I recently read an article about comedian and actor Rob Schneider’s take on higher education in the United States. Schneider isn’t afraid to express his opinion, referring to universities in general as a “closed system” that was guarded by “thought police.”
His comments were in response to a recent campus protest at Portland State University, in which radical trans rights activists disrupted and shouted down speakers with whom they disagreed. Peter Boghossian, one of the speakers, tweeted about the incident, saying that “Student activists at @Portland_State attempted to disrupt our public conversations today.”
Student activists at @Portland_State
attempted to disrupt our public conversations today. I am genuinely embarrassed for the activists and disappointed that they prevented students with sincere objections from engaging us. https://t.co/QZHxIMiudj— Peter Boghossian (@peterboghossian) May 4, 2023
Schneider’s response? “@peterboghossian Universities in America no longer promote learning or allow debate. It’s a closed system of thought run by thought police…Authoritarianism dressed us as tolerance.”
. @peterboghossian Universities in America no longer promote learning or allow debate. It’s a closed system of thought run by thought police…
Authoritarianism dressed us as tolerance. https://t.co/T5V3hgUfLg— Rob Schneider (@RobSchneider) May 4, 2023
Boghossian knows all too well what Schneider is talking about — he resigned from his post as a professor of philosophy at Portland State University after a decade, saying that the school had “sacrificed ideas for ideology” and that the more he had tried to push back against the tide, the more he was personally attacked.
It’s not just Schneider and Boghossian who are speaking out against liberal colleges indoctrinating the youth. Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines was forced to barricade herself in a locked classroom for her own physical safety during a recent protest.
This is not the kind of learning environment we should be providing our students. It’s not just about the safety of the students and speakers — it’s about providing an environment where free and open discourse can take place.
We need to encourage our students to think for themselves and challenge their own beliefs. We should be teaching them to seek out evidence to back up their claims and listen to opposing views. Instead of shutting out opposing opinions and punishing those who express them, we should be embracing them.
It’s time for universities to start promoting learning and open debate, again. A return to common sense.
We don’t need a system of thought police patrolling our campuses — we need an environment that encourages inquiry and critical thinking. We need to empower our students to think for themselves and be comfortable with their own beliefs.
