One step forward, two steps back—so goes the sorry arithmetic of the fight against political correctness on college campuses. The now-famous letter from John “Jay” Ellison, dean of students at the University of Chicago, has provoked a response from more than 150 faculty members. They are not happy. You don’t want to see them when they’re not happy.
Ellison’s letter, addressed last month to incoming freshmen, made a bunch of noise because it seemed so contrary to the spirit of intolerance and intimidation that seems to be growing on campus, not just at UC but also at … well, just about every campus in the country. (Not you, Hillsdale!) Gently as possible, Ellison told the youngsters that they were about to enter an environment defined by a “commitment to freedom of inquiry and expression.” As a result, Ellison said, “we do not support so-called ‘trigger warnings,’ we do not cancel invited speakers because their topics might prove controversial, and we do not condone the creation of intellectual ‘safe spaces’ where individuals can retreat from ideas and perspectives at odds with their own.”
