Last Saturday’s Daily Telegraph reported that a group of Oxford University students had started to campaign for the dismissal of one of its dons for being associated with Migration Watch UK and for having publicly voiced the scepticism he shares with it about the alleged economic benefits of the recent large scale of net immigration Britain has experienced.
The campaigning students belong to the Oxford branch of Star, Student Action for Refugees, a group lobbying on behalf of refugees and asylum seekers. Their quarry is no less than their University’s Professor of Demography, David Coleman.
Today’s issue of the Daily Telegraph contains a characteristically robust, good- humoured and flawlessly argued defence by Professor Coleman of the concerns he shares with Migration Watch about the recent scale of immigration, as well as of his association with it and another organisation to which the students have also taken exception.
Among their several complaints against Professor Coleman is that he has used his status as a university professor to legitimise the views and reports produced by Migration Watch UK.
In the apparent absence of any reasons or arguments adduced by the students against these views and reports, one feels like retorting it is they who are using their status as Oxford university students to de-legitimise free debate about an important public issue and to stifle academic freedom.
Given Oxford is notoriously the home of lost causes, the only consolation that may be taken from this sorry episode is that it augurs well for those, like Professor Coleman and Migration Watch, who have long sought to challenge the left-liberal consensus on this issue.
Comments (2)
Mike, how can you have keys to moral high ground? Besides, there's no more room on this high ground with me sitting on it.
Posted by Em | April 10, 2007 4:21 PM
Posted on April 10, 2007 16:21
Self-righteous, blinkered and arrogant sums up the view expressed by Star. However, these traits are allowed under a democracy.
Also, in a democratic society views that oppose the current political orthodoxy are essential. No single group holds the keys to the moral high ground, students must remember that.
Freedom of thought, freedom of expression; the proffessor is exercising his right that we paid dearly for in the 20th century. We defeated fascism, the actions of the students are the hallmarks of fascism.
They know not what they do, for they are young and inexperienced, they can be forgiven, but only in a democracy.
Posted by mike | March 11, 2007 12:54 PM
Posted on March 11, 2007 12:54