The whole thing is excellent, but one phrase in particular is an absolute knockout.
"This year I was asked by a student group to participate in a debate on modern feminism. Though I am not hotly engaged in the subject, I agreed and waited for confirmation, thinking it might be fun to consider a women's movement that has never graduated from sisterhood to motherhood. There followed several emails apologizing for the delay and finally a message acknowledging that no one could be found to take the pro-feminist side. "
"Evidently, one of those asked had responded: "What is there to debate?"
"No wonder those who admit no legitimate opposition to their ideas feel duty-bound to shut down unwelcome speakers."
Isn't that the root of the problem?
What is there to debate?
The science is settled!
As Kate says "What's the opposite of diversity? University!"
More related thoughts on the lack of actual diversity on campus, in business and otherwise in this short essay from The American Thinker "The Left Embraces Blacklisting".
It really does bother me that extreme leftists never have to worry about their careers being affected by their political opinion or activism. Extreme leftists are never considered loose cannons by HR departments, and those searching Google for juicy tidbits about candidates. Only conservatives have these "fears".
DEAR READER, FEAR NOT.
They can't fire everyone all the time.
And who are "they" anyway?
"Conservatives
must be prepared at any moment to lose a job, a client, a patient, a
contract or business opportunity because of their religious, political
or moral views. When applying for jobs, we will have to endure the
equivalent of a full body cavity search -- only it will be a thorough
examination of our religious and political views with the “thought
police” combing through our conversations, phone calls, emails, and blog
posts. They’ve already effectively banned some of “our” books, but I
wonder how long before they start burning them: The Bible, Milton
Friedman’s Capitalism and Freedom, Friedrich Hayek’s The Road to Serfdom, The Federalist Papers, William F. Buckley’s God and Man at Yale."
"It
is what we think, write and discuss that is the true enemy of their
will to power. At first they destroy our ability to assemble, discuss
and disseminate our ideas. Then, it becomes more expedient to destroy
the host for those ideas, values, beliefs and principles."
Mark Steyn, PBUH, says-with respect to the jihadis "they'll have to kill us all".
If more people had balls about their own G-d given right to have an opinion, "they" would have to fire us all.
Opinions, freedom of opinion, freedom of speech are critical to a free society.
I can't even count the number of people who write to me who think/know/suspect they will be fired if their political opinions became public. That's upsetting and enraging.
If you can't talk about an idea, in an alleged democracy then you really are not free.
You may not be able to change the world, but you can change the way you manage the bullies and the soft totalitarians.
If "they" come to you and ask:
What is there to debate?
You say: PLENTY.
If not, the thought police are living rent free in your head.
That's a dangerous and horrible way to live and it ENABLES the dark forces.
I used to blog anonymously for that reason, but then someone threatened to 'out' me. And that was it.
You want to 'out' me? Here I am. You know what happened? Nothing.
What is there to debate?
A HELL OF A LOT.
So stuff that in your bong and smoke it.
What kind of a life is it living in silence, muffled, stiffing every joke, every comment and every opinion for fear of offending?
Not the life I want to live.
Not ever.
Ever.
And I won't.
You shouldn't either.
