I was once asked if a true conservative could be a critical thinker.
While I never gave the query much thought, recent fireballs thrown from such conservative groups as CampusReform.org have made me wonder about that very question.
The sparks were ignited when Bradley Schaefer, University physics and astronomy professor, gave his usual once-per-semester lecture on global warming.
A student recorded the session, edited it and released it to the masses via the Internet. Various conservative “witch hunt” groups were enraged, and the all-too-political issue of global warming was again demonized as a liberal agenda.
I sat through this same lecture twice during my astronomy classes with Schaefer in 2007. Students enter the room and sit in whichever section they feel represents their views on global warming — ranging from those who think it doesn’t exist to those who want a draconian set of laws implemented to solve the issue.
A certain nostalgia came over me as I watched my old quirky professor push a class of sophomores to actually think, take a stand and debate an issue.
The students’ response in the video was one of outrage and disrespect for a well-educated orator and Ph.D. from MIT.
Perhaps the oddest responses to this debacle were the outcries from a vocal right against his classroom policies, seeking a return to a “teaching from the book” dynamic.
While no student wants to hear his or her professor’s politics in the classroom, the global warming debate is inherently tied to politics. Anyone who has been through Schaefer’s classes knows he plays devil’s advocate on issues, regardless of his political stance.
Most importantly, not a single student has filed a complaint against Schaefer, according to Kevin Carman, dean of the College of Science.
So while conservative media groups might want to paint a picture of downtrodden and oppressed students feeling the wrath of their liberal classroom leader, this is not the case.
Rather, a “spirited professor,” as Carman called him, was pounced on in an attempt to demonize his efforts to extract responses from students on a relevant scientific and political issue.
Conservative groups should feel embarrassed for their wanton attacks, and Schaefer should be given a raise for his efforts.
 
Andrew Robertson is a 23-year-old English writing and culture senior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_Arobertson.
 
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Contact Andrew Robertson at [email protected]