Please help my sons, your and others' kids

I'm the father of 5-year old and a 8-month old sons. Hopefully they will be smart enough, and kind enough to my budget, to go on to the University of California.

If you are reading this, you were probably strong-minded enough to resist indoctrination in extremism while you were in college. You probably also know others who weren't, or who were socially or verbally coerced into conformity with liberal or far left doctrines.

That alone should be reason enough to support those who fight for greater academic balance and fairness.

But, it has gone beyond that verbal coercion at some campuses, to physical coercion. This is particularly so in acts of physical intimidation and violence against identifiable Jewish students or those who strongly support Israel, as the furthest left and the most radical Islamists combine to
enforce their views. See, for example, David Horowitz' book, Unholy Alliance.

There is a movement in California and other states to have the legislature pass the Academic Bill of Rights, which reinstates some of the rules eliminated in 2003 , so that "faculty shall not use their courses or their positions for the purpose of political, ideological, religious or
anti-religious indoctrination.".

In the meantime, more focused, is a  petition by the Scholars for Peace in the Middle East, a broad-based group of scholars, to the Governor of California, University of California and California State University officials. The petition urges a review of course descriptions and materials to ensure that there is presentation of the "full range of scholarly views about Israel and Zionism."

Yes, it has gone that far down hill that such a petition by concerned scholars needs to be signed by concerned Americans. The Scholars for Peace in the Middle East is trying to get 10,000 signatures immediately, with more to follow. Timing is important because press attention can most easily be drawn to the problem as the academic year begins.

Please click on this petition link and sign, and forward to every one you know of good conscience. You and they need not be California residents to have a say, as out-of-state students attend California colleges, and all Americans have a keen stake in what happens in the state containing 10% of the U.S. population.

Paraphrasing Jimmy Durante: My father thanks you; my mother thanks you; my
children thank you; and I thank you.

Reprinted with permission of the author after article originally appeared at  www.democracy-project.com