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Anonymity and intolerance

Anonymity and intolerance

Hey, I missed this controversy until it was over.

Via Instapundit (who is not anonymous), an anonymous law professor blogger created a blog called Inside The Law School Scam.  For about two weeks the anonymous law professor claimed to “out” all sorts of bad behavior at law schools and particularly among the law professor community (see his first post).

TaxProf (who is not anonymous), has all the background and links.  Althouse (who is not anonymous) reflects on her prior reflections on the anonymous blogger, and Brian Leiter (who is not anonymous) was critical, as was Stephen Bainbridge (who is not anonymous).

Now the anonymous law professor blogger has outed himself.  He is Paul Campos of the University of Colorado, a non-anonymous blogger at the left-wing Lawyers, Guns & Money blog and also a sometimes columnist in the mainstream media.  Donald Douglas (who is not anonymous) is enjoying the news (language warning).

Highly perceptive questions:

Why did Campos feel no need for anonymity when he expressed himself on political and legal topics in highly critical terms against the “right-wing,” but felt the need for anonymity when criticizing his mostly left-wing profession as to its job performance?  Is the legal academy more intolerant than the vast right-wing conspiracy?

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Comments

Campos is just another uber-lib from the People’s Republic of Boulder. Former home of Ward “Little Eichmanns” Churchill. ‘Nuff said.

Once more we see the “courage” of the left. When giving forth the standard left-wing propaganda they pretend they are speaking truth to power. In reality they are just mouthing the safe terms for their party bosses.

When they dare to critique those on their side they KNOW how vicious, unjust and unrelenting their side can be. They try to hide with anonymity.

They never have the honesty to see how truly brave the William Jacobsons, the Michelle Malkins and the Sarah Palins of this world are.

Donald Douglas | August 21, 2011 at 12:39 pm

Thanks for the link, William.

I think we’ve discussed this, but sometimes I regret I didn’t start blogging anonymously, although in the end I think people will be fine if they stay true to themselves, but it can be costly. So, if you’re blogging any more on this, and on perhaps the value of anonymous blogging, you’ll want to see this: ‘Carl Salonen Libelous Workplace Allegations of Child Pornography and Sexual Harassment at Long Beach City College’.

Q. “Is the legal academy more intolerant than the vast right-wing conspiracy?”

A. Yes.

Long version: Please, intolerance within the “academy?” Shocking. Who ever heard of such a thing in any “academy,” legal or otherwise? Oh wait; Global warming. Economics. History. Duke lacrosse. And now (again) Widener. Maybe he’s just thin-skinned, defensive, or interested in self preservation. Authorship of positions taken by his writings certainly indicate he was more _________ (worried about, concerned for, considerate of, fearful of) the response from his peers (a status they’d likely deny him now) in the “legal academy” for opinions critical of them or their positions than he was of opinions that criticized the “vast right wing conspiracy,” positions likely to coincide with his peers in the legal academy. And Professor, what’s with the “vast right wing conspiracy”–a Hillary Clinton excuse construct–as a counter point? How about just plain “conservative positions?” Additionally, citing five, six including yourself, signed bloggers from the legal academy whose blog posts are rational and widely known is (very) likely far from being representative of positions of the entire cohort. I don’t know the guy and am not inclined to waste time trying to acquaint myself with his writings or the matter because, just now, it seems more important to be aware generally of the dangerous sillies in the NYT, WaPo, and MSM–neither read nor watched either–none of whom ever criticize each other or appear concerned in the least about their open, mocking criticisms of… , well, you get the idea. Besides, nothing written by an unidentified author could ever be taken seriously.
Your truly,
Publius

While I agree that it’s somewhat telling that he was afraid at first to be seen criticizing law school professors, you can’t make the comparison between that and the “right wing conspiracy”. He lives in one, he doesn’t live in the other. I would feel more comfortable criticizing Iran publicly than the US government. That’s not because I think Iran more tolerant, but because Iran isn’t as able to harm me in the good ole US of A as the US government could. See how that works?

    Awing1 in reply to Awing1. | August 21, 2011 at 1:23 pm

    Sorry, the “see how that works” came across considerably more condescending than it was meant to be.

[…] WHEN LAW PROFESSORS FEEL THE NEED FOR ANONYMITY, and when they don’t. […]

Short answer: Yes.