Diversity, like equality of opportunity, is one of those positively valued, ‘sacred cow’ concepts in higher education. Yes, some have criticized it for only encompassing racial, ethnic and gender identity, not ideological persuasion. Others have objected that diversity is a vehicle for brainwashing students with liberal values. Nevertheless, the concept has survived in almost every
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“The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.” According to a recent report of the National Association of Scholars, this line (from Yeats’ apocalyptic poem The Second Coming) may be a fitting description of what kind of citizens are being produced by American universities today. The 525-page report—“Making Citizens: How
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The Organization of American Historians (OAH) has responded to the Trump presidency in a manner showing all the seriousness and bravery its thousands of members can muster: a lecture series univocally condemning Donald Trump and the nation they blame for electing him. One thing the announcement has in great abundance is self-importance: The OAH Distinguished
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One thing the same-sex marriage debate has done is shine a light on why marriage is even worth arguing about. If it is just about loving couples, forget it. But it is not just about that; it is about children. After decades of “soul mate” marriage, it has been brought to our attention again that
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Many Americans today are troubled by the anger, disrespect, and ignorant attitudes they see in the younger generations. Unfortunately, these attitudes often spill over in violent protests and other inappropriate actions. Such was the case last fall in Loudon County, Virginia when a group of five teenagers defaced the historic, one-room “Ashburn Colored School” with
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Hans Rosling, the Swedish doctor and professor who saved countless lives in the world’s poorest countries (and gave many TED talks), died yesterday of pancreatic cancer. Last December, Nature had an interesting feature with him, discussing his life’s work. Rosling was an antidote to uninformed pessimism. As Nature noted: Rosling’s charm appeals to those frustrated by the persistence of myths about the
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