Discrimination, Diversity and Relativism

Progressives are the self-identified banner carriers for having open minds, embracing diversity and celebrating differences. Sadly, everywhere you look, the reality is that progressives aren’t that open minded, their diversity only goes so far and certain differences are clearly discouraged. But the progressives never said they weren’t prejudiced, did they? Besides, it’s not prejudice when you’re right. Just ask them.

Tina Korbe has a piece up over at HotAir about a hiring discrimination case in Iowa. After graduating from law school, working in several positions after graduation, and returning to teach part-time at the same law school, Teresa Wagner applied for a full-time position. She was denied.

In a 2007 email from Associate Dean Jonathan C. Carlson to another Professor, Carlson wrote: “Frankly, one thing that worries me is that some people may be opposed to Teresa serving in any role, in part at least because they so despise her politics (and especially her activism about it).”

Wagner’s lawyer said the law school and academic institutions in general have been so “entrenched” in discriminating against conservative-minded faculty over the years that “they don’t recognize they’re doing it.”

I’ve heard of prison inmates becoming institutionalized after so much time in jail. But seriously, progressive institutionalization in academia? I’m not that naive. Progressives know exactly what they’re doing and they’re doing it because they truly and completely believe they are right and conservatism is wrong, not because of the professorial bent of college campuses. This is where Korbe does a great job.

Somewhere along the line, we’ve confused a commitment to “tolerance and diversity” with relativism. But we can simultaneously consciously seek to challenge our own views and, in the end, hold fast to our principles. It is possible. Not all opinions are equally true and two mutually exclusive propositions can never both be true. If we’re really seeking the truth, what does it hurt to give court to others’ perspectives?