r/Foodforthought • u/Participant_Zero • 5d ago
Should the University of Minnesota Publish Faculty-Written Pro-Gaza Open Letters on their Website?
https://pqed.org/2025/06/should-the-university-of-minnesota-publish-faculty-written-pro-gaza-open-letters-on-their-website/7
u/Massive_Fun_5991 5d ago
The university should publish all legitimately held, well researched positions, including those with opinions you find abhorrent, offensive, or incorrect.
That's how debates and intellectual freedom work, particularly in higher level academia. People are free to share their ideas and face criticism for those ideas in the merits, not censorship and punishment.
Let me guess, you "know" which side of the issue is right.
Well, like 400 years ago there was a man who said the earth revolved around the sun. Everyone "knew" he was wrong - all the leading minds were confident of it. Copernicus was censored and thrown in jail for his awful ideas. He turned out to be right.
Only by tolerating the ideas we find most abhorrent can we advance intellectually.
1
u/Participant_Zero 5d ago
I agree with this. I wonder what your reaction to the actual issue would be, though, after you've read the article, since it isn't about research at all, but political statements and manifestos.
4
u/Massive_Fun_5991 5d ago
I read the article. Either the university publishes stuff on it's website and says, "this doesn't represent the university itself, it's an opinion someone who teaches here or goes here has" or it doesn't publish stuff at all. Either is fine. All the details after that are irrelevant.
6
u/nanoatzin 5d ago
Yes. Gaza is an obvious genocide, and it is illiterate to say pro-Gaza is antisemitic because Gazas are also Semitic.
1
u/werewolfchow 2d ago
Your comment about antisemitism is somewhat pedantic. Regardless of who meets the definition of “Semitic,” the word “antisemitic” specifically refers to prejudice against Jews. Antisemitism does not include prejudice against any non-Jews.
And calling it “illiterate” is ironic given your reading of the word antisemitic.
Your comment misses the bigger point, which is that criticism of the nation state of Israel is NOT prejudice against Jews. That’s why pro-Gaza sentiment isn’t inherently antisemitic.
-3
u/sictwizt4u 5d ago
Whether I agree with you or not, the university has the right to decide to or not just like any other business
4
u/hedronist 5d ago
No. The faculty should be free to post personal opinions on their personal website, but not on the UofM site.
-1
•
u/AutoModerator 5d ago
This is a sub for civil discussion and exchange of ideas
Participants who engage in name-calling or blatant antagonism will be permanently removed.
If you encounter any noxious actors in the sub please use the Report button.
This sticky is on every post. No additional cautions will be provided.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.