sat 19 dec 2015, 15:18

“Political correctness kills free debate’

LONDON –

The British universities are too politically correct, freedom of speech is compromised. Writes that a group of important scientists Saturday in The Telegraph.

Voorzichtig wordt Cecil Rhodes, of zijn door vandalen besmeurde standbeeld op de universiteitscampus van Kaapstad althans, van zijn sokkel gehesen.

Caution is Cecil Rhodes, or by vandals covered the statue on the campus of Cape town at least, from his pedestal to be lifted.

The universities cancel more and more topics because someone there offence might take. Which self-censorship changes the universities in excessive “safe havens”, where students will not have the “intellectual challenge of a debate about conflicting ideas”.

The urgent letter comes at the time that the Oxford university considering an image to remove Cecil Rhodes, a former student and lender of the training. Rhodes is seen as the originator of the apartheid in South Africa. The image is according to the academics, part of a “long and growing” list of people and objects that are banned on British campuses, including pop songs and sombrero’s.

“An open and democratic society needs people who have the courage to argue against ideas they don’t agree with or even find offensive,” says the letter.