Off To Princeton, With Some Good News
Posting will be light to non-existent the next few days as I head back to Princeton for reunions (my 21st reunion, not an even year, but we Princeton grads can be goofy that way).
I will leave you with this good news about my alma mater, via FIRE:
PRINCETON, N.J. -- After being initially rebuffed by a Princeton University
official, a group of evangelical Christian students who wanted access to
facilities and the chance to apply for funds has won a victory.After
the university's dean of religious life refused recognition for Princeton Faith
and Action, the group appealed to a campus rights group that successfully
lobbied the university to change its procedures."We found Princeton's quick and fair response very encouraging. We've found
other colleges who haven't been particularly fair to religious groups, sometimes
in an unconstitutional way," said Greg Lukianoff, an official with the
Philadelphia-based Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.Princeton Faith and Action has now been recognized as a student group,
religious groups are being treated that same as secular groups, and the
university will conduct a review of procedures related to student organizations,
said Princeton Provost Christopher L. Eisgruber."We need to be
welcoming groups, even if their opinions are unorthodox, and that is the goal of
our review," Eisgruber said.
After sending this to several people, I got the odd response "gee Warren, I didn't think you were an evangelical". I am not, nor am I a conservative, and the PFA would not be my cup of tea. However, I think this response is endemic of a major problem we have in this country, that of "free speech for me but not for thee."
Its great to see Princeton working to stay open to all points of view, which I think will make it a better university and give it an advantage over time vs. the Harvard's and Dartmouth's of the world that still resist freedom of inquiry outside the bounds of political correctness. Someday soon I will have to write a post on how "freedom of association" absolutely requires the converse: freedom not to associate with certain people. Anyway, in the mean time, I will leave you with some reunions photos.
