Professor Peterson, important follow-up on free speech vs forced speech on campus issue
Published on Jan 2, 2018
In this video, I make a radical suggestion, preceded by a careful, detailed argument that this suggestion is justified. In short: I think students should (with the backing of their parents, if possible) leave their junior high and high school classes if any of the following topics arise.
This means that they should stand up, note their objections to the content of the class (“This sounds like indoctrination to me, rather than education, so I’m leaving”), and then walk out. Perhaps they could encourage a classmate/friend to videotape their actions, and post it on YouTube.
Topics warranting such a response?
Diversity
Inclusivity
Equity
(Conveniently, these form the acronym DIE, which is exactly what the philosophy underpinning their grouping and use should be encouraged to do.) White Privilege Systemic Racism Gender I am not claiming that there is nothing to be learned about such topics, or even that they shouldn’t be discussed.
What I am saying is that if they are brought up in an elementary, junior high or high school classroom the odds are very high that the “lesson” to be learned will be one driven by ideological/propagandistic concerns, rather than one aimed at the inculcation of knowledge, wisdom or skill.
There will be mistakes made with such an approach. Some who discuss issues such as inclusivity and equity are going to be more reasonable than others, but that does not change the fact that the philosophy driving the pushing forward of such topics is essentially ideological and propagandistic.
So I think such active resistance will get the point across very effectively. It is too bad that it has come to this, but it has. Think long and hard about it. My feeling is this: if effective action is not taken now to counteract the politicization of the public school curriculum, the need for such action will merely increase, and it will take much more to forestall the process later. Pick your poison.