Ode to the Close-Minded

I am sick of close-minded, ignorant, blind conservatism. Although I am conservative, I believe that our opinions (whether liberal or conservative) ought to be thought out with intelligence and an open mind, remembering that we all come from different walks of life. The following story is a conversation I overheard recently in a political science class, illustrating just one instance of close-mindedness.


Eight minutes before Poli Sci 110 begins, I sidle into the auditorium to take my seat near the front of the room. I choose the fourth row from the front, an advantageous spot allowing me to participate while saving me from having to sit with either the slackers or the T.A.'s. While sitting down, I notice a woman standing towards the front of the auditorium. I also notice the projector screen is pulled down displaying an advertisement unrelated to political science. Great, I think, another announcement that will take away at least fifteen minutes away from the lecture and adding to my homework list of to-do's. The woman proceeds to explain her objective with a short video clip. As the video advances, the author of our text (also a BYU faculty member) explains why we should donate to BYU. "What," a young man exclaims behind me, "he's a BYU professor? I thought he (the author) was a liberal," his voice incredulous as if conservative ideology was a mandate for all BYU professors. Moments later a new thought strikes him, and the rueful young man laments, "Well, I guess he could be liberal."