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You are absolutely right, we have closed-mindedness of all stripes. I didn't intend to imply that it occurs on one side only. Annette Gourgey ----- Original Message ----- From: Lorraine Lavorata <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2000 8:18 PM Subject: Re: political endorsements > The point was not that it was just democrats and yes we should look at > different points of view as we should teach our students to think > critically. But what so often occurs in higher education is that only left > views are esteemed and conservative views are condescended upon as > "uneducated, simple-minded, etc". I feel that we must esteem ALL points of > view, democrat and republican, liberal and conservative as all sides have > merit as well as disadvantages, and we must teach our students accordingly > and not make it that one side is simple minded while the other is so highly > intellectual. Well here was about 15 francs worth-:) > France > > -----Original Message----- > From: Annette Gourgey > To: [log in to unmask] > Sent: 10/11/00 7:43 PM > Subject: Re: political endorsements > > I would prefer to comment on political matters only when they relate to > educational issues, but something needs to be said here that is related > to > what we do. The most troubling posts on the list lately have been ones > that > express a blanket, simple and derogatory opinion that doesn't allow for > complexities. E.g., the one below--some people dodged the draft for > selfish > reasons; others did because of moral convictions against the war. It is > not > all simple and self-serving and defined by one viewpoint. (Nor is it > confined to Democrats--e.g. our current Republican ticket.) > > I think our list is strongest when we are searching for understanding of > different views on issues. What we have suffered from lately is people > letting off steam about grievances rather than seeking dialogue or > deeper > understanding of issues that are important to our work. It seems that > if we > want to teach our students to listen and to weigh facts and issues and > not > just criticize on the basis of preconceived opinions, we could do better > at > heeding our own lesson. > > I also find it troubling when one country or culture is consistently > held as > superior to others. Most of us work in multicultural settings where we > need > to be open to the unique value of the many cultures our students > represent, > without judging people who are different from us. Expressing such > judgments > works against what we are trying to accomplish with students. We teach > what > we live. Is this what we want to teach? That *is* a part of our work! > > Annette Gourgey > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Helen Sabin <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2000 6:08 PM > Subject: Re: political endorsements > > > > This is a multi-part message in MIME format. > > --------------BBF81A0C8CDCB998673ACF53 > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > > > Lorraine- > > You would be amazed at how many "academics" and some on this list serv > I > imagine > > "dodged" the vietnam war and military service in general. They didn't > want to > > stick their necks out and possibly die. However, it was good enough > for > the > > others who did-President Clinton is an example of this. At least Al > Gore > went to > > war even as a "reporter." Any job no matter what, serves to serve > your > > country. Many take from the country but don't want to give back to > it. > I wish > > all Americans be they men or women would serve the country and if the > French do > > this and believe this then Viva La France. > > Helen Sabin > > > > Helen > > > > Lorraine Lavorata wrote: > > > > > Yes but the facts must go both ways, not only on the side of the > left. > We > > > must look at all the facts on both the right and the left and give > credence > > > to both sides as both sides have merit and faults. True, much of > what is > on > > > the Internet, is not the most scholarly, but as for me, I ignore > most of > > > what I get on the Internet. I obtain my research from studies, > journals, > > > personal experiences I have had in the political arena, and primary > sources. > > > As educators we can voice our opinions but just because someone is a > > > Republican does not make them bad or evil. Just because of certain > newspaper > > > articles in favour of Gore does not make him a man of principle no > more > than > > > the Internet makes Bush a man of principle. Also as for a personal > note, > I > > > do not feel dodging the Vietnam War is very honourable. As a person > of > > > French background, we see fighting for one's country as we say in > France > > > part of the concept of liberte, egalite et fraternite. > > > Sorry for the controversy but in higher education we must deal with > > > political differences in our teaching, with our students, with the > > > administration and with educational funding for our institutions. > France > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: [Gary Wright] > > > To: [log in to unmask] > > > Sent: 10/11/00 2:32 PM > > > Subject: Re: political endorsements > > > > > > I grew up in rural East Tennessee during the 1960's. My > nearest > > > neighbor and childhood friend, Donald Robinson, joined the Green > Berets > > > and went to Vietnam as I went off to the University of Tennessee > with a > > > draft exemption. Donald never came home. > > > Senator Albert Gore, Sr. sacrificed his senate seat because > he > > > was > > > one of the first to speak out against U.S. involvement in the > Vietnam > > > war. > > > He was a man of convictions and principles. I resent that anyone > would > > > publish falsehoods and heresay just because they "found" it on the > > > internet. That is what I find unprofessional about this discussion. > > > I also believe that Al Gore is a man of principle. Although > the > > > search has been relentless the only "dirt" to be found was the > incident > > > at > > > the "Buddhist Temple." I find it interesting that, although he was > > > found > > > to have done nothing wrong there, it is still used as a negative > > > reflection on his character. That reveals the prejudice and > > > ethnocentric > > > attitude that is still all too prevalent in a country that is > supposed > > > to > > > have freedom of religion. "How dare he go into a BUDDHIST Temple." > > > Puuh-lees! > > > I don't care for Gov. Bush's politics, but I promise never > to > > > call him names, spread falsehood, rumor and innuendo, and level > insults > > > at > > > his father. > > > Political discussions (and opinions) are valuable and > welcome as > > > far as I'm concerned, but if we could limit it to the facts and/or > our > > > opinions about THE FACTS, I think we'd all find it much more > productive. > > > > --------------BBF81A0C8CDCB998673ACF53 > > Content-Type: text/x-vcard; charset=us-ascii; > > name="sabinswest.vcf" > > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > Content-Description: Card for Helen Sabin > > Content-Disposition: attachment; > > filename="sabinswest.vcf" > > > > begin:vcard > > n:Sabin;Helen > > tel;fax:310-541-0410 > > tel;home:310-377-2520 > > tel;work:Chair, Department of Educational Leadership Connected > University/Classroom Connect > > x-mozilla-html:FALSE > > adr:;;;;;; > > version:2.1 > > email;internet:[log in to unmask] > > x-mozilla-cpt:;-3040 > > fn:Helen Sabin > > end:vcard > > > > --------------BBF81A0C8CDCB998673ACF53--