by Mike Gray

“Universities are probably the most unaccountable institutions in our society.” — David Horowitz

According to Horowitz, there’s an irony in the fact that America’s tertiary institutions began as places of religious indoctrination and in the past few decades have come round to the same program—but with a decidedly different core curriculum.

As someone raised by Marxist parents, Horowitz should know a thing or two about socialism; and as someone who broke with their program, he should also know how unpleasant it is to be branded a heretic.

Leftists are notorious for preaching only one side of an issue; indoctrination in Marxist thinking isn’t a choice so much as a necessity in the performance of their religious duties. Horowitz claims modern American university faculties are comprised of nearly “95%” leftists; nevertheless, he opposes hiring policies that consider political orientation, Left or Right, a sine qua non for employment—but with the deck stacked leftward like it is, it’s hard to see how a redress of the situation is possible.

The objects of Horowitz’s unflattering scrutiny claim he’s all wet and believe they’ve been unfairly picked on:

Horowitz’s attacks have been significant. People who read the book or his Web site regularly send letters to university officials asking for her [Dana L. Cloud] to be fired. Personally, she has received — mostly via e-mail — “physical threats, threats of removing my daughter from my custody, threats of sexual assaults, horrible disgusting gendered things,” she said. That Horowitz doesn’t send these isn’t the point, she said. “He builds a climate and culture that emboldens people,” and as a result, shouldn’t be seen as a defender of academic freedom, but as its enemy. — From Wikipedia

As a heretic, Horowitz is a lightning rod for controversy and threats of violence. Academic leftist groups find weak excuses not to allow him to speak on campuses:

After discussion, the National Communication Association chose not to grant Horowitz a spot as a panelist at its national conference in 2008, even after he agreed to forego the $7,000 speaking fee he had requested.

Horowitz replied, “The fact that no academic group has had the balls to invite me says a lot about the ability of academic associations to discuss important issues if a political minority wants to censor them.” An association official said the decision was based in part on Horowitz’s request to be provided with a stipend for $500 to hire a personal bodyguard. Association officials decided that having a bodyguard present “communicates the expectation of confrontation and violence.” — Also from Wikipedia

What a lame excuse! Along with Ann Coulter, Horowitz knows all about “the expectation of confrontation and violence”; they both have a right to demand protection—you never know when a thrown “pie” just might be laced with acid.

Horowitz’s book, Reforming Our Universities: The Campaign For An Academic Bill of Rights, is available on Amazon.com.

His website is FrontPageMag.com.

There’s an interview with Horowitz on PJTV. Run time: 18 minutes 3 seconds.