Flanked by two burly security guards, U.S. conservative writer and activist David Horowitz posed the question to a packed crowd: are we all being indoctrinated? Last night, the Penn College Republicans brought Horowitz to Huntsman Hall to discuss his latest book, One-Party Classroom: How Radical Professors at America's Top Colleges Indoctrinate Students and Undermine Our Democracy.
Horowitz began his address by stating that the function of a university is not to indoctrinate students but to encourage them to think for themselves.
Students are taught that "society is dominated by race, gender and social hierarchies," Horowitz said. While he said he has no problem with professors discussing gender hierarchies, he does take issue with professors who pose the concern "as if it is a fact."
He added that teaching gender as "socially constructed" is a violation of academic standards.
Horowitz emphasized that "university culture is the most reactionary racist culture in America." He explained that on many college campuses, it is politically correct to hate nonminorities, such as Jews, Christians and whites.
Horowitz referred to the high-profile allegations of rape against several lacrosse players at Duke University as an example of how "the alleged hierarchies are reversed and whites are at the bottom." He added that "this is bad for blacks and whites."
He went on to say that the political "Left" is quick to label dissenters as racists, sexists or homophobes. These accusations, he said, can be very damaging, both personally and professionally.
"[If] you open your mouth and reveal that you are conservative, you better know how to defend yourself," he said.
Horowitz added that he has no problem with people who have biased views as long as they have full knowledge of the situation and take the opposite argument into account.
He analogized this to watching Court TV where there are only prosecutors present. "Once the defense attorney speaks, you see a whole different side of the story," he said.
College Republicans chairman and Wharton junior Peter Devine said Horowitz was invited to speak because he is "a highly regarded conservative voice and he is passionate about what he stands for."
"The problem is not that you will come out a Marxist," Horowitz said concluding his speech. "It is that you will come out of college not knowing how to think."
