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November 07, 2005

Academic McCarthyism

Professor "Rats Out" Conservative PhD Candidate; Finds The Candidate's Expression of Views To Be "Contrary To the Spirit Of Free Inquiry," Which Means, It Seems, Absolutely Kow-Towing to the Leftist/Marxist Academic Party Line

Pretty disgraceful:

For those of you who haven’t been following the story as it makes its way around the blogosphere, Info-Theory’s Paul Deignan, a PhD student, was the victim of a “retaliatory” attack by a professor who didn’t appreciate Paul’s insinuating himself into a blog thread on the leftwing academic blog, Bitch PhD [this being a leftwing site, the administrator has removed the exchange in question; Paul saved it here]. Evidently, Paul’s attempt to debate civilly was regarded as beyond the pale. Notes the good professor in a comment on Paul’s blog, “Your behavior is highly unprofessional. If the shoe was on the other foot—if I were disruptive and unprofessional on a right wing site, I’d expect to be called on it. But I don’t troll conservative academic sites. It would be unprofessional to disrupt their discussions and contrary to the spirit of free enquiry—liberal values you seem to be unfamiliar with” [my emphasis].
In the world of the academy (in the humanities, in particular), anything that doesn’t echo established leftist orthodoxies is considered an “attack”—and not surprisingly, this professor took Paul’s criticisms as “contrary to the spirit of free enquiry” (which, sadly, has been twisted to mean “freedom from criticism"). To remedy this, the professor took it upon himself to call Paul’s faculty dissertation advisor (at a different school) to let him know—as a professional courtesy, you see—of Paul’s alleged poor form (which a review of the evidence will show consisted of nothing more than his arguing his positions quite civilly). This, after calling Paul both “a lunatic” and “homely” in an email.

Such is an absolutely unconscionable misuse of power. Further, it as an intentional effort to ruin Paul’s academic career. And because it was done explicitly to punish Paul for his social and political views on the legality of abortion (all of this took place in the context of a debate over Alito’s nomination), it is intellectual McCarthyism at its most baldfaced and cowardly.

"Lunatic." "Homely." I see the sort of civility and airy intellectual give-and-take this Guardian Against the Corruption of Innocent Liberal Minds is cultivating.

Naked Testicle Spiderman has the douchebag's email address, in case you want to say hello. And contact information for his boss, too, in case you'd like to weigh in.

Keep the stuff to the boss reasonable and profanity free.

posted by Ace at 03:23 PM

Comments

Thanks, Ace.

And to your commenters, if you have second, please contact professor Wally Hettle's Dept Chair to let him know that you find such behavior reprehensible.

The University of Northern Iowa history dept. chair is Dr. Robert Martin. He can be reached here: Robert.Martin@uni.edu.

Posted by: Jeff G on November 7, 2005 03:37 PM

So, we shouldn't bombard him with photos of The Naked Testicle Spideyman?

Posted by: on November 7, 2005 03:43 PM

It's interesting that, although many posters called Paul a troll, they were the ones delivering the profanity and the cheap shots, just like the trolls on this and many other right wing sites.

Paul was perfectly civil. He didn't deserve to be banned, let alone attacked by Hettle.

Also, did you notice the webmaster's emotional/intellectual insecurity when she characterized Paul as 'determined to show how much smarter he is than the lady professor'? This woman clearly has some issues.

Posted by: fasterplease on November 7, 2005 04:16 PM

But I don’t troll conservative academic sites.

cause he can't find any?

Posted by: Dave in Texas on November 7, 2005 04:38 PM

Why punish this guy any further? He already has to get up & go to work at the "University" of Northern Iowa. That's "NORTHERN" Iowa, not Iowa State or Iowa. Sure, they put Bryce Paup & Kurt Warner in the NFL, but I don't think any graduates of the UNI history department have been showing up on the weekend talking head shows.

Posted by: Russ from Winterset on November 7, 2005 06:25 PM

For those toiling in the graduate student salt mines, check out Iowahawk's comment on the protein wisdom thread.

Funny, and scary, cuz it's true.

Posted by: Knemon on November 7, 2005 06:29 PM

So, Ace, about tomorrow -- is it going to be live or Memorex?

Posted by: on November 7, 2005 06:30 PM

Nobody has noted that Paul misused "your"/"you're" on his first post. PhD candidate? Boy, how the bar has been lowered.

Yeah, yeah, I know, just a comment on a Web site. Whatever.

Posted by: rho on November 7, 2005 07:06 PM

After I read the "non-harrassment" policy of my grad school I decided to stop blogging all together. If I use the acronym "BC" instead of "BCE" in a paper, I can be punished for offending the sensibilities of non-Christians. It is absolutely ridiculous. If I didn't have to get the degree to keep my job I would drop it in a New York minute.

Posted by: Dacotti on November 7, 2005 07:18 PM

Professor Wally is an interesting character. I like the book he wrote about how the Civil War-era Democrats were really Republicans in disguise.

Posted by: ArrMatey on November 7, 2005 08:13 PM

Dacotti, hang in there. (That's what I keep telling myself, anyway). He who laughs last ...

Posted by: Knemon on November 7, 2005 09:38 PM

Freedom of expression is limited by what is offensive to those in power, and those in power in academia are left-wing extremists at best, somewhere left of communism at worst (you know, like Pol Pot and Uncle Joe). Academic freedom and academic freedom of expression have nothing to do with being able to express a contrarian view.

Even if the "contrarian view" is expressed as an example, the person expressing such a view is roundly criticized. Just ask the poor sucker from "Hawved" who had the gall to use a theoretical example of (gasp) men being better than women (double gasp) in certain disciplines! Not that he said they were, but that he said WHAT IF THEY ARE? Such heresy cannot and will not be tolerated by absolute dictatorships.

And in answer to rho, yes, academic standards have been lowered. That's what happens when grades are thrown out or rendered meaningless, and when entry requirements are lowered to allow "diversity".

Posted by: Carlos on November 7, 2005 09:50 PM

Russ-

Sure, they put Bryce Paup & Kurt Warner in the NFL, but I don't think any graduates of the UNI history department have been showing up on the weekend talking head shows.

Well, Warner did learn enough to stock shelves at the grocery store...

Posted by: scott on November 8, 2005 07:34 AM

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