Worthless

Today's rant is sponsored by the jack booted left, thanks for clogging my in box like so many people clog a toilet after a night of drinking

"Hello,

My name is ******* ******, I am a field organizer for the Free Exchange
on
Campus Coalition (a network of faculty, student, and civil liberties
groups
working to preserve the free exchange of ideas on college campuses).
Dr.
****** ****** directed me to your department with the hope that you
all
may have some input.

We are working to gather faculty and students in opposition to HB 213,
the
so-called "intellectual diversity" bill. In order to gain some media
attention, we are planning an event for the week following spring break.
We're thinking a mock protest, taking the implications of the bill to
the
extreme (for example, protesting a Physics 101 course because it teaches
only the "theory" of gravity without presenting any alternative
theories).

Are there any theater students who may be interested in this issue and
would
be willing to help us navigate this "street theater" approach?

I would appreciate any help or contacts you could offer. I look forward
to
speaking with you."

Alright, so what is HB 213, was it along the same lines as the text book sticker in Cobb County back home? (http://www.cnn.com/2005/LA
W/01/13/evolution.textbook
s.ruling/, granted I think the judge came up with the correct ruling, but by the wrong means.)

No, its a bit different, and it is rather short:
"Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:

Section A. Chapter 173, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be known as section 173.057, to read as follows:

173.057. 1. The provisions of this section shall be known and cited as the "Emily Brooker Intellectual Diversity Act". As used in this section, "intellectual diversity" is defined as the foundation of a learning environment that exposes students to a variety of political, ideological, religious, and other perspectives, when such perspectives relate to the subject matter being taught or issues being discussed.

2. The coordinating board for higher education shall require each public institution to report annually to the general assembly detailing the steps the institution is taking to ensure intellectual diversity and the free exchange of ideas.

(1) The report required in this subsection shall address the specific measures taken by the institution to ensure and promote intellectual diversity and academic freedom. The report may include steps taken by the institution to:

(a) Conduct a study to assess the current state of intellectual diversity on its campus;

(b) Incorporate intellectual diversity into institution statements, grievance procedures, and activities on diversity;

(c) Encourage a balanced variety of campus-wide panels and speakers and annually publish the names of panelists and speakers;

(d) Establish clear campus policies that ensure that hecklers or threats of violence do not prevent speakers from speaking;

(e) Include intellectual diversity concerns in the institution's guidelines on teaching and program development;

(f) Include intellectual diversity issues in student course evaluations;

(g) Develop hiring, tenure, and promotion policies that protect individuals against viewpoint discrimination and track any reported grievances in that regard;

(h) Establish clear campus policies to ensure freedom of the press for students and report any incidents of student newspaper thefts or destruction;

(i) Establish clear campus policies to prohibit viewpoint discrimination in the distribution of student fee funds;

(j) Develop methods for disseminating best practices to ensure that conflicts between personal beliefs and classroom assignments that may contradict such beliefs can be resolved in a manner that achieves educational objectives without requiring a student to act against his or her conscience;

(k) Eliminate any speech codes that restrict the freedom of speech; or

(l) Create an institutional ombudsman on intellectual diversity.

(2) The report shall be distributed to the members of the general assembly no later than December thirty-first of each year, beginning in 2008.

(3) The report shall be posted on each public higher education institution's web site.

3. Each public higher education institution shall ensure that students are notified that measures to promote intellectual diversity are in place and how to report alleged violations of policy."
http://www.house.mo.gov/bi
lls071/biltxt/intro/HB0213
I.htm

I really support this view for a few reasons.

Facts are immovable pieces of truth, example:
Fact: We don't float off the Earth
Theory: Gravity
Yup, its a theory with a great deal of evidence behind it, but we still aren't sure what it is, how it works and what it does. We can just see the effects of it.

We do not want to teach scientific theories as facts because it prompts stagnation. And the moment you quit moving forward, you get run over. I want students to understand the amount we don't know vastly outweighs what we do know and maybe they'll be inspired and do something smart.

So, liberal thugs who want to cripple the educational systems of this nation by indoctrinating rather then teaching under the pretext of not wanting to confuse children, give the kids a bit more credit. Hell, they may even be smarter then you.

I find it ironic, the more 'open minded' a person is, the more unwilling they are to listen.

~A Moderate Thug
Yup, this is the rant I took my name from