The same crowd of people who have twisted the word “liberal” to mean all manner of coercive governmental policies that reduce people’s liberty now want to further mangle the language so that the idea of academic freedom means insulation from the consequences of dishonesty. In an excellent reply on Inside Higher Ed to those who are trying to put Ward Churchill’s critics on trial, Anne Neal sets forth the real meaning of the term and explains why this brazen case must not be swept under the rug.

I hope there are people in Colorado who are not only demanding that Churchill be taken off the public payroll, but also demanding to know why they’re spending money on an “Ethnic Studies” program at all.