Writer's bias mustn't creep into classroom
Gene Theroux, Grand Forks Herald
Published Friday, September 12, 2008
GRAND FORKS — Richard Shafer’s column, “Facts mar McCains heroics,” is so far off the mark that it demands a reply from every red-blooded American who has the misfortune to read it (Page A4, Sept. 6).
First, John McCain is a real American hero. To try to connect him to alleged misconduct by our military in a bygone war is a typical left-wing approach to a fact that is undisputed. That fact is this: Again, McCain is an American hero.
Second, McCain did not start the Vietnam war; two American presidents — John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson — did. I saw no reference to that in the column.
Third, McCain was in the U.S. military, and as such, his obligation was to follow lawful orders. So, why is he responsible for the orders that were given by others?
The column reminds me of John Kerry’s presentation to Congress after he returned from Vietnam. The presentation was based entirely on hearsay and totally discredited in the last election.
But what concerns me more is that Shafer is a professor in the UND School of Communication. He preaches to a captive audience of young minds who have to take his lectures to heart. If he teaches as he writes, it means they are expected not to seek facts but to rely on others’ opinions.
Shafer has all the rights of freedom of expression in a public forum, but the classroom is not such a forum. A classroom is meant to teach students to consider all the facts, not a select few of them put forward by a biased teacher.
Gene Theroux
What do you think--is Theroux right in his insinuation that Shafer teaches in a biased manner, based on what he wrote in a personal LTE? How is Shafer as an instructor? Do any of your professors try to force their political beliefs on you during class?
Topic: School of Communication professor criticized for letter to Grand Forks Herald (Read 2609 times)
