Monday, May 13, 2013

On the Front Lines of Academic Freedom

"Let us be clear that we believe in academic freedom," a group of Harvard scholars began their calling with a cliché, then offered an expected "however": "..even if such claims have merit, the Kennedy School cannot ethically stand by this dissertation.."

The letter was addressed to the Harvard Kennedy School community, but the real targeted audiences are American People and the American President, a President who had been known to have a knee jerk to intervene law and justice when he saw fit. When a renowned Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., a close friend of him, had a dispute with a local small town police officer, President Obama did not hesitate to point fingers on the officer in front of the nation. It turned out his friend was bullying the officer, but who cares. President Obama scolded Sgt. James Crowley "acted stupidly" at a White House news conference, before the nation had a chance to know what had actually happened. When every thread of findings and facts turned against the prominent African American professor, we did not hear he said the same to his friend.

The dissertation in question authored by Dr. Jason Richwine found new Hispanic immigrants will have low-IQ offsprings. When the group of Harvard scholars found it difficult to attack Dr. Richwine's findings and his methods of research, they had the courage to stand up and claim 'merit' did not count.

Apparently encouraged by the administration, some Harvard faculty have discovered a shortcut to fame and power, trampling through reasons and facts.

Perhaps the entire academia are learning the rope living under modern government. Earlier this year, neighborly MIT voluntarily souped up persecution on gifted programmer Aaron Swartz, which resulted his death.

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