Easy Come, Easy Go - Opinions
Who is John Ibbitson and why does he call himself a journalist?
Because he was on The Agenda last night speaking out against academic freedom.
It's true. A real live journalist, going by the name, John Ibbitson, was on The Agenda last night speaking out against academic freedom.
The show was in two parts, Part 1 was about a Professor Dossa or somesuch who went to a Holocaust Deniers' Conference in Iran. Part 2 was about an attempt by a couple of teachers to put forward a motion to their union to have Israel vs. the Palestinians added to the public school curriculum.
Now, by way of full disclosure, I have to admit that I had an opinion regarding both instances prior to the show. And my opinion on each was reversed by the end.
That's because of one Professor Stan Fish. He was right. I was wrong. In fact, I realized, I didn't even agree with myself at the time I held the opinions that I did. Sure, if I had Professor Fish living in my head - I would have known this. But I don't. So it took listening to his opinions to change mine.
It took listening to John Ibbitson's opinions to NOT change my opinion that rightwingers are stupid and should not be allowed out in public.
Now, I didn't pay much attention to the Holocaust Deniers' Conference in Iran. I mean, I wasn't surprised that Iran would hold an HDC (that's short for "Holocaust Deniers' Conference", dear reader - "HoloDeCon"). Afterall, Iran's President once wrote an 18-page letter to America's most illiterate President ever, George W. Bush. Plus, he's crazy. A real whackjob. Nutso facto. The President of Iran, I mean. Not George W. Bush. He's just stupid.
And I wasn't surprised that a couple of Orthodox Jews would have everybody's tongues wagging because they attended the Conference, either. All the other Orthodox Jews I haven't met seem pretty "out there", too. That's why I haven't met them, I guess. How would I meet one? I'm unclean for two weeks of every month and a radical leftwing feminist for the other two.
Nor, dear reader, was I surprised that a Professor or two attended the Conference. Professor Dossa, even, to give a paper. That's not because I know thing one about Professor Dossa, because I don't - I'm just not surprised that the odd Professor, and odd Professors, might want to attend such an event. Even give a paper at one.
But whereas I would have thought it within the rights of his University to fire him for attending such an event (thereby lending it credence and impugning the reputation of his employer, the University), Professor Fish convinced me that academic freedom took precedence and that firing someone for such a thing is absolutely the wrong thing to do.
He's right, of course. Because if academics have to fear losing their jobs in pursuit of whatever Professor Dossa was pursuing, then there really is no thing as academic freedom and it's all just a bunch of talk not backed up by action. Democracy, I mean. Freedom. And we may as well be living in whatever fascist regime John Ibbitson would seemingly prefer.
As a journalist, at least. I don't know what he'd prefer as a human being. He appears to reek of privilege, so I assume - order. And lots of it. Applied to the lower classes.
Meanwhile, with regards to Part 2, I had thought, "Well, why not? What are we so afraid of that we can't discuss Israel in the context of Palestinians, that we must keep this important discussion out of the classroom?"
Professor Fish, whatever he said (it's terrible - but I can only ever remember the outcome, never how I got there), convinced me that the classroom was, indeed, the very place to keep such discussions out of - in order to protect academic freedom. That to include such a topic in the curriculum would be a violation of academia as it would introduce political bias into the classroom - where political bias absolutely should not be.
I like that. And it's pretty clear that the very attempt to introduce the motion to the union was political and the content so politically biased that there is no way even the best teacher could impart the subject matter - academically. And while I realize that part of the reason for this whole exercise (which was picketed by B'nai Brith, by the way - the union meeting - along with a telephone campaign aimed at teachers with a view to having the motion defeated, and some teachers in tears, reportedly) was an attempt to balance the equation due to the perception by many (of us) that Israel is treated deferentially in the news and in politics - attempts at balance should not be done in the classroom.
Naturally, John Ibbitson liked that one. Probably not for the same reasons as I did. More likely because he believes Israel to be good, like truffles. The Palestinians, not so good, like grits. Although, I may be giving him too much simile credit.
So, there you go. I changed two opinions because, as I realize, much to my surprise, my belief in academic freedom trumps my political leanings. It's a religious thing, I guess, for me now. Freedom is Gawd. Or something like that.
Meanwhile, as I was watching the show, my mind wandered a bit as it is prone to doing (I mean - c'mon - the topic was "Academic Freedom") and no sooner had I put a name to my new religion than I thought, "Now, am I just being contrary with all this "Freedom is Gawd" nonsense?"
Because it IS possible that my opinions have nothing to do with "Freedom is Gawd" and everything to do with the fact that I just can't stand the stupidness of rightwing arguments. Is it me? Or are they all just based on race? Particularly this whole Middle East thing - which was really the bottom line of both Parts 1 and 2 of the academic freedom segment on The Agenda last night. I mean, I figure rightwingers support Israel, not just because it has the same sort of rightwing government as does the United States and now Canada - which they like - but because all the Jews they know are white. And let's face it - all the Muslims they don't know, aren't white.
Same goes for me. All the Jews I know are white. And all the Muslims I don't know are brown. Arabs, to be exact.
Arab taxi drivers, terrorists and terrorist suspects.
So am I just "counter-balancing" to deny my tribal instincts? Just as the two teachers were attempting to "counter-balance" their perception (and mine) that our news and politics is unfairly biased in favour of Israel? Or have I - as a feminist - successfully trumped my tribal instincts with intelligence to come to the genuine realization that "Freedom is Gawd"?
I mean, I find almost all rightwing opinions appallingly racist and tribal and their rightwing opinion holders quite willing to deny themselves and others academic freedom - heck - freedom of any kind. Although, I don't read them very carefully. Still, I really don't want to be like that, so it IS possible my opinions are just "counter-balanced" to not be stupid. Like John Ibbitson's.
Whatever. Tomorrow's entry is already in my head so before I forget how I got there - I'm writing here and now - it involves Danielle Crittendon (den?) and her stupid rightwing opinions.
