Michigan Tech history and anthropology professor Dr. Carl Blair showed himself to be a supporter of free speech unless it is a conservative student group on campus. He described a project taken on by the group as “childish” and “stupid.”

The group is the Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) chapter on the Michigan Technological University campus. The professor insulted and ranted against the organization during a class. This followed the completion of the chapter’s Freedom Week project on campus. Audio of the rant was released Tuesday.

The project was the construction of a mock Berlin Wall to commemorate the 34th anniversary of the wall’s fall. The angry professor called the project “childish” and “stupid.”

“For those of you who weren’t aware of it [YAF’s Freedom Week activism project], good. For those of you who were aware of it, it was childish, stupid, homophobic, dumb, racist twits. That’s the polite version,” Blair said.

He went on to say that other faculty members are holding back on their reactions to the group because some are hoping that the group is censored. Then YAF can play victim, Blair said.

It seems to me that it is Blair that wants to be the victim here. He is so triggered by a mock Berlin Wall that he has lost his mind. When all else fails, call conservatives homophobic and racist, right? This is a college professor. He is supposed to be the adult in the room. All he is doing is behaving like a spoiled brat and a bully.

The YAF chapter provided a video of a protester vandalizing and tearing down the mock Berlin Wall. YAF’s magazine publication, “The New Guard” reached out to Blair for comment. He told the caller that he had nothing else to say and stood by his words. Then he slammed down the phone. It sure sounds like this man has anger issues.

A Michigan Tech spokesperson told Fox Digital that “As a flagship technological university with a strong research focus, Michigan Tech vigorously supports freedom of speech and academic freedom. We follow the Chicago Principles in this manner. With this, we expect an environment of respect and civility, even more so within our classrooms.”

Will anything happen to this angry professor? He wasn’t running his classroom with respect and civility. He is hoping to deny a conservative student group’s freedom of speech. How does he treat YAF members who are his students? Will he be held accountable?

YAF released a statement. “Young Americans for Freedom at Michigan Tech stands by free speech on all campuses across the United States. We do so in the face of insults from a professor and others who think First Amendment protections only apply to their worldview. The student who vandalized our display has the right to free speech, but went too far, endangering people and damaging property. Our chapter seeks civil conversation on a diverse variety of topics and positions.”

I am amazed that of all things, a model of the Berlin Wall set him off so strongly. Is he bitter that Communism failed? When the wall fell, it was a glorious sight. I still remember feeling a sense of awe as I witnessed history through watching it on television. It was a time of optimism. Why did Blair find commemorating that time so unbearable?

Colleges are failing their students miserably. Blair’s closing remarks on that tape are odd.

“That’s not what college should be about. You know, it should be a place where you could learn, experience, do interesting things, have interesting opportunities – hint, hint, study away – uh, rather than wasting your time and having to address idiots. They’re idiots out there. Sorry, that’s life,” Blair said.

He seems to be under the impression that college is for students to think and act in lockstep, as long as it is to his way of thinking. He is irritated that he has to deal with people who think differently, which is odd for the intellectual class. Normally, college students are encouraged to look at all points of view. College is supposed to be where students learn to think, not what to think.

YAF was founded in 1960 by William F. Buckley Jr. and others. It isn’t going away. Young America’s Foundation is the name of the parent organization. Ronald Reagan joined the YAF National Advisory Board in 1962 and for 42 years served as the Honorary Chairman. In 1998, the Foundation purchased the Reagan Ranch in California. YAF holds an annual national conservative students conference. Scott Walker, former governor of Wisconsin and 2016 Republican presidential candidate, became President of YAF in February 2021.