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Home Front: Culture Wars
Re-education at George Mason
2013-08-28
by Walter Williams
[CNSNEWS] This week begins my 34th year serving on George Mason University's distinguished economics faculty. You might imagine my surprise when I received a letter from its Office of Equity and Diversity Services notifying me that I was required to "complete the in-person Equal Opportunity and Prevention of Sexual Harassment Policies and Procedures training."

This is a leftist agenda for indoctrination, thought control and free speech suppression to which I shall refuse to submit. Let's look at it.

Ideas such as equity and equal opportunity, while having high emotional value, are vacuous analytical concepts. For example, I've asked students whether they plan to give every employer an equal opportunity to hire them when they graduate. To a person, they always answer no. If they aren't going to give every employer an equal opportunity to hire them, what's fair about forcing employers to give them an equal opportunity to be hired?

I'm guilty of gross violation of equality of opportunity, racism and possibly sexism. Back in 1960, when interviewing people to establish a marital contract, every woman wasn't given an equal opportunity. I discriminated against not only white, Indian, Asian, Mexican and handicapped women but men of any race. My choices were confined to good-looking black women. You say, "Williams, that kind of discrimination doesn't harm anyone!" Nonsense! When I married Mrs. Williams, other women were harmed by having a reduced opportunity set.

George Mason's Office of Equity and Diversity Services has far more challenging equity and diversity work than worrying about the re-education of Professor Williams. They must know that courts have long held that gross racial disparities are probative of a pattern and practice of discrimination. The most notable gross racial disparity on campus, and hence probative of discrimination, can be found on GMU's fabulous men's basketball team. Blacks are less than 9 percent of student enrollment but are 85 percent of our varsity basketball team and dominate its starting five.
Posted by:Fred

#18  other women were harmed by having a reduced opportunity set

That's gold there.
Posted by: swksvolFF   2013-08-28 18:53  

#17  Junkiron, you have not been to the re-education camp yet, Walter Williams has been summoned to this loathsome affair and he knows it is odious to his senses.
Posted by: Au Auric    2013-08-28 16:12  

#16  Western values are under ruthless attack by the academic elite on college campuses across America. They want to replace personal liberty with government control and replace equality before the law with entitlement. The multiculturalism and diversity agenda is a cancer on our society, and our tax dollars and charitable donations are supporting it.

Perhaps you need to read the entire article to understand that Walter Williams is citing examples of the hypocrisy of the political agenda enforced at George Mason University.

The article is Walter Williams push back and explanation why after 34 years of service he is refusing to submit to the requirement that he "complete the in-person Equal Opportunity and Prevention of Sexual Harassment Policies and Procedures training."
Which he calls a leftist agenda for indoctrination, thought control and free speech suppression.

It is generally a good idea to read the entire article before attempting to criticize the author.
Posted by: junkiron   2013-08-28 13:43  

#15  RJ- Just curious, how familiar are you with Walter Williams and his other writings, which include several books and countless essays and columns? If not very, you may find his stuff worth your while (or not as the case may be).
Posted by: Eltoroverde    2013-08-28 12:33  

#14  You quit just before the punchline.

Yeah, what he said. But I can sympathize with RJ.

It is a subtle joke if you are not familiar with the nonsense coming out of our universities and corporate HR departments these days. Unlike the people producing it, he knows bullshit when he sees it..
Posted by: SteveS   2013-08-28 12:28  

#13  It's not Redneck Jim's style of joke. We don't all have the same sense of humour, which is no doubt just as well. After all, I think it's hilarious that fish knives are sterling silver; this seems to puzzle most people, including Mr. Wife.
Posted by: trailing wife   2013-08-28 12:13  

#12  Oh I comprehend just fine.
Bullshit is Bullshit regardless of the people who loudly declare that it's Equine Manure and it's GOOD to losten to.

I'm told "You might learn something", Yup I learned.

NOT to listen to other people.
KEEP my own council.
DON'T listen to all the "Other" People.

Oh I learned.

I'll decide what's shit myself, don't need your help.
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2013-08-28 12:12  

#11  RedNeck Jim. Have you noticed he was speaking about "marital contacts"? In other words he found Black women more attractive and defintely didn't want to have sex with men.
Posted by: JFM   2013-08-28 12:09  

#10  That's where I quit.

It seems your reading comprehension is...challenged.
Posted by: Crailet Bucket9790   2013-08-28 11:36  

#9  Maybe Comrade RJ needs some diversity training. If he's smart he'll catch on to the fact that if you want to pass the test you have to give all the wrong answers.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2013-08-28 11:24  

#8  I think comrade RJ needs a few sessions of self criticism.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2013-08-28 11:11  

#7  You didn't get the fact that he's imitating their rhetoric and throwing it back into their faces.
Posted by: Ptah   2013-08-28 11:08  

#6  That's where I quit

I'm not surprised.
Posted by: Pappy   2013-08-28 10:36  

#5  I thought it was a good article.

Discriminating is an act of personal choice. to make it against the law is an gross imposition on freedom.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2013-08-28 10:17  

#4  You quit just before the punchline.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2013-08-28 10:14  

#3  OK, you decide.
"complete the in-person Equal Opportunity and Prevention of Sexual Harassment Policies and Procedures training."

while having high emotional value, are vacuous analytical concepts.

I'm guilty of gross violation of equality of opportunity, racism and possibly sexism. Back in 1960,

I discriminated against not only white, Indian, Asian, Mexican and handicapped women but men of any race.

That's where I quit.
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2013-08-28 09:08  

#2  RJ, the writings of Dr. Williams are almost always worth reading. If you read it and found that it seemed a waste of time you most likely read it wrong.
Posted by: Glenmore   2013-08-28 08:43  

#1  The post is all buzzwords, not worth my reading.
I got halfway, that's enough.
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2013-08-28 06:48  

00:00