Right On: Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools

September 5, 2018 Utah Channel 3

OPINION — My title comes from one of the Apostle Paul’s epistles, Romans 1:22, but surely applies today.

Americans on the far left are among the most highly educated and knowledgeable people in the country. Yet most of us are flabbergasted at the foolish things they do and say.

“Wisdom: the quality of having knowledge, experience, and good judgment.”

Knowledge isn’t enough. Some with great knowledge lack common sense and good judgment.

Amy Wax, a University of Pennsylvania law professor, learned this the hard way. In an opinion piece she wrote last year, she challenged the left’s embrace of multiculturalism, the idea that no culture is superior to any other. She wrote:

“All cultures are not equal. Or at least they are not equal in preparing people to be productive in an advanced economy.

“The culture of the Plains Indians was designed for nomadic hunters, but is not suited to a First World, 21st century environment. Nor are the single-parent, antisocial habits prevalent among some working-class whites; the anti-“acting white” rap culture of inner-city blacks; the anti-assimilation ideas gaining ground among some Hispanic immigrants.

“These cultural orientations are not only incompatible with what an advanced free-market economy and a viable democracy require, they are also destructive of a sense of solidarity and reciprocity among Americans.”

Wax’s statements were controversial. But instead of replying with a defense of multiculturalism, Penn Law’s faculty did what leftists are prone to do when their ideals are challenged: They charged her with racism. The left-wing National Lawyers Guild called her article “an explicit and implicit endorsement of white supremacy.”

“In the frank expression of conflicting opinions lies the greatest promise of wisdom.” – Louis D. Brandeis

Would multiculturalists have us believe that our culture is not superior to Hitler’s Germany and Stalin’s Russia? Tens of millions died. How about Mao’s Cultural Revolution and Pol Pot’s killing fields that also killed millions?

Not to be outdone by the law department, students in the University of Pennsylvania’s English department removed a portrait of William Shakespeare and replaced it with a black lesbian poet.

The radical left rejects most great philosophical, literary and artistic works on the grounds that they were written or created by white males. Eliminating these repositories of Western civilization’s wisdom from college curricula on racist and sexist grounds smacks of totalitarian fascism and communism. Will they next burn books and pictures as the Nazis did?

This is the antithesis of wisdom, which teaches that certain ideas are morally superior to others and that some literary and artistic works are superior to others.

“Wisdom has never made a bigot, but learning has.” – Josh Billings

Turn now to the radical left’s latest fixation: “cultural appropriation.” Salt Lake teenager Keziah Daum wore a Chinese cheongsam dress she found attractive to her high school prom. Since she is not Chinese-American, she was promptly criticized for appropriating Chinese culture. Is such criticism warranted? Or is it simply stupid?

“Great wisdom is generous; petty wisdom is contentious.” – Zhuangzi

Americans appropriate ideas, inventions, food, fashion, music and art from around the world, whatever we find useful, satisfying or entertaining.

Rejecting biology and common sense, the left would have us believe there are more than two genders. Tumblr says there are 112. Is this wise? Or is it false and foolish?

The left wing readily drank the Kool-Aid that said society’s ills would be cured if children had higher self-esteem. Turns out building undeserved self-esteem has raised a narcissistic, self-absorbed generation.

To its credit, the leftist Guardian, once a self-esteem champion, exposed the “con” – its word – upon which the self-esteem movement is based. Another leftist fad run amok but not until millions of young people had been adversely affected.

“If a million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.” – Anatole France

Colleges provide students with “safe spaces” – stocked with hot chocolate, stuffed animals and puppy videos – in which to hide whenever a conservative speaker comes to campus. Does this reflect wisdom or is it foolishness?

“It is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things.” – Henry David Thoreau

Universities around the country have done all they can to restrict free speech on campus, especially if that free speech comes from conservatives and the religious. A number have created “bias response teams” that respond to student complaints of “bias incidents.” In clear violation of the First Amendment, students are punished not for what they say but for how others feel about it.

“True wisdom listens more, talks less and can get along with all types of people.” – Kiana Tom

“Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.” – Jimi Hendrix

Supposedly serious elements of the Democratic Party want to lower the voting age to 16. Yet these same folks want to raise the minimum age to buy a gun to 21. See the dichotomy?

Is it wise to ask children with so little life experience and whose only understanding of government comes from their overwhelmingly-liberal teachers to choose our leaders? Or is this an acknowledgement that these Democrats are no wiser than the average 16-year-old?

“Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.” – Albert Einstein

Dennis Prager suggests a way to test this column’s thesis: Ask left-wing friends what they have done to pass on wisdom to their children. Most will answer with a question: “What do you mean?”

Then ask religious Jewish, Christian or Moslem friends the same question. They won’t answer with a question.

Howard Sierer is an opinion columnist for St. George News. The opinions stated in this article are his own and may not be representative of St. George News.

Email: hsierer@stgeorgeutah.com

Twitter: @STGnews