<p>Rorosen,</p>
<p>No, actually. I've read CC for awhile and there are certainly political threads and comments but I don't often see this level of ridicule. What about this particular topic is so disturbing? Either I'm missing something or this is an example of herding.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Either I'm missing something or this is an example of herding.
[/quote]
I like to call it "hive-think." Buzz buzz buzz. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.</p>
<p>The reason we're seeing so much nastiness is because it's touched a raw nerve. Liberals can't stand to have their 'intellectual superiority and righteousness" questioned.</p>
<p>it's sparring. gets the blood flowing without any show of blood. much like politics to the devoted, debates are boxing matches without punches, sporting events without balls. it's good to be alive,..</p>
<p>Rorosen,</p>
<p>Fair enough. I like a good debate as much as the next guy, but it seems like you should at least try to help the OP find the requested information. Ridicule alone is not good sport.</p>
<p>No. It's the premise of the question that I wonder about. What is a great college? What makes it great? In which way did PCness make such a college less great? </p>
<p>Plenty of institutions of higher education have arguably become much better than they used to be. Often, it has to do with financial resources. Washington U has improved mightily thanks to an infusion of money; so has Emory; so has Duke. I have no idea whether they are more or less PC than when this infusion of cash happened.</p>
<p>But is there a point to asking about formerly great colleges? Unless one wants to write a history of American higher education, of course.</p>
<p>dj, a bad question can often lead to good answers,..and in most cases discussion trumps a list. Anyway, I missed the ridicule of the op. Both Dinesh and Bill can take a punch,..</p>
<p>And Ann Coulter, who's equated liberals with traitors.</p>
<p>You will notice that Musictoad was the first person to bring up Duke (#12).
When I mentioned the "loutish behavior of some of its students" in #14,
[quote]
Duke despite the recent scandal and the loutish behavior of some of its students, remains great in my book. Notice I say some, not all. I haven't followed what "some" of its profs have been saying, but again, they are "some," not all.
[/quote]
Ann Coulter was invoked:</p>
<p>
[quote]
"loutish behavior at Duke".
I rest my case regarding prejudgement.] (Notice the editorial legerdemain from loutish behavior of some students to loutish behavior at Duke: Marite)
I reference Ann Coulter's book: How to talk to a Liberal if you must.
[/quote]
When I gave examples of loutish behavior--vomiting and public urination--,
[quote]
It is not loutish to p---or vomit on neighbors' lawn and when taken to task wonder "Why are you so upset?" It's perfectly okay. It's the neighbors whose properties are being trespassed on who are guilty of political correctness, right? Not being as politically correct as the neighobrs, I would have considered using my garden hose on both my lawn and the students. It would have cleaned up the lawn and sobered the students in one fell swoop.</p>
<p>Notice I did not say all Duke students. I said "some." Really, I don't see what your beef is, since I said that Duke was a great university. What else do you want?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Musictoad complained
[quote]
we are wandering again, talking about vomiting and public urination.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I am feeling that Musictoad is playing a game where s/he is changing the rules all the time and does not want evidence to back up opinions.</p>
<p>Ridicule is defined as "words or actions intended to evoke contemptuous laughter at or feelings toward a person or thing". </p>
<p>
Rorosen clearly realized that the first posts on this thread made fun of specific colleges and people. You can blame this on conservatives like Ann Coulter, Bill Bennett, and Dinesh D'Souza if you want, but you only have to read the first 13 comments to realize that the ridicule started on page one of this thread and it wasn't started by conservatives.</p>
<p>DRJ;</p>
<p>I still don't know how to answer the original question. If it had been "Are there colleges where there is extreme PCness?", I might try to take a stab. I've never approved of speech codes. But "formerly great colleges that have sacrificed themselves to political correctness," well I dunno.</p>
<p>Oh, right: "do you have a list of these formerly great schools that have sacrificed themselves to political correctness?" is just a nice, neutral, factual inquiry on the order of: do you have a list of schools that require SAT IIs. Give me a break.</p>
<p>
More than likely you have some crazed Jesuit screaming about Ho Chi Minh being akin to George Washington.
</p>
<p>None of the Jesuits I've met had anything to say about Ho Chi Minh being somewhat on par with George Washington. You try to draw a logically flawed comparison of "Revolutionary Images" -- granted, both Nguyen and Washington were leaders of their respective movements and supported relatively revolutionary ideas in their respective countries. But nothing further, and there are a plethora of leaders/"leaders" that fall into both categories.</p>
<p>Besides, a Jesuit would never say something so outrageous. :)</p>
<p>Andrew:</p>
<p>Nice to hear from you! How has the year in Georgetown been?</p>
<p>Marite,</p>
<p>I understand your point and I, too, was not sure what the OP was asking for. That's why I asked for clarification in my comment #11. </p>
<p>Ridicule and sarcasm can be effective linguistic tools but we use them at our peril. People who employ such tools often come across as cruel and it hampers their ability to convince others. Was it really worth the temporary pleasure to post those first few comments?</p>
<p>Well those first few comments got countered by invocations of Ann Coulter, didn't they? Isn't it cruel to label liberals as treasonous, even by indirection? And just because I talked of SOME loutish students!</p>
<p>The problem, as Wesdad implied, is that the original post was loaded, on the order of "When did you stop beating your wife?"</p>
<p>Personally, I see a lot of formerly mediocre schools that have become excellent. But I've already said so.</p>
<p>the original request made for the list was as described on another web forum--i didn't phrase it that way. i thought D'Souza had done so and i wanted to get a look at the list.</p>
<p>the reaction was rabid and suitably responded to.</p>
<p>have a nice day.</p>
<br>
<p>the original post was loaded</p>
<br>
<p>Yep. Note also that only "conservative parents" were invited to share this information. Apparently moderates, libertarians, etc. could not be trusted to offer reliable reports.</p>
<p>The original request was not presented as "as described on another web forum" but as your own:
[quote]
If there are any conservative parents out there, do you have a list of these formerly great schools that have sacrificed themselves to political correctness?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Discussing Hillsdale's former president's hmm.. "family relationship" even in a jokey way was "rabid?"</p>
<p>""Suitably responded to"": Ah. I can see the Ann Coulter touch.</p>
<p>Note: You never answered my request for more information about what you (oops, whoever posted on some other web forum which you failed to cite ealier and have not since identified) meant by "formerly great."</p>
<br>
<p>i didn't phrase it that way. </p>
<br>
<p>In fact, you did, even if you were not the first to do so. When you quote without attribution or limitation, you're making your own statement, plain and simple, and the fact that you cribbed the phrasing from elsewhere does not allow you to wiggle out of responsibility for your own words. Defend them or retract them, but don't waste time trying to convince us that your words didn't count because somebody else said them first.</p>
<p>If I say, "America has nothing to fear but fear itself," and someone counters, "You're wrong, we also have to fear terrorist attacks," it's hardly a satisfactory answer for me to say, "Well, I was just parroting FDR." If I didn't believe it myself, I shouldn't have said it myself -- I should have QUOTED FDR.</p>