Professors think they know everything.
First post here. Been lurking around some, not to sure about posting. But today, I got so pissed off and have been fuming ALL DAY to anyone who will listen.
So, recently we've been talking in this comm about the pains of being a conservative college student. I got a really acute example of that today.
One, I'm a journalism student. It's super tough every day because as you guys well know, journalism is one of the most leftward-leaning professions out there. I get to hear my viewpoints mocked almost all the time at work and in classes.
Last semester I had one professor that I thought was exceptional in keeping politics out of class. Then I have an ethics class with him this semester. He's started making here-and-there liberal comments.
Today, I got walloped in the face.
We were discussing whether or not we would publish the name of an illegal immigrant mother if she gave birth to the first baby of the new year.
Somehow, he effectively went into a 15-minute rant in which he said:
-"You may not believe it, but what do most people believe about immigrants? That they're taking jobs away from Americans and that they're all criminals, especially Mexicans, which seems to be synonymous with drug-runners." (Nevermind the fact that, by definition, being an ILLEGAL immigrant DOES mean you're a criminal.)
-anyone who supports strict immigration laws is racist against Hispanics and abhors Mexicans and is thus completely backward
-the Arizona law is the epitome of racism because it means cops can ask any random person of brown skin for papers and deport them if they don't have them; and that "some crazy lawmakers" want to make the same thing happen in Florida
-"People who support immigration laws are making it very difficult to be a brown person. It's a sad reality, but it's a tough time to be brown in America right now." (what the hell does he think about Marco Rubio, I wonder?)
-everyone "outside the liberal multicultural haven of a university" (i.e. conservatives) thinks all Muslims are terrorists
This greatly offended me because I am a die-hard conservative and believe very strongly in strict immigration laws, but I: am obsessed Hispanic cultures and especially Mexicans, the first guy I dated (also a friend) is a legal resident alien from Mexico, had a roommate and close friend who is Cuban refugee turned naturalized citizen, and have an aunt who's adopting two young Guatemalan girls whose birth mother is being deported. Additionally, I'm very much a conservative Christian but my favorite actor is a Muslim.
Clearly I am the COMPLETE opposite of what he said! How DARE he stand up there and preach to me about how wrong "my" stereotypes are when he's obviously stereotyping me?!
So now my dilemma is whether I go to his office and TELL HIM that he offended me, or sit down and take it because as much as I'd like to believe he's above messing with my grades, I also believed he was above using politics in the classroom.
Because I don't want to blow this out of proportion, but at the same time I'm entirely sick of sitting down and taking insults right to my face.
EDIT:
The following is an e-mail I sent to my professor:
Hi professor L,
(some questions about our upcoming midterm)
Also, I wanted to let you know that some of your comments in lecture yesterday about immigration offended me. As someone who has family who work for Border Patrol and someone who supports immigration laws (including Arizona’s), I resent the implication that my beliefs are “making it hard to be a brown person in America right now.” Just because I believe in immigration laws and deporting illegal immigrants does not mean I dislike Hispanics or Mexicans. I have many Hispanic friends that I love dearly, including a friend who is a legal resident alien from Mexico and a roommate and close friend who is a naturalized citizen originally from Cuba.
Additionally, as someone who considers herself outside of the “liberal multicultural setting of the university,” I resent the assumption that I am a member of that community and the implication that “most of America” outside of that community is prejudiced against Hispanics and Muslims.
I don’t understand how an argument in favor of writing stories that break stereotypes can be based on a generalization about the beliefs of “most of America” or most of America “outside of the liberal multicultural setting of the university.” Forgive me if I’m wrong, but that seems fairly stereotypical to me.
EDIT TWO:
For all of that, this was his response:
"Caitlin,
Thanks for the comments. I apologize."
So, recently we've been talking in this comm about the pains of being a conservative college student. I got a really acute example of that today.
One, I'm a journalism student. It's super tough every day because as you guys well know, journalism is one of the most leftward-leaning professions out there. I get to hear my viewpoints mocked almost all the time at work and in classes.
Last semester I had one professor that I thought was exceptional in keeping politics out of class. Then I have an ethics class with him this semester. He's started making here-and-there liberal comments.
Today, I got walloped in the face.
We were discussing whether or not we would publish the name of an illegal immigrant mother if she gave birth to the first baby of the new year.
Somehow, he effectively went into a 15-minute rant in which he said:
-"You may not believe it, but what do most people believe about immigrants? That they're taking jobs away from Americans and that they're all criminals, especially Mexicans, which seems to be synonymous with drug-runners." (Nevermind the fact that, by definition, being an ILLEGAL immigrant DOES mean you're a criminal.)
-anyone who supports strict immigration laws is racist against Hispanics and abhors Mexicans and is thus completely backward
-the Arizona law is the epitome of racism because it means cops can ask any random person of brown skin for papers and deport them if they don't have them; and that "some crazy lawmakers" want to make the same thing happen in Florida
-"People who support immigration laws are making it very difficult to be a brown person. It's a sad reality, but it's a tough time to be brown in America right now." (what the hell does he think about Marco Rubio, I wonder?)
-everyone "outside the liberal multicultural haven of a university" (i.e. conservatives) thinks all Muslims are terrorists
This greatly offended me because I am a die-hard conservative and believe very strongly in strict immigration laws, but I: am obsessed Hispanic cultures and especially Mexicans, the first guy I dated (also a friend) is a legal resident alien from Mexico, had a roommate and close friend who is Cuban refugee turned naturalized citizen, and have an aunt who's adopting two young Guatemalan girls whose birth mother is being deported. Additionally, I'm very much a conservative Christian but my favorite actor is a Muslim.
Clearly I am the COMPLETE opposite of what he said! How DARE he stand up there and preach to me about how wrong "my" stereotypes are when he's obviously stereotyping me?!
So now my dilemma is whether I go to his office and TELL HIM that he offended me, or sit down and take it because as much as I'd like to believe he's above messing with my grades, I also believed he was above using politics in the classroom.
Because I don't want to blow this out of proportion, but at the same time I'm entirely sick of sitting down and taking insults right to my face.
EDIT:
The following is an e-mail I sent to my professor:
Hi professor L,
(some questions about our upcoming midterm)
Also, I wanted to let you know that some of your comments in lecture yesterday about immigration offended me. As someone who has family who work for Border Patrol and someone who supports immigration laws (including Arizona’s), I resent the implication that my beliefs are “making it hard to be a brown person in America right now.” Just because I believe in immigration laws and deporting illegal immigrants does not mean I dislike Hispanics or Mexicans. I have many Hispanic friends that I love dearly, including a friend who is a legal resident alien from Mexico and a roommate and close friend who is a naturalized citizen originally from Cuba.
Additionally, as someone who considers herself outside of the “liberal multicultural setting of the university,” I resent the assumption that I am a member of that community and the implication that “most of America” outside of that community is prejudiced against Hispanics and Muslims.
I don’t understand how an argument in favor of writing stories that break stereotypes can be based on a generalization about the beliefs of “most of America” or most of America “outside of the liberal multicultural setting of the university.” Forgive me if I’m wrong, but that seems fairly stereotypical to me.
EDIT TWO:
For all of that, this was his response:
"Caitlin,
Thanks for the comments. I apologize."