Re: however, this is a tragic situation

Well, I kinda concluded in the previous e-mail that "academia really is not that much different from any other profession or working environment," but then go on to suggest that it should not, in principle, esteem itself above other working environments.

The editorial is probably sensationalizing the situation a bit, as editorials are known to do. But I would not characterize his observations as "ranting," particularly in light of the fact that his central premise is elucidated primarily by professors he quotes.

 

luke

-----Original Message-----
From: Omlor@aol.com
Sent: Sep 27, 2003 10:28 AM
To: bananafish@roughdraft.org
Subject: Re: however, this is a tragic situation

Luke,

I think you'll find, if you spend enough time in it, that academia really is not that much different from any other profession or working environment.  There's lots of pettiness, political backstabbing, silly behavior, mundane meetings, pointless arguments, moments of discrimination, unfair hirings and firings, stupidity of thought and deed, and all the rest, just like in every office and boardroom around the world.

But asking me to have pity for Harvard Ph.D.s because they feel discriminated against because of their political beliefs is just silly.

And if you really believe that there are grad students not being allowed into programs or productive young scholars being denied jobs just because they are Republicans, then you are seriously deluded.

Life goes on, inside and outside of university classrooms and faculty office buildings.  And the faces and minds that travel the quads and hallways and faculty meeting rooms of my university are far more diverse, both ideologically and ethnically, than any of the executive offices my father worked in or any of the corporate board meetings I watched him attend.  And all that stuff in the article is just mindless, ranting, O'Reilly-style goofiness that should never be taken for anything other than cheap, pro-wrestling style entertainment.  It just ain't real, dude.  

Bye,

--John