Tag: university of idaho

The Sept. 23 abortion memo from the University of Idaho’s general counsel created a firestorm felt from Idaho to the White House and beyond. The unexpected and unsigned memo is viewed as strident by faculty, staff and students.

In Idaho's handling of public education at all levels, the state has been racing to the bottom for years. Financial support is continuing to decline, the legislature, dominated by nutjob Republicans, is convinced education at all levels exists to indoctrinate students in left-wing and woke ideology.

The University of Idaho has told its employees that they are not allowed to promote or advocate for abortion and if they do, they could be charged with a crime and fired. The new policy has attracted the attention of many, including an organization dedicated to advocating for the First Amendment.

While the unsigned UI memo may be correct according to state law, it begs the question about the impact on federal law in the state. It also brings to mind the quote from President George Washington: “If freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.”

The stories of the intersection of diversity and commonality, of empathy and intentional engagement traveled with me into the academy as an ethnographer.