‘Big Brother on Campus’

This is in response to your editorial (Nov. 20), “Big Brother on Campus.”

It is unfortunate that The Times chooses to portray Reed Irvine as a thought policeman, or disciple of the late Sen. Joe McCarthy, in his efforts to discourage academic institutions from employing Marxists to educate our youth--”. . . what it really wants is conformity with its own political opinions . . .” and “. . . Accuracy in Media and Accuracy in Academia . . . are based on the assumption that there is one, and only one, politically correct way to think . . .”

Does a fundamental opposition to Communist ideology in our tax-supported and private educational systems equate to an intolerance of all other political opinions? This is reminiscent of Norman Lear’s organization’s opposition to Jerry Falwell’s Moral Majority--i.e., it is politically acceptable for liberal-minded religious figures to speak out and march for disarmament, in favor of abortion, or for women’s rights; yet when Falwell holds forth opposing views, America is suddenly in peril of losing the separation of church and state. What hypocrisy! Isn’t that Lear’s argument? As the Moral Majority disagrees with his political tenets it therefore must believe there is only one acceptable way to think?

The Times apparently believes that any effort to reduce the number of Marxists in institutions of higher learning is a threat to academic freedom--”. . . whose point of view will be the target tomorrow?” This must be extremely discouraging to parents who hope that their children are being versed in American values and the free enterprise system. The fundamental truth is that most American young people are sadly lacking in a knowledge of economics and the differences between socialist and capitalist systems; a large number of college students may easily be strongly influenced by a professor who espouses Marxist ideology. Yes, even indoctrinated.

For American society to tolerate divergent political viewpoints, even those viewed as a threat to our way of life, is the foundation of our constitutional freedoms. Yet to sit back and unquestionably accept Marxists educating our youth while berating those who intelligently question the wisdom of allowing this to happen, does not bode well for the future existence of our free society.

BRUCE ARNOLD

Mammoth Lakes