Bill filed in Florida to stifle professors and dialogue.

[madfloridian]

This is another step on the road to Bush's Managed Democracy....see the article by Robert Parry I posted below.

We ignore people like Baxley at our peril. Also he is a trusted friend of Jeb.

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050225/NEWS/502250344/1134

TALLAHASSEE -- SNIP..."Battling what he calls a "quiet prejudice" against conservative views on university campuses, a Florida lawmaker is proposing a "bill of rights" that some claim is an effort to stifle the academic freedoms the bill seeks to protect.

Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, filed House Bill 837 after he attended a meeting last year in St. Louis where well-known conservative activist David Horowitz railed against liberal biases on campus toward professors and students.

The bill borrows heavily from a template used in similar bills filed nationwide with the help of Horowitz's group, Students for Academic Freedom.

House Bill 837 promises to protect "free inquiry and free speech within the academic community." A portion of the bill says that students should not have their academic freedom "infringed upon by instructors who persistently introduce controversial matter into the classroom that has no relation to the subject of study and serves no legitimate pedagogical purpose." Baxley said that simply means a science professor should stick to that topic and not let any digressions into other matters affect the class...."

"The bill's odds of success are unknown, but they're aided by Baxley's sponsorship. He is the chair of the House's Education Council. And earlier this week, Gov. Jeb Bush said Baxley was one of his closest allies in the Legislature....."END SNIP

On Edit: Forgot the link to Bush and the Rise of Managed Democracy.
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2005/021205.html

[HereSince1628]

1. The whole problem for conservatives is that education informs

people. Good education shows multiple sides and variations in the middle.

Conservatives with their black and white reality just aren't psychologically ready for that.

[Synnical]

2. " introduce controversial matter into the classroom"

And I'd bet they'd consider evolution controversial . . .

Not good.

[Canuckistanian]

3. Who are they to determine what's relevant?

Ihave to agree that professors rambling on about their personal beliefs in class may be counterproductive, but LEGISLATING what can and can't be taught is a very dangerous precedent.

Hasn't this been tried before? Like in Germany in the 1930's? Hmmm?

[punpirate]

4. Well, Horowitz couldn't very well name...

... his group "Old Right-Wing Men for Academic Suppression," could he? There's no such thing as truth in advertising for those folks.... :grr:

[ClintonTyree]

5. In other words..................

another attempt to suppress the truth. Yeah, we wouldn't want our College graduates pushing off into life armed with the TRUTH, now would we? :eyes:

It wouldn't really matter. The Florida educational system is a running joke anyway. A Bachelor's degree from a Florida State University isn't looked upon by the private sector as much more than an Associates Degree. Florida is notorious for having one of the nation's worst educational systems.

All apologies to any DUers with diplomas from Florida, but I call 'em as I sees 'em. :shrug:

[madfloridian]

6. I don't know the present status, but that is just not true as a rule.

I am a retired teacher, and I know the school system here is broken. I know that since Jeb came in 1998, that even the colleges have been under attack in various ways.

However, though, I attended Stetson and FSC, I had family members graduate from UF and FSU through the years. The UF degrees in engineering were once highly respected and accepted for higher degrees at out of state universities.

Please do not make such blanket statements which come across as insults. I don't know about now, but I know about how then.

[madfloridian]

7. Horowitz group is trying to do this in TN as well. Restrict campus speech

I wonder what other states? Looks like it is nationwide.
I apologize for linking to Front Page, but that is where the article is.
http://frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=17114
SNIP.."CHATTANOOGA — A move to create a bill of rights for college students, protecting them from political or religious ''indoctrination'' by faculty members, is part of a larger nationwide push by a conservative group.

Bills filed in the state House and Senate are similar to legislation proposed in at least 20 states and based on ideals backed by Students for Academic Freedom, a Washington, D.C.-based student network founded by conservative activist David Horowitz.

It's intended to ''uphold the presence of multisided academic debate on our campuses,'' said Rep. Stacey Campfield, R-Knoxville, a sponsor of the House bill.

''Most campuses are very liberal, and professors are ashamedly not very open-minded toward our point of view,'' he said. ''When somebody speaks up, a lot of times it ends up costing the student their grade.''