (because they were a part of the market economy which allowed the US to have its military strength) and there is some protest by right-wing media, however there seems to be no chance that he will be fired.

It would seem that there's freedom of speech as long as you don't upset feminists by claiming there is inate differences between men or women.

 

[Atticus.]

how many university threads do you want to open LAZY BOY?

 

[LazyBoy]

Your not wrong there, i dont know about other universities but i know at USYD its dominated by the left, i.e. Labor (which i see as a good thing) but then thats dominated by both left and right of labor so you see a fair mix.

Im very much pro freedom of speach, because i go by the school if you dont like something theres no one forcing you to read, watch or listen to it.

 

[LazyBoy]

how many university threads do you want to open LAZY BOY?

I didnt realise there was a limit I just open threads when i think of something interesting to talk about or something that would provoke interesting responses.

 

[Lexicographer]

I didnt realise there was a limit I just open threads when i think of something interesting to talk about or something that would provoke interesting responses.

There is no limit, as long as the creation of threads is justified by the content.

I think this is a good topic, as long as it doesn't turn into another flame war.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

The left and right of labor however there doesn't seem to be any acceptance of Liberal ideals..
which is fair enough.

Freedom of speech doesn't mean that you can express your opinion about ANYTHING, to ANYONE, ANYWHERE.

 

[Atticus.]

There is no limit, as long as the creation of threads is justified by the content.

I think this is a good topic, as long as it doesn't turn into another flame war.

ill put money on that if this thread takes off then it will trun into another flame war :uhhuh:

 

[LazyBoy]

a flame war about what? exactly

 

[Xayma]

There was an article in the SMH today "Scholars for dollars" which briefly touched this point, in that many are spending less time on campus as they are often working. Along with the internet, meaning even less time is spent.

This limits the discussion of these ideas withinside universities along with people that view university just as a degree where you only learn within side that degree as opposed to learning about many more things and the discussion of civilisation in general.

 

[LazyBoy]

thats very true. But i think right now we should be looking to universities to breed the sort of culture that existed in the 60's. Society right now is stagnating in that australia is undergoing a period of apathy. With social freedoms beeing restricted, even the internet is moving towards censorship rather then freedom. Examples can be shown in forums like this where if people dont conform to the views of the establishment then its tough titties, but also on an ISP level with governments imposing filters on all ISP blocking many websites.

I think unviersities in particular because they have the history with social protest etc should get there arses back in gear and take back civil liberties movement from the religious nuts and give it back to the 'interlectuals' (i use the term loosely because im not tryingn to say that those who dont go to uni are not interlectuals)

 

[Xayma]

While those that do go are normally intellectuals

But it isn't up to the universities themselves to encourage it. Rather the student body at large and gasp possibly the unions could get some civilised talk going with more than just leftist propaganda.

 

[LazyBoy]

Luckily for me the union is right (well left right) Labor Right,