“Freedom is a dangerous thing, and you might be exposed to things you don’t want to hear,”

Freedom is a dangerous thing, and you might be exposed to things you don’t want to hear.” --Dennis Baxley, Florida Legistaor, Republican, Ocala.

I think that this pretty much sums up the religious right/Republican agenda not just in Florida but the entire country and by extension, the world.

The statement was in reference to the latest atrocity pushed by Republican legislators in Florida regarding academic freedom. It seems, in their view, going to college should NOT be about broadening one’s knowledge of the world but rather reaffirming religious beliefs. The bill would give students the right to sue professors for putting forth views that run counter to what the student believes; A rather chilling prospect for free thought.

If one is so shaky in their own religious beliefs, perhaps one should attend Bob Jones University or one of the thousands of other religious affiliated schools and leave the pursuit of truth and knowledge to real universities. Instead the power elites/religious right and their puppets in the state legislatures would prefer to control what all potential students would be exposed to.

From a wealth/power elite point of view however, this kind of legislation makes prefect sense. Access to education at all levels is getting more and more expensive and fewer and fewer individuals are able to pursue post-secondary education. If present trends continue, only the sons of the rich and powerful will be able to afford an education beyond about the eighth grade level. If we are going to maintain the status quo, we can not have our young elites being exposed to any views that may run contrary to the dominant paradigm.

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