DIVERSITY FOR ME, BUT NOT

DIVERSITY FOR ME, BUT NOT FOR THEE: College professor Mike S. Adams decided to conduct a little experiment in campus diversity and tolerance:

It all started when I noticed that a colleague of mine had a “Mondale/Ferraro ’84” sticker on the filing cabinet in her office. I also noticed that another colleague had one posted on the front of his office desk.

Remembering that the university has a provision specifically prohibiting faculty from using “University funds, services, supplies, vehicles, or other property to support or oppose the candidacy of any person for elective public office . . .” I decided to initiate my experiment.

First, I placed a “Clinton/Gore ’96” sticker prominently on my office door to see if anyone would take offense. After two years without any complaints, I decided to replace the sticker with one that said “George W. Bush for President.” Within a few weeks I heard reports from two faculty members and one staff member saying that someone was preparing to file a complaint about the Bush sticker.

Since the faculty handbook specifies “appropriate disciplinary action, including discharge from employment” as one possible consequence of violating the aforementioned rule, I decided it was time to let the faculty in on my little experiment. I did this by sending an e-mail to everyone in the building which began as follows: “You have all been involved in an experiment in tolerance which, unfortunately, some of you have failed . . .”

Which explains why movements such as this one are growing–and rapidly.