Lets get the priests out of the universities

Let’s get the priests out of the universities!

A week after enthusiastic students managed to cancel a lecture by a law professor at McGill University, Minister for Higher Education Pascale Déry yesterday took pen to remind the men and women who run our universities that academic freedom is a fundamental value in Quebec.

“Under no circumstances should we tolerate censorship in academic circles,” she wrote. We cannot sacrifice academic freedom in the name of specific struggles. »

Courage, run away!

The Minister’s letter is clear.

It is the rector’s job to protect freedom of expression within their institutions.

As Karine Gagnon told me on QUB Radio yesterday, it is still sad that we have come this far and that we have to repeat this obvious fact to the people who run our universities.

But what do you want, it’s the reality.

Look at what happened at McGill.

What did the rector of the university do when a handful of extremists started vandalizing the room where the conference was to be held?

Did he go on stage to try to calm the crowd?

no He fled to his office, leaving the Vandals to rule the institution he ran.

LAW 32

On June 3, the National Assembly passed Bill 32 Protecting Academic Freedom.

Universities have until June 2023 to present their internal guidelines to protect academic freedom in their institutions.

And establish a committee of students, officers and staff to implement this policy and review complaints about academic academic freedom.

It’s not a panacea (who names the students and professors who will sit on this committee?), but it’s a step in the right direction.

At least the rectors don’t feel alone.

Left at the front without weapons and ammunition.

WHEN IS A NEW GLOBAL DENIAL ?

“It’s not the fault of the guards when conferences are canceled or certain works are censored, it’s the fault of the leaders who bow to the pressure,” I heard.

Perhaps.

But who is exerting this pressure? Who threatens to destroy everything if we don’t do as they say?

Damn the guards!

In the 1950s and ’60s, it was the religious right that blacklisted works and attempted to clean schools, libraries, and theaters.

What have our intellectuals and artists done?

You fought back! They fought the priests and threw them out of the universities!

Well, what are our artists waiting for to resume the fight?

Oh, it’s true: the priests are now on the left! So you don’t have to fight them.

Because whoever fights on the left is on the right.

And which artist wants to be accused of being right-wing? nobody !

So they behave like the three monkeys. Seen nothing, said nothing, heard nothing.

Result: It is the government that must defend freedom of speech!

Because our intellectuals and our artists are sleeping on petrol.

Hiding under her desk like McGill’s president.

Who is Gaston Miron