I read about this earlier. Just goes to show how open minded and free speech oriented people in academia really are. You have Ward Churchills who never even get reprimanded and this guy makes a very valid, down to earth point and they fire his ass. I guess the cardinal rule is don't break a liberal's fragile ego and comfort zone. Maybe they can fire the next gunman who comes in and waste people, I'm sure he'll care.
Welcome back Flagg
I actually agree with you here, this was absolutely ridiculous. But lets not pretend this is happening all over the country. its an isolated incident.
But, really, free exchange in college classrooms has little to do with a professor using their position as a bully pulpit to push their own ideals. That applies here and to Mr. Churchill. I'm all for free exchange of ideas, and I HATE the idea that professors should censor their own beliefs so as to not "offend" anyone, but this was the professor using his classroom as a forum to make his own political point, which is wrong.
That said, I agree that this firing is a bad move. Hell, there's only a couple of weeks left in the semester. Let him finish his class, so the lives of his students are less disrupted.
Also, shame on the PC pussies who ratted out their teacher because he's "offensive." How many college professors are just plain boring? Most students would probably like an offensive one!