Folly, noun: lack of good sense; foolishness….
I’ve numbered this post “Campus Follies I” because, for some reason, I have a feeling more examples will follow.
In any event, Inside Higher Ed reports this morning that Iowa State University has adopted a policy prohibiting writing messages in chalk on campus sidewalks because, say the policy’s defenders, “it will protect underrepresented groups from hateful language.”
Asians are not “underrepresented” at Iowa State: 3.6% of students vs. 2.7% of the population of Iowa. Does that mean that if hateful — or possible future hateful — chalked comments had been directed only at them there would have been no felt need for the new policy?
It is not clear at this writing whether the policy will be extended to the student newspaper or other publications, where someone might write something that others (possibly excluding Asians, whites, and Jews) might find offensive.
