All along Young America’s Foundation has said that college campuses nationwide seem to be less and less objective—well now even Michael Bloomberg agrees. At a commencement ceremony at Harvard yesterday, Bloomberg stated that colleges are supposed to be a place where students learn how to think, not where they are told what to think.
Just last week, Young America’s Foundation released its 22nd annual “Commencement Speakers Survey” which reveals that 43 liberal speakers and only 9 conservatives are scheduled to speak or have already spoken at this year’s commencement ceremonies at America’s top 100 colleges. Campuses are using commencement addresses as the last and final push to indoctrinate young impressionable minds.
It is important to note that Young America’s Foundation has always advocated for both sides to be presented on campuses—not one side over the other. We frequently hear from students about how they feel as though their free speech rights are suppressed on campus and 52% said that professors often do not present alternative viewpoints when there are different sides to an issue.
Colleges and universities should be places of tolerance for all opinions not just liberal viewpoints. Recently we have seen disgusting examples of intolerance from the Left when it comes to pro-life stances and pro-second amendment opinions. Conservative students have a right to expression just like liberal students do, but it is entirely unfair for conservative viewpoints to be suppressed.
A recent poll conducted by Young America’s Foundation found that 75% of graduating college seniors noted that they were required to take diversity courses, race & ethnicity courses, or feminist/women’s studies courses in order to graduate. When viewing the content of these courses it is clear that many of these courses are not being taught objectively but rather with a liberal bias. Why is it that these courses are being required and not just offered as electives? Also, where are the conservative courses?
It’s worth noting that campus “sensitivity” trainings are on the rise yet intolerance only seems to grow toward conservative students. Students are now being asked or required in some cases to “check their privilege” at the door because every student should be on equal footing.
We are living in a politically correct environment and college and university campuses are where it starts and begins. Bloomberg’s comments are worth applauding because at least he is able to recognize the growing intolerance toward conservative ideas on campuses especially when it comes to commencement addresses.