Quote of the Day: Thomas Sowell on “Academic Freedom”
Okay, I missed his March 13 column in the wake of the Jay Bennish controversy, its pitiful media coverage, and its disgraceful resolution.
Here’s the best part of it, which of course is at odds with the illogic of Mr. Bennish and his school district’s administration:
Academic freedom is the freedom to do academic things — teach chemistry or accounting the way you think chemistry or accounting should be taught. It is also freedom to engage in the political activities of other citizens — on their own time, outside the classroom — without being fired.
Nowhere else do people think that it is OK to engage in politics instead of doing the job for which they are being paid. When you hire a plumber to fix a leak, you don’t want to find your home being flooded while he whiles away the hours talking about Congressional elections or foreign policy.
