That other site, which this one is spoofing, keeps dialing it back. Too bad we didn’t take some screen shots. At first they were watchlisting those who were supposedly
- un-American
- discriminating against conservative students
- spreading radical agendas in the classroom
Then about a week ago, that first criterion dropped out. (Maybe someone explained to the young man running that site that it is, in fact, quite American to speak up for one’s principles.) So then we had just these two grounds for being on the list
- discriminating against conservative students
- spreading radical agendas in the classroom
But as of this afternoon, that one about discriminating against conservative students is gone. Maybe someone pointed out that their site didn’t actually offer any evidence that anyone on their list had done any such thing.
So now their only charge is this:
- spreading radical agendas in the classroom
Well, hooray for that! Bravo to all those teachers working with their students to get to the root of problems.
Except the word “agenda” is troubling. Is it unusual, meaning remarkable, that a teacher would want to do that? So let’s note that the word “agenda” is still trading in intimidation and silence.
Maybe tomorrow that word will disappear.
Professor Watchlist redux 
The Wayback Machine captured previous versions of the site. Select a highlighted date to go to site captured on that date. Then click on “About Us”.
https://web.archive.org/web/*/professorwatchlist.org
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I’m not convinced that taking down those remarks is really “dialing it back” so much as becoming more focused on what the site was really all about the whole time: institutionalizing the repression of liberal (especially far left) politicians, activists, and thinkers. Conservative students don’t face discrimination in the classroom based on their ideology, at least, not in the same way that people of color, women, LGBT, other minorities face discrimination. A conservative student may feel like they’re being challenged but I’d be willing to bet that instances of actual discrimination (in the form of assumed lower intelligence, belittling, etc.) is limited. The “Un-American” language disappearing is necessary for this sort of witchhunt to seem modern–it needs to use modern language. This leaves Turning Point with focusing on radical agendas, or more precisely leftist thinkers, scholars, activists and politicians.
At this point the list is just a list. Something annoying to be mocked and ridiculed and not something taken very seriously by academics. But don’t forget, Trump was mocked and ridiculed when he first announced his plan to run for president. The way this list, and the institutionalization of leftist suppression could come about is actually simple and possible if not likely. All Turning Point needs to do is link radical ideas in the classroom with radical home-grown terrorism. The fact that radical professors are in no way linked to terrorists doesn’t mean that academics can rest easy. The Trump administration has already demonstrated its predilection for fear mongering and just last June, Newt Gingrich (who may play an influential role as a part of the new administration) called for a new House Un-American Activities Committee to “weed out ISIS supporters and sympathizers.” Remember, the House Un-American Activities Committee didn’t expose communist spies but did devastate the free flow of thoughts and ideas. Something we still have not recovered from today.
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