Tuesday, April 18, 2006

"On the matter of homophobia, I think you should be rather careful",

Dad29 comments on the librarian at Ohio State-Mansfield who was charged with sexual harassment for ... recommending some books. The librarian, Scott Savage, had recommended a book called The Marketing of Evil for a freshman reading program. The book apparently explores, and is critical of, the way in which elites have transformed notions of sexual morality. Two gay professors filed a harassment charge saying that the recommendation had made them feel "unsafe."

The charge was promptly dismissed as it should have been. But the presuppostions of the complaining professors are interesting. You can read more and find a link to the relevant documents at the Volokh Conspiracy. Essentially these guys thought not only that their ideology should determine what is and is not in the reading program (because it comports with OSU's "non-discrimination" policy"), but that they were objective scholars who had determined that the book is "quackery" and unworthy of consideration. Pretending that there is a "scientific" answer to what is ultimately a moral question strikes me as the quackery.

The other interesting notion is the idea that one is made to feel "unsafe" because someone disagrees with you or the manner in which you live your life. So much for free inquiry.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

On this we agree. Absurd.