islands of repression in a sea of freedom

Tolerance In Higher Education
Share Post PrintNovember 12, 2008 Posted by John at 5:24 PM
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that an 18-year-old freshman at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Annie Grossman, was assaulted by four young women on election night. The attackers called Grossman a "racist" because she was wearing a McCain/Palin button. Grossman was diagnosed with blurred vision and a concussion.

The four attackers are believed not to be Augsburg students, but Grossman's parents say she has had trouble in school, too:

Grossmann's parents, Bruce and Dawn, said that in the weeks leading up to the presidential election, Annie had trouble on campus because of her political leanings and for being a hunter.

Bruce Grossmann said a "PETA person" had to be removed from her dorm room because he was upset by a photo of her with a black bear she had shot. Also, he said, she attended an icebreaker on campus and was booed when she identified herself as a Republican.

"I don't think she was prepared for the close-mindedness," he said. "I told her she needs to take a lower profile [for the sake of] her academic and her sports careers."

That's probably good advice, but it's one more reminder of why our colleges and universities have been described as "islands of repression in a sea of freedom."