![]() ![]() There is a social phenomenon called the “echo chamber,” which means that when people with similar views are placed in a closed system, they tend to reinforce their own beliefs and insulate themselves from those who disagree. All I mean to do is suggest an alternative. It’s easy for me, as a white, cis-gendered, heterosexual man, to say, “let’s all just talk it out,” while others are victims of daily prejudice. I don’t want to criticize the authors or signees of the study. That can’t happen if we quarantine ourselves inside bubbles of tolerance. It may be uncomfortable, but the only way to reach that ideal society is to slowly win them over through dialogue and reason. Vanderbilt, and other socially liberal communities, should be wary of severing ties with social conservatives. But there has to be a balance between modeling an ideal society and preparing students for the real one. Colleges should, to some degree, model the way society should be, and society should treat people equally. The hot trend these days is to lambast colleges for “coddling” students, but I’m not jumping on that bandwagon. Universities should be concerned with the psychological well-being of their students. I believe Fox News would pick her up in a heartbeat, as she is already a frequent guest. Plus, firing Carol Swain would give her more of a platform, and ammunition, to espouse her opinions. Doing so creates a resentful divide, fuels the culture war, and eliminates the possibility that those people will ever be convinced. ![]() But the best way to do that is not to jettison people like Carol Swain. I believe that human society has, in general, become more and more tolerant with time, and, if we want that to continue, we must work for it. We may one day look at those who deny LGBTQI people their rights with the same disdain as we look upon the segregationists in our history books. As I was recently reminded, most of the country once approved of slavery. So, if Carol Swain and people like her make you feel unsafe at Vanderbilt, I’ve got some very bad news-the rest of the country is way worse. Living in this liberal enclave called Vanderbilt University, we might forget that certain ideas we call “bigoted” are simply called “conservative” by a majority or large minority of Americans. For instance, gay marriage only recently became accepted by a majority of Americans, and many proposals for increasing the rights of the transgendered are still opposed by the majority. In fact, many of her views are consistent with the positions of a major political party in this country, one with control of both Houses of Congress, most state senates, and most governorships. However, in the real world many people do. In my perfect world, nobody would share her views. Swain has certainly spoken insensitively, and, in my view, incorrectly, about Muslims and the LGBTQI community. The question is where is the line between tolerable and intolerable speech, and has Swain crossed it? Would anyone really argue that the university benefits from this professors opinions? Of course not. For example, imagine a professor with a habit of using the N-word or denying the Holocaust. What this argument really means is that we benefit from a diversity of opinions as long as those opinions are within reason. I won’t defend Swain with the hackneyed argument that, as a University, we benefit from a diversity of opinions. Unfortunately, the authors of the petition and all those who signed it will end up hurting their cause more than helping it. ![]() According to the petition’s authors, Swain is intolerant towards non-Christians and the LGBTQI community, thus misrepresenting the University and making some students feel unsafe. (The demand was recently downgraded to suspension and mandatory diversity training). Her highly acclaimed book, Black Faces, Black Interests: The Representation of African Americans in Congress, has received numerous awards.The controversial Carol Swain, a Vanderbilt Professor, is once again in the news after almost 1,500 students (and counting) signed a petition to have her fired. Swain’s published works have achieved many accolades. She has also appeared on BBC Radio, NPR, CNN’s AC360 (with Anderson Cooper), Fox News Live, PBS’s NewsHour (with Jim Lehrer), C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, and ABC’s Headline News. She’s a frequent guest on Hannity’s Great American Panel on Fox News and appeared regularly on CNN’s Lou Dobbs Tonight. Carol Swain’s own courageous voice for conservative causes is expressed among a variety of popular media. Swain’s education and experiences make her a credible and powerful force for change in today’s social and political climate where conservatives are intimidated to champion an often-unpopular message. Swain is passionate about empowering others to confidently raise their conservative voices in the public square. From high school dropout and teenage mother to esteemed Vanderbilt University law professor, Carol M. ![]()
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