Balanced Education

There is an article currently posted on the Democratic Underground that rejects the idea of a balanced education.

For if conservatives succeed in framing the free exchange of ideas inspired by our constitution into a dichotomy having two equal perspectives, one right and one left, they can feel encouraged in their demand for an equitable fair share of the teaching and research slots in America's institutions of higher education.

We can't have that - a fair share for conservatives. Liberals have a monopoly on the truth.

Just as lifetimes spent inquiring into the significant body of evidence, experimentation, and thought we call "science" generally lead scholars to conclude that evolution is a broad, reliable, predictive scientific theory explaining the history and biology of life on earth, so, too, do smart, well-educated, well-informed, and open-minded investigators into today's broad universe of knowledge (unsurprisingly referred to as "the liberal arts") generally draw logically-connected, broad-based liberal conclusions about the way the world works.

I can't pass up such an easy target. Let's consider an associate professor of political science at North Carolina Wesleyan College named Jane T. Christensen. Among her degrees is a BA from Harvard so she has solid academic credentials. Now, look at her web site. There is a picture of her posing in paramilitary gear (assuming that she really is one of the masked figures in the picture). Among her links is one to a "news" article from 1/15/2003:

Israel is embarking upon a more aggressive approach to the war on terror that will include staging targeted killings in the United States and other friendly countries, former Israeli intelligence officials told United Press International.

Here is her final exam on "The Presidency":

THE PRESIDENCY
FINAL EXAM
Instructions: Write essays on each of the following 4 questions (25 points each). Your answers should be at least one page each, no less. You will be graded on your writing and organizational skills as well as your ability to bring the readings into your discussion. This test is designed to see how well you have thought about the materials we have read and discussed and your ability to discuss these materials after you have reflected on them.
1. How has the war on terrorism contributed to the powers of the Bush presidency? (Discuss at least 4 ways).
2. Discuss the sweeping attack on democratic rights under the Bush administration and what this means for the future of democratic government in America.
3. Whose interests are served by the foreign and domestic policies of the Bush administration?
4. Describe and discuss the role of the Bush advisors. Who are they? What is their agenda? And how is it being carried out?

Plus links to 9-11 conspiracy sites.

Is this the sort of "logically-connected, broad-based liberal conclusions about the way the world works" that the Democratic Underground thinks should have a monopoly on education? (Well, yes, but they don't admit it in public.)

A couple of notes - I do agree with them that teaching evolution should be protected. There is too much evidence against the biblical account.

There is a new breed of pop-under that works with the Mozilla browser and the Democratic Underground has it. Greedy capitalists. (!??!)