If You're Not Liberal In Liberal Arts

Here at IUPUI I'm fairly lucky that the people I regularly deal with are polite, nice people who treat me with respect despite my libertarian (and other) views that are contrary to their belief system. Note that I said 'belief system' and not 'politics.' That's the way I see the fervent liberalism and progressivism that is almost ubiquitous in higher education. Their liberalism and progressivism is their ultimate concern, their religion as Rudolph Otto had defined it. So it is no surprise to me that these otherwise intelligent, highly educated people I deal with hold beliefs (e.g. "The 2004 presidential election in Ohio was stolen by the Republicans! Bush said Iraq was involved in 9/11 to get us into war!") that have no basis in reality but still are 'true' and 'right.' This means that those who don't hold these beliefs are 'wrong.'

I've seen the attitude held by HEL's (Higher Education Liberals) evolve from bemused tolerance of the conservative or libertarian who is obviously not that intelligent ("Any smart person would have the same beliefs as I! I feel sorry for the weak-minded fool.") to, on the part of some, hostility ("People who don't belief as I do are haters because Liberalism wants whats best for everyone! I don't want to have anything to do with haters!") Now, thanks to race being injected into the politics surrounding Obama, it's a quick step from being a 'hater' opposed to Liberal/Progressive Democrat ideas to being a 'racist' by not supporting Obama and his liberal/progressive ideas. And we all know that racism is evil and we should confront and punish evil:

Politics prompted her assault, Augsburg student says

In part:

An Augsburg College student and Sarah Palin supporter from Alaska was beaten on election night while walking to her dorm and was called a racist by a group of four young women because she had on a McCain/Palin presidential campaign button

I predict we'll see more acceptance of the notion that opposition to Obama is racist. And of course racism is not to be tolerated in any way, shape, or form in higher education!

I wonder if, by criticizing Obama, I'll end up in a 'counseling' session mandated by our Affirmative Action office?

h/t Power Line