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Volume CXXXIII, Number 13 |
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Linhart off base
To the Editors:
As members of the Bowdoin College Democrats, we would like to respectfully disagree with Alex Linhart's comments on the alleged lack of conservative faculty on campus. We would also like to commend Professors Hetherington, Laurence, and MacEachern for their insightful contributions to this debate.
As the professors have noted, the supposed lack of conservative thought on campus is not due to any liberal conspiracy. There are simply more liberals because those with graduate degrees are overwhelmingly liberal. In addition, many conservatives seek out jobs in the corporate world rather than settling for less lucrative jobs in academia.
We are outraged that Linhart would bring race into this debate, and we find it rather ironic and hypocritical that he seems to be advocating the use of affirmative action in college hiring practices. If the majority of Republicans oppose affirmative action in general, why should they support it in this case? Affirmative action is in place because certain racial minorities do not have equal access to educational institutions and jobs. In academia, however, conservative faculty members are hardly discriminated against-it is just that there are fewer of them to offer their views.
We believe the vast majority of professors are responsible enough to insure that their own political biases do not adversely affect the way they teach. There is no easy litmus test to find out professors' political beliefs without violating their privacy. In fact, we would argue that it would be offensive and inappropriate to inquire about a potential professor's political beliefs. Professors should be hired based upon their academic prowess, not based upon ideology. Similarly, it would be absurd to ask prospective students to disclose on their applications what their political beliefs are. Students should be admitted based on whether they are qualified, not to fill some sort of quota based on ideology.
We would also like to point out that while Linhart contends that "in 2002 around 43 percent of the population identified with the Republican Party," Bowdoin is not necessarily representative of the national political spectrum. We believe that the overwhelming majority of students here are moderate to liberal, so it is only natural that the faculty would have relatively few conservative members. Modern conservatives often have very simplified world views and see things in black and white. For instance, President Bush portrays other nations as either "with or against us." Modern liberalism advocates a much more balanced view of the world, and we believe most students prefer this more complex perspective.
Bowdoin has few conservative professors simply due to the fact that academics tend to be liberal. As Linhart himself noted, conservatives are hardly rare in America, and this country in recent years has drifted further to the right, making liberals the ones who feels oppressed. Academic institutions are havens where liberals and conservatives alike are free to speak their minds. Every point of view should be examined and respected, but as Professor Hetherington noted, getting more conservatives into academia is a matter the political right, not college administrations, must address.
Sincerely,
Bowdoin College Democrats
Morgan Connelly '07
Alex Cornell Du-Houx '06
Benjamin Kreider '05
Erica Maloney '07
Molly McCarter '06
Jean O'Friel '07
Peter Rocco '07
Tom Rodrigues '06
Kelly Rula '07
Alec Schley '06
Brook Shaffer '07
Charlie Ticotsky '07
Rebecca Wood '06
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