Conservative faculty seek to protect America's freedom

Despite the evident purity of your own motives, fellow conservatives do not all seek to protect and defend human freedom. Instead, their notion of freedom is to “be like me, see like me, think like me.” Can you form an organization without such members? Or will they own your mind as an instrument of their greater game?

I share your fear of theocracy, but think its seeds are now being sown at home. Lacking a better word, that movement is christian — I use the small C to express their significant divergence from that name they dishonor — and seeks to unify the country with God as they see him. By the way, the movement is popular among US military officers, and they do have nukes.

Other conservatives champion plutocracy. I think here of a school friend who now earns his pay, over a dollar per second, by stacking the deck in his company’s favor. When he pulls strings, he reshapes America. Honor his freedom, though it presupposes your own slavery?

Conservative movements also attract their fair share of party robots. These may have attended your lecture, but missed the message. Among these, I include the so-called “followers of Ayn Rand.” (If they “follow” Ayn Rand, they really need to revisit her writings.)

You hope to draw strength from the apparent excesses of the other side. Realize, though, that they win converts when conservatives repress freedom. For example, the conservative plank for “defense of marriage” is not grounded in liberty.

Long ago, a wise man told me, “Lead yourself, you deserve it.” Collectivism — on either side of the political aisle — belongs in the sheep farm.

Yeah, sure “freedom”. As if the public was some idiotic moron. Conservative republicans have smeared minorities, persecuted anyone who dared to question their intentions, not just political rivals but even intellectuals and other critics of their policies, isolated USA from the rest of the world, conspired to get this country more involved in the Middle East’s conflicts, and defend big CEOs bankrupting the country. And they still have the nerves to talk of “individual freedom”. If conservative republicans complain of being “hated”, they got themselves to blame for many of us who dislike them completely. And don’t expect me to say “sorry” to them for writing this. At least Hitler and Stalin were more “honest” than they are now. Sorry Mr. Fico: some truth really hurts.

“Diversity” has caused so much evil at places like MSU that I now despise the very word.

Great letter.

Ahh Mr. Fico…
Your reflections on freedom bring back the by-gone days. Back in the 18th century when the noble idea of freedaom and individual liberty was being conceived. Back when it was offered only to white male European Christian landowners, while at the same time we were slaughtering native Americans, enslaving Africans, denying women any notion of freedom, forcing children to work in horrifying conditions! Yes those were the days! When liberty was a noble condition upon which our nation was founded.

Mr. Fico, is it not possible that our freedom has “matured”? Is it not possible that it is becoming more like REAL freedom? Is it not becoming a freedom that is available to everyone instead of the priveleged few who meet the narrow constraints of the past?
Perhaps we should call it “Cultural Reality”. The fact is that there is strength, both culturally and economically, that results from embracing and celebrating diversity. Good luck with you movement…the rest of the us move forward while you pine for the good old days when “freedom” was not nearly as awesome as it is today!

Liberals are no better than conservatives when it comes to freedom of speech. Both are pig headed and their point of view is the only point of view.

Carry on brothers.

I am not a fan of multiculturalism, cultural relativism or politically correct speech codes; however, I find some of your arguments inconsistent. If, as you assert, “individuals have no rights … under multiculturalism”, I would assume you support the ACLU, the most aggressive defender of the Constitutional rights of individuals. Since there is no Constitutional right to not be offended, the ACLU is probably on your side. You also blame the academic culture for the proposition that the “Western idea of freedom should not be imposed on others”. Three quarters of a century ago, H.L.Mencken wrote “I believe in only one thing: liberty; but I do not believe in liberty enough to want to force it upon anyone”. This sensible and moral ideal has been violated numerous times by neocon fanatics. Opposition to war (even of liberation) is not an infringement of our freedom. Finally, it is distressing when ideologues of any persuasion disrupt civilized discourse, especially at a university or college. One can be tolerant of opposing ideas, even odius ones, provided a rational presentation and discussion of facts is permitted. We don’t need or want “townhall” tactics in the academy.

Funny Ben, I know another guy who hated “diversity”. But he killed himself in a Berlin bunker in 1945 while the Soviet Russian tanks were pounding the German capital. You and me know his name. And “diversity” is the way of the future, whether you like it or not. Get use to it.

Thank you Professor Fico for owning up to your opinions. And I will say, freedom is not an opinion, it is a necessity for the pursuit of happiness.

Definitional democracy is repugnant to the United States Constitution. We are a constitution republic, not a democracy. Say it with me class, we are a constitutional republic not a democracy. We are a constitutional republic, not a democracy.

In a democracy, two wolves and a sheep vote on what’s for dinner.

In a constitutional republic, when the talented elected representatives enact a law that contradicts the constitution, the law is null and void without any action necessary, except for the general public to be literate and understand their nation’s native language. So, be it any surprise that the American English language has been under attack?

Isn’t this entire letter just a justification for neo-Nazis and vitriolic racists to speak on campus by dressing up hate speech with the word “freedom” 18 times and going on and on in attempt to confuse people?

Thought so.

Not Nostalgic and Anonymous have some serious issues. The ideas and concepts of “individual liberty” were conceived in Western (Christian) lands. Was it the duty of these persons to immediately extend them to everyone? Where is the letter do you find any justification for enslavement, slaughter, subjugation and the employment of minors? By the way, if your ancestors slaughtered Indians, enslaved Africans, subjugated women and employed children, please don’t try to drag my ancestors down with them. They were not your ancestors’ co-conspirators. One of the primary points of the article/letter is that guilt trip is yours (and your ancestors’) alone. I will not carry your cross for you. As for Mr. Anon (typical lefty, always ready to invoke Hitler), the best model of multicultural intolerance is not the guy in the bunker (who was dead and gone in a few short years and whose reich vanished just as fast) but the big moustache, Uncle Joe, who lived long, prospered, liquidated tens of millions over three decades, died in his sleep and left a totalitarian regime that would last another 40 years. Where’s your sense of scale? The Chinese Man of the Red Book was also pretty good at leveling, wiping out some 50 million.

Secular Dictatorships?

Please inform me which country has a secular dictatorship.

There’s no difference between liberals and conservatives, it’s like pro sports – there’s a facade of competition to keep the idiots happy but they hang out at the same country club on my tax dollar.

If you really wanted to make a difference you’d do something more worthwhile like be an engineer or scientist.

Ahhh.
“hate speech”.

Excellent.
And I thought I’d have to wait all day to hear those pathetic invictives.

America, you have not disappointed.

“Diversity”, as practiced by the left, is a joke.

True diversity isn’t about race or color. It’s about IDEAS. And the left has proven, once again, that there is absolutely no room for that.

i wonder in what planet this guy “MaximumBob” is living? Obvioulsy he is NOT living in the reality of planet Earth. Yes, “ideas”, but also the diversity identity of so many who lives in thsi USA is something sacred. And that they will not surrender. If they speak another language, they will eventually, given time, learn English to survive. But what makes them Hispanics, African American, Native American, Arab or Iranian Muslim, Jew and Asian is something that must be respected. If some “conservative republicans” are not willing to respect that, don’t complain of future inner tension coming from these people. Get real, please!

Anonymous – as an MSU alum – I can only hope the kind of intellectually bankrupt thinking you espouse isn’t the norm on campus these days.

Of course all ethnicities, religions and cultures should be respected. I didn’t get a hint that the author of this piece didn’t respect others simply because they are different.

His point is that groups of people within the university are muzzling speech – silencing ideas.

It’s okay to offend others – in fact, in many ways, it’s healthy. Open and contentious debate can be the kind of “friendly fire” that keeps people talking and allows for learning.

If students and/or faculty are muzzled – look out. When people have to go underground, that’s when hate groups emerge.

There’s nothing like allowing stupid people to voice their opinions to shine the light of logic on their ignorance. People like you empower those kind of people by shutting them out.

Your contempt of conservatives is palpable. But, consider all the reasons why you hate them so. And then look in the mirror. I bet your behavior is a lot like that you despise…

I just wish someone could show me one instance of conservative thinkers being muzzled on campus… I’ve had econ courses with professors who had a healthy dose of Chicago School in ‘em, for example, and no one ever burst in, shouted, “Keynes, bitch!” and hit ‘em with a stool.

When are conservatives muzzled on campus? I hear their bozo nonsense being parroted all the time, so whoever’s trying to do it isn’t doing a very good job.

That’s a good question, Darth Tom. Look at Indrek Wichman: he got to unfurl his “conservative” anti-Muslim sentiments for all to see by way of that letter to the Muslim Student Association, and all he got was a slap on the wrist.

And now he’s MSU YAF’s new faculty adviser. Is this a great country or what? :D