The concept of free speech is an abstraction worth defending, certainly. But what does free speech mean when nearly everyone who has actually gained any kind of a degree understands fully that the freedom to academic expression is contingent upon any number of factors, including race, class origins, gender, and ethnicity, to name just a few? …
Feminist Philosophers 
“Anyone who has made it through the grind of the academic world, whether or not they survived, can (but might not) tell you that it’s always imperative to not simply express themselves but to learn how and when to be silent, whether on matters pertaining to students and disciplinary actions, the question of Palestine, or the silently ominous ways in which departmental and programmatic rituals and appointments are decided upon.”
As someone who only recently earned a BA at the age of 44, I was often struck by how confined my professors seemed to be on certain issues — whether related to campus politics or other important discussions. This has been weighing on my mind of late as I ponder my possible routes through grad school. “Do I really want to dive back into that atmosphere, on an even more rigorous level?”
Also, totally unrelated, love the handle. I can haz season 2 pleaz?