It was a joke, says Tennessee senator who said colleges should be banned

[Judi Lynn]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Omaha Steve (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Associated Press

While Republican Kerry Roberts said colleges should be banned "to save America," he co-sponsored legislation this year to promote higher education.

Sept. 10, 2019, 12:12 AM CDT
By Alex Johnson

A state senator in Tennessee on Monday night said it should have been obvious that he was joking when he suggested that higher education be abolished because it's a "liberal breeding ground."

Sen. Kerry Roberts, a Republican who represents a suburban district north and west of Nashville, was discussing a legislative session on an abortion measure on his weekly radio show last week when he recounted a "diatribe" that he said was delivered by a woman who "goes off" on white lawmakers.

The woman complained that "we've never done anything for black people," Roberts said on WDBL-AM of Springfield. He said the woman accused lawmakers of being "just hate-filled idiots."

His voice rising to a shout, Roberts said: "If there's one thing that we can do to save America today, it's to get rid of our institutions of higher education right now and cut the liberal breeding ground off! Good grief!"

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/it-was-joke-says-tennessee-senator-who-said-colleges-should-n1051776

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"Pull my finger."

It was a joke, says Tennessee senator

[a la izquierda]

1. Some of you on DU probably know that I'm a professor. I teach Latin American History.

My students know NOTHING of my political beliefs directly. They might be able to guess a bit, but in 75% of the courses I teach, my US political beliefs are irrelevant. In those classes where my politics might come into play, it's probably not evident until the very end of the class (i.e. Cold War policies in Latin America) that my beliefs peak out.

I can't tell you how many times and for how long I've had to deal with this stupid shit from conservative drones. They think I get paid too much (I'll never make six figures, nor will most of my colleagues in humanities). They think I persecute conservative students.

I'm sick of this shit. It's bad enough I get openly MAGA students in my class whose goal is to disrupt and then whine that they're being persecuted. It's bad enough that my university campus will probably allow guns in the near future (thanks to the psychotic Republicans in WV). It has made me abhor and fear my job.

So thanks for your joke, Mr Asshole from Tennessee.

[stopdiggin]

2. good point. Mr Roberts maybe be joking (w/ benefit of the doubt)

but the anti-science, anti-education, anti-intellectual strain that runs through the modern conservative agenda -- is the farthest thing from a joke. In fact -- willful ignorance is becoming more and more deadly with each passing season.

[yardwork]

5. Liberal establishments need to start fighting back.

We get accused of all kinds of things without fighting back. I like your rant. Say it loud.

[Maxheader]

6. Here in kansaas we got silo tech..

mind bending young kids into conservative ideology's..do I have proof? no..just the people I've met that went there...Of course the other state school is considered by the wingers as being a liberal institute...

[mahina]

24. Wow.

I’m amazed that WV offers Latin American history.

I’d be very interested in a reading list for your introductory class, if it’s online somewhere easy on you to share.

For a while, we lived in the continent, and a classmate’s dad also taught your subject. Milton Vanger was his name.

[modrepub]

3. Being a Regular Afternoon AM Radio Listener

is probably more detrimental to our society than going to college.

[Maxheader]

7. (laugh)

amen...bought a radio to wear on my bike rides...tuned into the am stations for the first time in awhile...mike savage, hennesy...limbaugh...ads for churches preaching anti liberal sermons..

[rockfordfile]

4. What un-American pos

[bucolic_frolic]

8. We should have a cultural educational advantage over them who reject science

and anything that's not in their conservative mindset

I mean, when you need expertise, you seek an educated person. A money manager, a doctor/dentist. Or do MAGAtzi's multiply because we buy their output - the semi-skilled things that serve our infrastructure and our lives.

It's a conundrum....................

[3Hotdogs]

9. Now, I don't care who you are....

That joke was a fukin' knee slapper.

[Miguelito Loveless]

10. Rush Limbaugh ran the "it was a joke" excuse into the ground

two decades ago.

No one but horrible people like you are laughing.

[Kid Berwyn]

11. Stupid people make better slaves.

“Only the educated are free.” — Epictetus

[bucolic_frolic]

12. Luddites have nothing on these anti-Dark Ages crowd

Let's uncreate universities. The institutions that stored knowledge and grew civilization. Let's replace it with ... what do they intend to replace it with? Blood and soil serfdom?

[Archae]

16. Buy-bulls and preachers demanding we give them any money we have.

"Prosperity" preachers like Trumps' favorite, Paula White.

"End of the World" preachers like anti-Jewish preacher Rick Wiles or convicted pervert and crook Jim Bakker.

Churches that scream about "morality" while covering up for perverts in their ranks.

[tblue37]

19. They are PRO Dark Ages, not anti. nt

[bucolic_frolic]

20. Couldn't disagree with you more

Knowledge, libraries, and books retreated to monasteries and what centers of learning there were in the middle ages.

Disbanding colleges is the exact opposite of knowledge.

[tblue37]

22. But when you say "Dark Ages," to most people that means the ascendancy of superstition and ignorance

and the rejection of reason and objective knowledge. That is what these yahoos support, so they are pro Dark Ages. Anti-Dark Ages means the rejection of what the label " Dark Ages" implies --i.e., rejection of ignorance and superstition--and support for the ascendancy of knowledge and learning.

[Javaman]

13. bullshit. that was no joke.

he laughs it off now but he was testing the waters.

[Gothmog]

14. This was not a joke

[madville]

15. We wouldn't have college football with colleges

All the UT fans would heartily agree.

[riversedge]

17. This Republican learns well from Trump.

[tblue37]

18. They always claim it's a joke when they get caught saying what they really mean. nt

[yellowcanine]

21. Ha ha. Wingnutters are so funny.

[mahina]

23. Get that show on the road. Standup comedy awaits you.

That and tomatoes, maybe a few beer bottles.

Cretin. Liar.

[Omaha Steve]

25. After a review by forum hosts....LOCKING

NOT important news of national interest only.