I'm going to stick my fingers in my ears and go na-na-na-na until you're done talking, 'cause I just don't want to hear it. That seems to be the attitude of some at Purdue University about library prof. Bert Chapman's provocative blog post on "the economic arguments against homosexuality."
But as word of the blog spread at Purdue, the campus has seen petitions and protests, with many calling for Chapman (who has tenure) to be fired. His critics say that what he writes is so hateful and inaccurate that it raises questions about his ability to do his job.
What's interesting is that a lot of those calling for his job are students. Usually we hear about academic elites being intolerant of dissent while they're cramming propaganda about tolerance down students' throats. We don't that often hear of students demanding their propaganda with no messy dissent.
Others are defending the professor, though, or at least his right to express distasteful opinions (those that "might not fit within the often narrow range of viewpoints deemed acceptable on many college campuses," as an Indianapolis Star editorial delicately puts it). One student column in the Exponent accused liberals of refusing to recognize Chapman's right to express himself.
Here's his whole blog post, for those who want to know what all the fuss is about. His arguments are debatable, but that's the whole point of academic freedom, isn't it? My counterargument might be: What does your lifestyle cost society, and do you really care? Then why should I care what somebody else's lifestyle costs society?
