Legalizing Marijuana

Blog Post #6 due Wednesday, April 4.
Should the United States legalize the sale and possession of marijuana? Why or why not? Remember you can't simply give your opinion; you also have to back it up with factual information gathered through research.

Slowly...but surely.

Some of the best teachers I have had were not only great teachers, but also great individuals who freely expressed themselves but not once imposed their beliefs on any of their students. That ability to express their opinion is something that helps make each teacher unique to us, and not just be a drone belting out homework assignments and project due dates.

If we take away this freedom for professors to express opinions, specifically political ones, in the college classroom, then we are beginning to abandon the very fabric of this nation's backbone.
We are given the freedom to express our political opinions because it creates forums for discussion when we disagree on an issue.

In Russia currently, there have been over 15 journalists killed mysteriously. They all had one thing in common; a dislike of the current regime run by Vladimir Putin. Some had uncovered dirty secrets about Putin and some deals he has cut in private (for instance, selling nuclear capabilities to Iran and North Korea) Then suddenly, they have died. These people were killed because of a true lack of freedom concerning political opinion.

If we begin to take away a professor's ability to express him or herself politically, then we are moving slowly towards a Russia-like America. Why is it that we pride ourselves on freedom yet, slowly but surely, we are taking them all away from ourselves?

America: land of the free, except when it is offensive

In college there is a thing called academic freedom, which allows full discussion and debate on any issue, this legislation would limit that discussion and debate. The problem with our collages and universities is too much political correctness, which limits expressing any opinion on an issue. This legislation is a limit on free speech and would be a violation of, if not the letter then at least the spirit of the First Amendment. No more limits on speech are needed in our colleges and universities, but more freedom and protection of speech from the limits currently placed there.

Aside from its debilitating effect on active discussion of issues and censoring of practically all college discussion, the reserving of college professor’s opinions suggest that students automatically believe whatever their teachers say--a gross underestimation of students' own good minds and developing thinking skills. There has not been a political question, raised by a professor, in any of my classes that both sides of the issue were not represented; thus making it clear that students are making up their own minds and are not afraid to express their opinions. Discussion of issues that may not seem political at the outset--the nature of Gatsby's obsession, for example-- often move toward the politics of the era, or the political influences on characters in fiction. Will big government stifle this kind of active engagement in learning?

Open Discussion

In recent years many different groups encouraged young people in the United States to go out and vote, one of the more noticeable being MTV’s Rock the Vote campaign. I feel that there is a more direct method that can be implied here and that is by allowing college professors to have free and open conversations about politics in class.
College is place where young people go to learn, expand their minds, and experience new things. College is also a place to hear new ideas and think about things in a new light. In the atmosphere of a classroom it is easy to talk about subjects like politics because you are with your peers and the professor can very easily play referee or even devil’s advocate.
These in class discussions would also help to inform students on the serious issues of the day and thereby create more informed voters, which is the only way that a democracy can be successful.
It is the duty of college professors to expand the minds of young people around the world and politics should be one of the subjects that are discussed in the classroom anytime it applies to topic at hand. Open discussion is one of the most powerful tools that a democracy has and it should be a part of the college experience no matter the topic of conversation or the people involved.

Only if it is appropriate

In today’s college society, issues have come up concerning teachers’ right to express their political views in class. Some students say that they go to class on a daily basis hoping that they will be taught the curriculum only to find that they are being lectured on the professor’s political beliefs. It takes away from the lesson and makes the students feel threatened. Professors should be able to express their political beliefs or any belief in general if it is appropriate to the lesson. If the belief is discussed in class and it is not appropriate for the curriculum, it is a waste of good class time. Students are paying for an education at that college; therefore, they should be entitled to at least coverage of the material.
A professor should have the right to express their beliefs to the class, but if the professor punishes a student for having different beliefs that violates the students right to have an opinion. College students know that the professor can have an opinion as well. College students are considered adults; therefore, they should be able to make educated decisions on their beliefs. Because of this, professors can express their beliefs only if it is appropriate.

Professor's Political Views in Class--Who's Listening--Who Cares?

According to a recent article written by InsiderHigherEd.com entitled, Bias Seen in Bias Studies, “Professors are all Democrats, except those who are communist. Professors all hate Bush. Professors favor like-minded students and love converting those who love God, country and the president.”

In the article education researcher and consultant, John B. Lee says, “Among the most serious claims the authors make is that this liberal dominance results in systematic exclusion of conservative ideas…that damage student learning.”

His study was conducted in elite institutions where the faculty members are more likely to be Democrats than Republicans. He writes, “Passing off personal opinions as facts is not science; it is the antithesis of what serious researchers try to do, regardless of whether they are conservative or liberal.”

This controversial topic is not limited just to the “elite institutions” but all areas of higher education from high school classrooms to college and university campuses all over the country.

In a story written by the Sun Chronicle, Paula Sollitto, a history teacher for 35 years at Attleboro High School says, “I think there are two schools of thought…there are those people who let issues be worn on their sleeve. My style was to try to get out of the students what their views were and get them, working together, to form their own views.”

She says she directed students to research all sides of an issue—lead them to make informed opinions—and get students to learn how to respect others’ opinions.

A recent poll published in the campus newspapers of Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, University of Arizona, University of Chicago, Tufts, UCLA, UC-Berkley, Bucknell, and Dartmouth, by Campus Corner, entitled, Top Ten Things Professors Do to Skew You, showed;

• 70% of students say their professors express their political views in class.
• More than one-third of students describe their professors as either somewhat or extremely liberal.
• 42% of students report political discussion in the classroom lean to a leftist point of view, with only 18% saying they hear the conservative side of an issue.
• Only 13% of students can describe their professors as conservative.
• 31% of students report having to do an assignment which forced them to take a philosophical position they were uncomfortable with. Professors are using their influence as “teacher” to teach you what to think, not how to think.
• Nearly one-third of students say they are uncomfortable expressing their opinions in class if they differ from their professor’s point of view.
• 16% of students say they fear their grade could suffer for disagreeing with a professor’s political point of view.
• One-quarter of students say they are afraid to speak up in class if they don’t agree with a professor. Professors should welcome debate, not stifle it.
• Only 24% of students report their professors have the same viewpoints on issues the do.
• 32% of students identify themselves as Democrat and 29% identify as Republican. But overall ratio of Democrat to Republican registered faculty at 32 elite schools was more than 10 to 1.

Assistant professor of English at Johnson C. Smith University, Matthew M. DeForrest, says, “If an instructor cannot maintain a separation of our personal politics and our professional obligations, that instructors needs to, learn to do so quickly.”

While in Arizona, Senate Bill 1542, written by, Senate Majority Leader Thayer Verschoor, R-Gilbert, was approved 4-3 in the Senate. This law if passed by Congress would forbid public K-12 and college instructors from giving their partisan political opinions while teaching. Currently this law reads,

• Apply only when instructor is acting in an official capacity.
• Forbid specific endorsement or opposition of candidates, legislation or court action as well as any social, political or cultural issues of a partisan nature.
• Mandate three hours of instruction annually to tell teachers what is expected under the law.
• Forbid instructors from impeding military recruiters on campus.
• Punish those who break the law with possible suspension, firing, certification revocation or $500 penalty.

According to an article published in USA Today, by David Horowitz, similar laws are before legislatures in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Tennessee, Missouri, Georgia and a dozen other states this spring.

Horowitz view on solving the problem would be to have a “Academic Bill of Rights” for universities, which says, “shall provide its students with a learning environment in which the students have access to a broad range of serious scholarly opinion pertaining to the subjects they study.” He says, “It’s not so revolutionary.”

It may not be revolutionary but it seems it definitely debatable. And as with all things political and social in our society—it will be up to the politicians and the courts to decide.

Political Discussion

Imagine you are sitting at the local coffee shop, discussing topics with your friends and maybe the owner of the shop, who you greatly respect. As your coffee begins to cool the topic turns to politics. The conversation centered on anything from the latest presidential candidates to current House representatives. Just a normal day, right?

Now picture this same situation, only the setting is a classroom, the friends are classmates, and the coffee shop owner is your professor. Does anything change?

Some would argue that a classroom is not the proper setting for social or political topics and that professor should not “bias” their students with their opinions on political issues. However, it occurs to me that politics is an important part of life. College students are at the age where they are beginning to need to think about issues in their government.

The argument has been made that professors who speak of politics in their classes bias students. But the vast majority of college students are over the age of 18 and, in my opinion, should be capable of making up their own minds and forming their own opinions.

For that matter, are we not influenced everyday by those around us? Our college professors are just a few of many people who we speak to everyday of our life. Should all talk of politics be banned so that we are not influenced by the views of those around us? Sorting through the information we are given from sources around us is just another thing we all have to do to form our own intelligent opinions.

If professors speaking politics in the classroom does anything it exposes a student to thoughts and views that may differ from their own. A college student should be intelligent enough to sort out what they should and should not believe.

I believe that college professors should be allowed to speak their opinions about politics in their classroom. I personally believe it creates an environment of debate and discussion in the classroom; and I feel that in that sort of environment a student can learn many things about the world and him or herself.

A Professor's Opinion

College professors should share their political opinions with their students if they feel led to do so. In a democracy, many diverse viewpoints are the key to a successful working order in the government and society. However, the notion of sharing views is significantly different from the notion of trying to convince students of a political ideology. The first instance benefits democracy. It allows for the student to consider a political perspective without being forced to accept it. In the latter scenario, the student will most likely feel pressured to accept the analysis enforced by the professor.
Teachers who force their political ideology on students create unfair circumstances. According to an anonymous college professor in an article in FrontPageMagazine.com, students he came into contact with on a daily basis suffered from professors’ views. “One of my students told me how he had been given writing assignments in a foreign language class that were always based on texts critical of President Bush,” he said. Another professor notified students that they were misinformed if they did not espouse the same political view that she did. Students protested that they felt like second class citizens when they didn’t agree with their professor’s political views.
It is detrimental to democracy when a college professor thrusts their political opinions on students and forces them to accept them. The power in a democracy lies in the views of the people and the equality that those people possess that allows them to voice those different opinions. Democracy profits, on the other hand, when a college professor contributes their political opinions in order to enhance students’ perspectives.

Freedom of Political Discussion

In America there is a first amendment that allows each citizen the freedom of speech. There is no law requiring that said citizens must listen to certain people. Professors at any college should be allowed to talk about politics in the class. In fact, professors should be able to speak about their personal political beliefs. Maybe I am biased, since generally in my experience, my views are similar to those of my professors. I am positive that I do not let this bias get to me in my decision.
If a professor feels inclined to speak about their personal political views, more power to them. As long as these professors stay professional about it, and not bias grading or evaluation based on their views. Professors should not attempt to force their students to give their opinions, unless they want to. Professors should also not make students feel uncomfortable when stating their opinions.
As long as the professor stays professional, there is no problem with them talking about their political views. In my opinion, students should feel good since the professor feels that they can open up to them. Professors should feel like they are able to have open political discussions in class. College is the last step before the real world, and in the real world, no one hesitates to get atop their soap box.

Create an open-minded learning environment

In order to truly connect and understand a person, you must know his or her beliefs and why he or she has these beliefs. This holds true in relationships with family members, friends, co-workers, and even teachers. Studies show that students learn better when they have a more personal relationship with their teacher and know a tidbit about their teacher's life. Don't get me wrong, it would be inappropriate for a teacher to share every intimate detail of his or her life with the class, but knowing the teacher in a less formal way will encourage class involvement and help students feel comfortable.
A person's political views can be very personal, which is why voting takes place privately. No one should feel inclined to express their political views if it makes them uncomfortable. However, being a college student is about "finding yourself" and how you view the world. Teachers are some of the most influential forces in a college student's life and they must recognize this and lead by example. It is not a big deal for a college professor to express his or her political beliefs to a class as long as these beliefs are not forced onto the students. By giving their views, students recognize teachers as another person, rather then just a teacher they are forced to deal with a couple times a week. If teachers would present their beliefs to students with patients and an open mind, then groups such as "Students for Academic Freedom," who feel that all the power is given to the faculty members would not be formed. In the same sense, teachers should give their students an opportunity to express their views and not be critical or judgemental. In the end, it proves to make for a healthy relationship when students can interact and even debate issues with their teachers. However, in no situation should a teacher force their beliefs on a student or treat a student differently for his or her beliefs. The key to this issue is for teachers and students to remain openminded. If teachers can share their views in a educated way, there is no reason why they should not be able to let their class in on that part of their life.

Political Speech

Assignment Due Wednesday, March 21st, 2007:
Should college professors express their political views in class?