There was a time when universities banked on the notion of intellectual excellence.
Not anymore. Present at the birth of the university, Bernard of Chartres (died c. 1130) once said the following:
“We are like dwarfs perched on the shoulders of giants, so that we can see more than they, and things at a greater distance—not by virtue of any sharpness of sight on our part, or any physical height, but because we are carried high and raised up by their giant stature.”
At SVSU, it’s been replaced by something like this:
“We are devolving clowns, drooling on our collars as we sink in a pit of mud, our vision so clouded we can barely see the manure-stained soles of our grandparents’ shoes, who expected us to do better—failing not through lack of means, but in seeking lazy comfort, lacking integrity and the courage to do better.”
The mindset of those seeking to confine discussion to narrow, institutionally approved limits was shown on March 4 at an Issues & Ale Election Preview event in Farmington.
An audience member asked Zoe Clark of Michigan Public/NPR why they excluded the Libertarian Party candidate for the 35th Senate district from the SVSU candidate forum. Ms. Clark’s response, seen here at the 49-minute mark, revealed her uneasiness about the topic.
Trying to project a false sense of comfort about excluding Ali Sledz, Ms. Clark overcompensated by visibly squirming in a manic, I’m-a-good-girl false joy, a frozen rictus, and a cooing, chirpy response, saying: “I’m super excited to talk about the race.”
This is not normal behavior if you don’t feel guilty—especially since Clark was seen passing out “I support free speech” bags at the event.
It was pure Orwellian double-think on display. Click here to see the video of the show.
Last week, the League of Women Voters withdrew its sponsorship of SVSU’s candidate forum specifically because it
excluded Ali Sledz for Michigan’s 35th District.
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Ali Sledz is a resident of Midland and mother of three. Married for 16 years (in July), she is an active volunteer in her local school district. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Central Michigan University and is working on a Master of Science at Oakland University.
Alarmed by the lack of responsibility among the two major parties, she is running as The Accountability Candidate for Michigan’s long-vacant 35th District Senate seat.
