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Tag Archives: politics
Charlottesville, Boston, Berkeley and the Desecration of the First Amendment
August 19, 2017 Speaking my mind today may be impolitic. However, because what I fear most is the silence following the premature death of the First Amendment, speak I must. I am reminded of Paul’s recital of his unblemished pedigree: … Continue reading
Posted in critical thinking, language, politics
Tagged definition, discrimination, First Amendment, free speech, history, language, politics, word
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Erasing History: The 2017 Version
“In February 1948, the Communist leader Klement Gottwald stepped out on to the balcony of a Baroque palace in Prague to harangue hundreds of thousands of citizens massed in Old Town Square. That was the great turning point in the … Continue reading
Posted in education, history, language, literature, politics
Tagged Communism, education, First Amendment, history, identity, Kundera, Liu Xiaobo, Orwell, politics, truth
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Choices, Choices: The Quandaries and the Quagmire of Identity Politics
My 56-mile commute to and from work has spawned the bad habit of scrolling through my emails at stoplights. A few days ago, I made a mental note to return to an article whose provocative title I noted only briefly; it … Continue reading
Biology, Destiny, and the Politics of Dys-
I am aware that when Freud pronounced his now-vilified dictum of biological determinism, “anatomy is destiny,” he was referring specifically to sexuality, which is not my subject here–at least not my only subject. However, because I like to be well … Continue reading
Posted in language, politics, sexuality
Tagged definition, disability, discrimination, identity, issue, language, meaning, politics, race, sex
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E Plebnista: A Sardonic Meditation on American Greatness
Twenty long days have passed since I last put thoughts to words and words to (virtual) paper. I have not written about the gleeful euphoria with which I anticipated the election of 2016, the exquisite pain with which I learned of … Continue reading
Sticks, Stones, and Mayhem in the Marketplace of Ideas
In a lifetime of writing, I have spent many grueling hours perfecting the art of the compelling introduction–to say nothing of the time spent crafting clever and thought-provoking titles. For my current topic, however, I am afraid that I have … Continue reading
Posted in education, history, language
Tagged campus speech, education, First Amendment, free speech, Hentoff, history, language, politics, speech codes, trigger warnings, word, writing
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Where There’s Smoke
At the beginning of this month, I received an email from one of my online students. She told me that she was confused about an assignment and needed some help. “I can go to the learning lab,” she continued, “but the … Continue reading
Bathroom Words
Since March 23, North Carolina has been embroiled in a war of words about the so-called “bathroom bill,” House Bill 2, whose most controversial—and, notably, most innocuous—provision states, “Local boards of education [and public agencies] shall require every multiple occupancy bathroom … Continue reading