Minnesota Professor Under Fire for Anti-Immigration Opinions

It’s easy to think that everyone in academia is a raging leftist who wants to indoctrinate your children against you for your anti-revolutionary attitudes. However, it’s not quite that bad.

There are professors like Dan Demetriou from the University of Minnesota, who recently posted his thoughts regarding illegal immigration and the potential influx of refugees. His opinions were quite rational, well-reasoned, and even conservative.

But yeah, the raging leftists immediately tried to destroy his life, because the rest of academia is horrible:

“I am persuaded that the leftist immigration and refugee policy agenda, especially given the influence of divisive social justice theory and looming automation, is an existential threat to the US and other advanced Western nations,” Demetriou recently stated publicly.

“We need to talk honestly about social cohesion, assimilation, and the obligations we have to our citizens and our children who appear, as I see it, ignored in expansive homilies about immigration and refugees,” he continued.

Demetriou did not self-appoint himself the role of taking a public and contrary stand against the majority of those in his profession — he was thrust into the spotlight recently after comments he made on his private Facebook account when the Trump travel ban dominated headlines were leaked to his campus community.

After those comments were leaked several weeks ago, the predictable outrage ensued. There was a “teach-in” to “protest” Demetriou’s comments, and he’s also received a barrage of emails from colleagues taking issue with his positions.

Demetriou, who is currently on sabbatical in Europe, says he’ll return to the University of Minnesota and continue teaching, although he knows this will probably be an awful experience.

Frankly, it’s a shame that opposition viewpoints can now get in the way of an academic career. What kind of a learning environment forbids free inquiry and debate?

Luckily, Demetriou has heard from academics all over the nation who offered support. He also feels that a large number of graduate students are disgusted with the “social justice zealotry” that is currently the norm on college campuses, and speaking for a large number of Americans, I sincerely hope he’s right.

Heaven knows we could use academics interested in academia again.