The chancellor was texting about her to the lt gov’s chief of staff, as per the article. That’s fairly damming – there’s no legitimate reason for the lt gov to get involved with a university professor.
There’s also no legitimate reason an opioid expert should be weighing in on political topics in a lecture. That’s not what the people taking her course payed for.
I’m as left as they get- but I’d be pissed too if she was lecturing on political bias. And that’s IF she even was.
If you read the guardian article, students barely remembered the lt gov being mentioned, and it was in the context of medicine, which the lt gov has made a habit of inserting himself into.
Also: A professor criticizing an elected official wrt their specialty is how the system is supposed to work. Experts ought to call out bullshit when they see it. An elected official using their office to silence that critique is gross at best and unworthy of our democratic ideals
I’m not even necessarily on the other side of whatever argument you want to make. I just was pointing out that it didn’t make sense. I am also not going to put words in your mouth and try and extrapolate what you truly meant.
No, this is false. That way lies fascism. Anyone with expertise, academics included, has a responsibility to call out elected officials who are acting badly or advocating bad policies.
Elected officials have a responsibility to the people, one of which is to not punish private citizens for speaking their mind.
I mean holy fuck. Abuse of power doesn’t get much more obvious then this.
Many many disciplines in academia discuss current events, society and politics. Universities (and those they educate) provide valuable research and data that governments should use to help guide their decisions and policymaking.
Also, in a free society government shouldn’t be able to crack down on academics (or anyone) for being critical. Thats is free and healthy democratic society 101.
Second, in this case, it was an expert on the opioid crisis pointing out that the lt. governor had made policies that made it harder for people with opioid addiction to get help or be safe without being prosecuted. And that naturally this had the effect of people not pursuing treatment that could potentially land them in legal trouble. She wasn’t commenting on the personal life of Dan Patrick, she was commenting on his policies and the consequences of those policies on a subject that was the topic of her lecture and her field of research.
I think that some (most) professors have far too much leeway and impunity to do almost whatever they want, which can and has created many issues within higher education. I also think that topic should be talked about far more than it is. But if you can’t see the issue with this story, I don’t know what to tell you.
Texas has policies regarding opioids, its treatment of people with addiction and it’s enforcement of drug laws that directly contribute to the crisis. For example, Lt. governor Dan Patrick is responsible for laws that remove protections for people seeking help with addiction, which naturally results in fewer people seeking help. His office is currently stalling a bill (that passed in the Texas House) to declassify fentanyl test strips as drug paraphernalia. These decisions obviously have an impact on the opioid crisis, which was the topic of her lecture.
From the article:
According to one student who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation from the school, some students wondered if it was when Alonzo said that the lieutenant governor’s office was one of the reasons it’s hard for drug users to access certain care for opioid addiction or overdoses.
A second student who also asked to remain anonymous for the same reason said Alonzo made a comment that the lieutenant governor’s office had opposed policies that could have prevented opioid-related deaths, and by doing so had allowed people to die.
A third student who also spoke on the condition of anonymity said Alonzo talked about how policies, like the state’s ban on fentanyl test strips, have a direct impact on the ability to prevent opioid overdoses and deaths. A push to legalize the test strips died earlier this year in the Patrick-led Senate despite support from top Republicans, including Abbott.
Much of research is supposed to inform the public about issues and risks that we face as a society and examine the effects of decisions, including political decisions.
The freedom to criticize our leadership is cherished. This professor should never have been suspended for legitimate and legally protected behavior. I hope she seeks legal remediation for this.
Thanks @torknorggren for letting me know first link was 404'd on my first post. Thanks @PeterGintz for correcting the link. That link is now in this thread.
Yup, will tell everyone I know about Curves and not to use them. I already let everyone I know that the Buccee’s CEO donated to Abbotts campaign, so fuck them too.
And now I gotta look up this Monty Bennet guy to see which hotel chains he’s apart of, and avoid staying there as well.
The oil men…meh…they’ve always pieces of shit, so they don’t surprise me.
Edit: Well fuck me. Remington hotels manages 24 brands, including shit like Courtyard by Marriott, LA Quinta, Hilton, Marriott, Residence Inn, Hyatt, Westin, and Sheraton.
Guess I’m searching out independently owned boutiques and true-blue, old-school Bed and Breakfast’s. 😮💨
I don’t get the love for Buccees. The bathroom lines are long and the place is a madhouse every time I’ve stopped there. Is the gas cheaper or something?
I have no idea either. I’ll admit that they do keep their bathrooms clean, but so does Love’s, which is usually right across the street from a Buccee’s in my experience.
And since everyone and their brother simply must go to Buccee’s specifically, the bathroom lines and parking lot at Love’s is much more manageable.
Some people like their hot food I guess, but no amount of roast beef will convince me to support a brand that supports Abbott (once I find out about it, I swear I don’t actively go looking for this shit. I just do my research when the opportunity presents itself because we’re in a capitalist society, and if enough people voted with their dollars, shit might change)
They only manage ~130 specific properties within those brands (their website is hot garbage so I’ve provided an alt link).
Sometimes a brand will own the property, but hire an outside company to manage it, other times the mgmt company owns and manages the property, and even more other other times, the mgmt company will own the property, but the brand is (still) under contract to manage the property from the previous owner
Lit. Thanks for the clarification. And the better link!
I think being an informed consumer is hella important for change, so I’m super appreciative for better information. This is good news because the list isn’t as extensive as I thought, since I misunderstood their portfolio.
Definitely favorited your link (so I know which hotels Id like to do my best avoiding) as I travel around Texas! You’re a real one!
texastribune.org
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