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   Attending a public university as far south as Monticello, I have always realized that it is far more conservative than many of the other higher education options available in and around this state. Actually, one really doesn’t have to know anything about politics to notice that UAM is far more conservative than say, ASU or UCA. Believe me, I have been to UCA, UALR, OBU, and UAM. Disregarding Ouachita Baptist University, because it is a private Christian college, I do not think public Arkansas universities get more conservative than UAM.

   However, the idea of higher education for women is leftward leaning in and of itself. Though being a conservative, I have no problem or issue with this ideal. In fact, I will take one more step to the left and say that if it were my decision, higher education would be free and would have been a long time ago. Although I can’t be sure if this is my political ideology speaking or my bank account. I am pretty sure it is the latter. I digress.

   Recently, I heard comments in the hallways of this conservative institution sounding  something like, “I can’t read ‘The Voice’ it’s too liberal.” I have heard other things, but this gets to the heart of the matter.

   I believe that everyone has the right to form his or her own opinion about everything on the planet, but a comment like this makes me wonder if this person has been reading the same publication. If these students would like to read a liberal publication, then maybe they would like to read the student publication from Hendrix University.

   http://media.www.theprofileonline.com/media/paper264/sections/20070202Opinion.html

   However, since they “can’t” read “The Voice” I suppose they will never realize that there are more liberal topics of interest in the world besides campus news, which makes up about 80 percent of “The Voice’s” content. Being that I am the commentary editor, a lot of the time I choose commentaries from our media provider that align with my own political views, but since I am only one person, I try to choose a fair mixture of commentaries that I feel everyone would like to read. But hey, I can’t please 100 percent of people 100 percent of the time. If students would write more commentaries, I would not have to use the pre-written commentaries from our media provider. No, you do not have to be a member of “The Voice” to submit a commentary.

   Maybe these students who complain about the ultra liberal nature of “The Voice” should start writing commentaries and articles to help make it more conservative, which, I don’t see how it can get more conservative. “The Voice” is what it is. It is a student publication with the sole intention of informing students and giving them a voice. Saying that it is too liberal of a publication to even read is like calling an apple an orange.

   Getting back to the point above about the idea of free higher education being leftward leaning: isn’t the whole idea of the free press liberal too? I mean, this little red conservative girl is no political science major, but shouldn’t the press be free and reasonably (emphasis on reasonably) unhindered?

   If students wish to complain about their own publication, they should do something to change it. However, at least those who are complaining are abiding by the whole “don’t like it, don’t look at it” mentality. I just wish their views on the publication were not so skewed. We are not trying to indoctrinate anyone. We are not the drive-by media.

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