Posts Tagged ‘essays’

The following is an essay that I was not able to place with a magazine, but still wanted to share with the world. Feel free to re-post on your blog or website, in accordance with the Creative Commons license (just give me credit and link back here).

The 2007 documentary Indoctrinate U argues that administrative bias at American universities is hindering free speech, education value, and even human rights. But by framing the film within the context of bipartisan politics—whether that was or was not intentional—filmmaker Evan Coyne Maloney fails to explain the full nature of the problem and, therefore, to suggest viable action points. Because the film unknowingly makes generalizations and misevaluations, it can help us understand how we all do that on a regular basis.

To explain what I mean, I’m going to run through the generalizations that I made, consciously or unconsciously, while watching the documentary. But first, a moment of disclosure. Since about the time the War in Afghanistan started in 2001 (when I was 18 years old), I considered myself a “liberal” or a “Democrat.” My affiliation was unofficial, involved only two instances of voting, and was inspired more than anything by my disgust over the actions of the “conservative” or “Republican” leadership then present in the country. Furthermore, I didn’t even fully realize my “liberal” bias until 2010, when I finally transcended my own worldview and was able to look at it critically. Now I generally consider myself non-“reactionary”—not so much “liberal” or “radical” as simply opposed to any kind of “anal territorial” politics that seem to have set humanity on a course for disaster. (more…)