I read the booklet. Advanced students in America are mouth-watering

Her name is Erika Lopez Prater and she teaches art history at Hamline University in Minnesota. She taught because she was completely out of work now. In one of his lessons, he showed a painting from the fourteenth century, commissioned by an Islamic king at the time, by a painter who was a Muslim. The artwork has an image of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.

She didn’t just show the painting; She wants to say something: despite the dominant movements, (even) Islam is not a monoculture, or at least not necessarily so. An innocent sound, you’d think everyone from right to left could support it. Nice and constructive.

Erika Lopez Prater takes precautions today, not yesterday. On the course he announces an exhibition of artwork and invites anyone with questions or concerns to contact him. At the beginning of the relevant chapter, she also makes it a point to emphasize that anyone with a problem can go outside for a while. without consequences. Does anyone object? nobody is here.

But later.

Na de les dient een 23-jarige student alsnog een klacht in. “I am 23 years old. I have never once seen the image of the Prophet,” zegt ze. “It breaks my heart that I have to stand here and tell people that Islamophobia and something is really hurting not just me, but all of us.”

A contract extension for Erika Lopez Prater has already been signed so she can continue teaching next semester. The offer will be withdrawn in a few weeks.

***

On the left side of the public debate, it is more or less common to reject the idea of ​​cancellation culture. No is the fiction of the (radical) right. Fingers in your ears, conversation.

On the right, it’s common to dismiss repeal culture as a left-wing problem.

Nonsense and luckily for true enthusiasts of vvmu there is a recent steady work that documents and explains in no uncertain terms: Abolition of the American Mind, Written by an attorney and president of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (fire) Greg Lukianoff and journalist Ricky Schlott.

***

The discourse on censorship (formal forms) is complicated by the lack of an operational definition of cancellation culture. Lukianoff and Schlott offer: “Campaigns to fire, disinvite, transfer, or otherwise punish people for speech (…) and the resulting fear and congenial environment.” Organized efforts to silence others for their opinions, the end result is bread stealing.

Lugianoff and Schlad note a large increase since 2014, when a new, more sensitive generation arrived at American universities. The Netherlands is a bit behind, thank god it’s less here, but ultimately everything that happens in America is imported here on purpose.

The book discusses the many places and fields in which abolition culture emerged, but to consider the history of its origins, let’s stick with the university for a moment. Consequences:

Fewer than 80% of American students say they practice self-monitoring; 81% prefer to avoid controversial topics during lessons; 68% no longer publicly disagree with a teacher. 68% worry that speaking out will damage their reputation Because someone misunderstands that concept.

The percentages among faculty are even more extreme: 91% of professors tend to self-censor social media, classes, and publications.

***

what Abolition of the American Mind What makes it so great is that it describes one case, hundreds of examples, an overview of popular tactics used to silence one, how the left and right differ in silencing others, how it personally endangers citizens, how it endangers democracy, and most of all, what we can do about it. . Very simple: If you think VVMU is important and you are concerned about its poor state, you need to read this book. Available as paper book, as E-book Or for those who are too lazy to digest Audiobook.