Today the Richmond Times-Dispatch published an article that draws attention to our comments on Liberty University’s decision to de-recognize its Young Democrats Association. The article, authored by a collective editorial staff, draws an interesting analogy: “The National Association of Scholars is to higher education what an evolutionist is to a tent revival: a distinct and unwelcome minority.” I don’t think NAS has ever been compared to evolutionists, although we are often seen as pesky dissenters. Our piece on Liberty regrets the choice to cut ties to the Democratic student group, not because we feel a constant need to be disagreeable, but because we believe universities should invite debate from a variety of viewpoints and political platforms.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch has written about us before. Nearly a month ago it raised an eyebrow at NAS and FIRE’s dispute with Virginia Tech over the University’s faculty promotion and tenure policy—a policy which established a political litmus test in requiring professors to cite their “diversity” service accomplishments. But today, the newspaper paraphrases and quotes our article about Liberty, then closes, “Well put.”
We are happy to get this nod from one of Virginia’s major newspapers, and we are also buoyed by its characterization of us as whistle-while-we-work folks: “The organization consists of conservative academics who enjoy challenging the dominant leftist ideology that pervades the modern university. It particularly relishes confronting political correctness.” We do enjoy what we do. And we appreciate the rare occasion when our political non-partisanship gets recognized.
