Campus News

Published by

Clarissa

May 27, 2016

Today work email and social networks brought the following insights from my hugely Liberal colleagues:

Evolution is just a matter of opinion.
Rauner is the hero of the people of Illinois.
Rauner is the best.
Rauner is totally the best.
Women who abort are still immoral.

I’m sure there are people on campus who espouse other points of view. Maybe I will even hear from them at some point in time. I mean, it’s only been seven years. That’s no time at all for raging liberalism to manifest itself.

And now please excuse me, I need to go listen to some recordings of Bernie’s speeches to make myself feel less alienated.

P.S. This is a sarcastic post, in case anybody is wondering.

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14 responses to “Campus News”

Stringer Bell

May 27, 2016

What makes them ‘hugely liberal’? It’s like words don’t have meaning anymore.

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1. Clarissa
  
  May 27, 2016
  
  This was a sarcastic post. People keep insisting that US academia is this extremely liberal space where conservatives are silenced and persecuted. I keep asking for specific postal addresses of these extremely liberal campuses but there is silence. I just want to see one before I retire.
  
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AcademicLurker

May 27, 2016

1 and 5 are standard conservative fare and unsurprising. But it’s weird the people working at the very institution Rauner is working 24/7 to destroy would think that he’s great.

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Shakti

May 27, 2016

But it’s weird the people working at the very institution Rauner is working 24/7 to destroy would think that he’s great.
Maybe these people are being subsidized by spousal or family money so they don’t care so much about Rauner’s shenanigans. Is there a department break down of these professors who are so conservative? I know with some disciplines, professors regularly can consult on the side or outside so if the university goes to hell, who cares?

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1. Clarissa
  
  May 27, 2016
  
  People are buying into the narrative that we don’t have a budget because evil Democrats are somehow magically preventing Rauner from signing a budget. People are very tribal. They’ve been voting Republican forever, and they will disregard every fact in front of them to sustain the habitual narrative of evil Democrats and saintly Republicans. I tried breaking through that but it’s useless. And this is the same for people who are completely dependent on the university and, most importantly, the university’s health insurance. Tribal allegiances trump material concerns any time. Unfortunately. 😦 Rauner is a fanatical anti-abortionist, so people are prepared to go without health insurance to support him. It’s fucking crazy, that’s what it is.
  
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  1. Colleague
    
    May 27, 2016
    
    Same experience. In spite of us not getting an infliation adjustment to our salaries, let alone a raise, since Rauner got elected, he is still very popular and much admired. Never underestimate people’s capacity to delude themselves.
    
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    1. Clarissa
      
      May 27, 2016
      
      Yes, they believe that since he made millions for himself, somehow that will trickle down and he’ll make us all rich.
      
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Anonymous

May 27, 2016

Please tell me you shot back another angry email in response.

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1. Clarissa
  
  May 27, 2016
  
  Yeah, I wrote back about the whole “evolution is a matter of opinion” deal. But it’s tiresome because it’s always the same thing. And then I have students who parrot this “But that’s my opinion!” whenever any of their preconceived notions are challenged.
  
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  1. Pen
    
    May 27, 2016
    
    “And then I have students who parrot this “But that’s my opinion!” whenever any of their preconceived notions are challenged.”
    
    -I usually respond to these people with something along the lines of “your opinion is wrong–best stick to the facts.” The evidence for evolution is so overwhelming and internally consistent it’s ridiculous–these people need to take a biology course.
    
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Barbara

May 27, 2016

You could tell your colleagues that you are busy working and that you are not being paid to discuss these sorts of matters. I frankly don’t think anything is to be gained by responding to each individual crazy notion, a blanket, all-purpose rejection should do it.

Whatever your answer is, repeat, repeat, repeat. In cases like this, repeating the same words over and over is essential. It sends the message that you do not think the recipient worthy of the time it would take to come up with novel responses to each of their emails (well, maybe they will not be smart enough to recognize that as an insult), and it also shows you were so serious about the first thing you said that you can not top it or add anything to it.

Because I don’t think you will ever convince them. It takes a lot of ego-strength to change one’s mind and most people don’t have it. It is especially sad that these are college professors, who should by definition be intellectually honest and adventurous, and therefore able to have an open mind about information that might challenge them. Oh well.

You have my sympathy. My husband has the same problem at his job. It is very discouraging to him that these people he otherwise likes hold such hateful opinions and have such revolting values.

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Sol Frigoris (@DoneReasoning)

May 28, 2016

Isn’t it grand, however, that the so called liberals don’t outright state that “evolution is the incorrect opinion to have”?

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1. Clarissa
  
  May 28, 2016
  
  Huh? Have you tried reading before posting?
  
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  1. Sol Frigoris (@DoneReasoning)
    
    May 29, 2016
    
    Why? Do you think it’s a matter of opinion after all? 🙂
    
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