By R. Michael Urban, III
It’s a question that is on the minds of conservative students who attend classes at colleges and universities nationwide: In the age of wokeness, am I really able to receive an unbiased, quality education? Conservative students have good reason to ponder this question. Whether it is oppressing the freedom of speech, professors who encourage death towards conservative speakers, pushing the philosophically flawed concept of transgenderism, or vandalizing the promotion of conservative-themed events; one thing is for certain: Conservative values and students are under attack while hatred and bias from the Left is on full display.
All of these factors make it difficult, and in some cases, nearly impossible for a conservative student to receive an unbiased, quality college education during the age of wokeness.
At Stanford University, Tirien Steinbach, the Dean of Law, aggressively and publicly opposed the speaking event of Trump-appointed Circuit Judge, Stuart Kyle Duncan. The opposition and heckling from the opposition grew to the point where Judge Duncan could no longer continue speaking. This is extremely problematic. Guests who came to hear conservative viewpoints and ideas were denied that right because of opposition from the radical Left.
For some in academia, however, silencing a speaker who shares opposing views is simply not enough. The previously mentioned incident involving Steinbach is a clear and concise example of a protest, but how far will the radical Left go in their hatred towards conservatism?
Dr. Steven Shaviro, a professor at Wayne State University located in Michigan has recently been suspended after authoring a Facebook post that has been deleted, stating that “Although I do not advocate violating federal and state criminal codes, I think it is far more admirable to kill a racist, homophobic speaker than it is to shout them down.”
It is shameful, grotesque, and irreprehensible that such language would come from a college professor. Just because someone shares an opposing viewpoint does not make them a racist or homophobic person. If a student is not able to express opposing views in a college classroom then that student’s education is at risk of being compromised because a college classroom is the one place where students should be able to engage in civil debates over opposing viewpoints.
Wellesley College, an all-woman’s college in Massachusetts recently passed a student referendum that would allow all transgender and nonbinary prospective students to apply for admission. Additionally, the college’s gender policy, as found on their website is accepting towards those who “live as women and consistently identify as women.” So, by incorporating logic, it is safe to say that Wellesley College is no longer an all-woman’s college. In stating its reasoning for the above-mentioned, Stacey Schmeidel, Director of Media Relations asserts that “the College will continue to engage all students, including transgender male and nonbinary students, in the important work of building an inclusive academic community where everyone feels they belong.” Once again, the radical left is pushing the notion that feelings hold more substantive value than facts. In this instance, the biological fact remains true: men cannot become women and women cannot become men, but to appease feelings, Wellesley College, like so many other institutions are compromising long-standing values in order to appease those who suffer from gender dysphoria.
Conservative students are expected by those on the radical left to accept the things that are impossible to accept on the basis of fact and logic, yet interfere with opposition as it directly relates to any opposing position or viewpoint. This is no different when a conservative speaker comes to speak at a campus. There are many examples to reference as it concerns the opposition and vandalism, all because leftists feel threatened at the thought of hearing and embracing a new idea. When Conservative speaker Matt Walsh was scheduled to visit the University of Wisconsin at Madison, university property was spray painted with the words “Trans women are women.” When Daily Wire host Michael Knowles spoke to an audience at Purdue University, he was met with extreme opposition, being called a fascist. But it did not end there, students actually hosted a drag show on campus to protest his appearance. Ripping down posters, silencing speakers, and causing disturbances, are just a few examples of commonplace occurrences when the radical left feels threatened over ideas and values that are simply not their own.
Conservative students face many challenges in the face of bias and hateful wokeness, and it can easily affect the quality of education one receives when these instances are so prevalent. However, with determination, dedication, and persistence, the fight can be won.
