There's no nice way to put this. Academia is in the midst of self-destructing, not just in the United States but worldwide.
Recall that, just two months ago, Fresno State Professor Randa Jarrar went on a hate-filled Twitter rant against the recently deceased Barbara Bush. Her diatribe was so vile, that the university investigated the possibility of terminating or disciplining her. But, nothing happened, despite the fact that a video surfaced of her praising airplane hijackings (1:07) and making a sexual gesture at students (2:02).
Just a week later, the University of Alberta announced that it would honor David Suzuki, a professor who gained worldwide notoriety for being an anti-GMO activist. Not only does he defy the scientific consensus on biotechnology, he says that any scientist who says GMOs are safe (and most do) is "either very stupid or lying." To rub a little extra salt in the wound, the reason the University of Alberta was honoring him is because of his "promotion of science literacy" -- which is sort of like giving a Nobel Peace Prize to Yasser Arafat*.
