Who knows what OP meant. This doesn’t need to be political. This is how I see it, from Google-
open to new behavior or opinions....
(Now, that's something we can all aspire to, regardless of political or economic leanings. Or what fun some have with stereotypes.)
Then they offer a second-
2.(of education) concerned mainly with broadening a person’s general knowledge and experience, rather than with technical or professional training.
You just don’t have to line people up so quickly. What sorts would fit at a liberal school? Open-minded, whatever your personal ideas are.
From what I can tell, there are two categories of liberals. One type is what I call rabid. They’re those ones that practically walk around saying “F*** capitalism, govt. knows best in all matters, poor people always get screwed, pity me for microaggressions, I’m owed everything, there can’t be any reason to oppose abortion, and of course all religious people are nuts.” (I’m not making this up, I know a guy like this.) Then there’s the reasonable ones who hold typically liberal beliefs, but who actually practice what they preach and try to be accepting/understanding/tolerating of others’ beliefs (aka, conservatives, Republicans, etc.)
Although I am annoyed and disgusted with Holocaust deniers, White supremacists, birthers, etc., I still think they are entitled to be able to express themselves freely in a public forum, so long as they are not inciting violence or public anic (reasonable restrictions to the First Amendment).
That might save them from getting arrested, but, it doesn’t protect them from counter-protests, being shunned nor from generally being disrespected. To borrow a phrase from the presumptive Republican nominee for President, educated people need to grow a pair.
I find it bizarre that campuses have so many protests these days. I don’t think all protests are bad, but I think some of them are extreme. Others seem validated. But two quick comments:
If you feel the need to protest and are upset by your school, why did you apply to this school in the first place rather than the thousands of other options that could have suited you better? Research your schools.
Some of these schools reject the vast majority of applicants. Seems like you should show a sense of appreciation also.
@golfcashoahu Well, for one, sometimes bad things happen at schools that are the schools’ faults AFTER students apply, get accepted, and matriculate. It’s not like students know these things will happen while they’re applying. I wish it was that easy, but they can’t see into the future. Second, as you said, sometimes these protests are valid. Why should students feel like they need to keep quiet about something when it is a real problem. It’s like if an employee(s) works at an office where the higher ups abuses/mistreats them/takes advantage of their seniority/etc/, but the employee(s) don’t go to HR because that position is hard to get. Do you really think that’s what people should do? Personally, I don’t.
That might be interesting, if conservatives these days (or ever) were really primarily interested in such things. Today though, it’s about theocracy, disenfranchisement, discrimination, pushing for greater income inequality, denial of scientific facts like climate change and evolution, and freedom for me and the hell with you.
Keep in mind also that most college campuses - even of public universities - are not “public places” in the most generous sense of that term. A university can, and generally does, restrict who can say what, when, where, and how loudly. Just as one cannot simply set up a jihadi recruiting station, or a Christian apologetics mission, or a lemonaide stand, in the lobby of the post office. It interferes with the mission of the institution. Speakers, events, or even flyers or online statements which are counter to the University’s mission of education are likely to be excluded, with good reason.
Universities don’t have to lend their imprimatur - nor their captive audience of students - to anybody. This is particularly true of those, like holocaust deniers, flat-earthers, etc., whose statements are entirely undermining the university’s commitment to evidence-based critical thinking. Nobody is ‘owed’ a platform.
The extremists on one side would restrict what you may do. The extremists on the other would control with whom you do it. The what and the who flop around, depending on which particular set of nut jobs is under discussion.
Socially illiberal students can be either left or right leaning (or centrists) but generally avoid drunkenness, casual physical relationships, and recreational hemp.
This isn’t politically liberal, for example DD is to my political left, but crossed off more than one school because of things like a hash bash, a reputation as a party school etc. It’s a strange world.