There are few things that truly surprise me. Maybe I'm jaded, or maybe I have simply developed the ability to predict people's behavior patterns to such an extent that nothing they say or do can surprise me anymore. Such is not the case with our amiable Mr. Bush. I wish I could understand him. I wish I could cease to be surprised at his actions. But I doubt that's possible, given that Bush seems to have the uncanny tendency to do something inexplicably astounding just when I thought I was becoming a little better in my ability to predict his actions. It might be a good thing, I guess, since it keeps me on my toes. But really, how many dubious ideas can one man have?
Take Bush's newest offering, for example. There is a brand new interagency government committee that is considering barring international students studying at American universities from pursuing fields of study that might be applied to developing and producing weapons of mass destruction. Now is it just me, or does anyone else find this entire idea absolutely absurd? The idea that terrorism can somehow be combated by restricting the majors of international students seems almost laughable. I'm not quite sure whether Bush realizes this, but there are other places in the world where potential terrorists can develop the skills necessary to develop dangerous weapons. I seriously doubt that those bent upon becoming menaces to the whole world will be stopped by having been denied a major in quantum physics at MIT This proposal cannot logically alter the behavior patterns of a truly fanatical terrorist, but who is it really going to affect?
The answer is simple: it will affect the entire higher education system. It will affect bright, talented students who hail from all over the world, students attracted by the opportunities and resources that American universities can provide. It will affect universities that benefit greatly from the presence of international students both in their graduate and undergraduate student bodies and it will compromise their intellectual integrity and diversity. A university is supposed to be a bastion of knowledge, intellectual freedom, creativity and innovation, but I don't see how those ideals can be maintained when the government might place restrictions on what lines of thought are appropriate for certain scholars. I'm not even sure the government can possibly dictate such policies to private institutions, but assuming it can, such an act would almost be sacrilegious in any institution that values its intellectual character and freedom.
My biggest problem with the proposal is the implied intrusion on personal privacy and freedom; the freedom to choose what to study, what career to pursue, what life to live. I realize that being admitted to study in an American university is a privilege for international students; the universities are under no requirement to admit any student from any country. However, universities choose to admit international students simply because they want the best and the brightest from all over the world. Indeed, all colleges pride themselves in having student populations that represent several countries. In fact, a high percentage of research at the graduate level is currently being carried out by international students, especially in the sciences, which makes these students invaluable assets for the college. I think that this grants the student the same rights and freedoms as any American attending the college. If the student's decision to study in an American university is mutually beneficial, then asking the student to give up innate freedoms in order to study in the university is illogical. In the end, it all boils down to a basic question of freedom of choice.
This country is constructed around the celebration of freedom in all shapes and forms. Every American values personal freedom to make choices, even bad ones, above everything else. Limiting someone's choice steals the ability to do what suits that person best. Really, wouldn't you be horribly upset if someone limited your choices in something as trivial as your breakfast cereal? Seen in this light, limiting a student's choice of majors seems not only illogical, but also highly hypocritical. Just because international students are foreign nationals does not mean they should be expected to forgo the freedoms that this country cherishes so dearly. If this is truly a land of the free, then the freedom to determine future career paths cannot be denied to any individuals inhabiting the country, no matter how long or short their duration of stay. If such restrictions are, indeed, imposed, then the country should proclaim itself a land of the free -- for a select few.
All these questions of freedom of choice aside, I really can't imagine how this committee is going to make it's decision. The matter being debated is so subjective, so open to speculation. There can be so many interpretations about what subjects constitute a threat to national security. The obvious targets would be sciences like physics, chemistry and biotechnology. But why stop there? Surely, a knowledge of math can pose a threat. And what about computer science or engineering sciences or even economics. The flaws in this proposal seem endless, and I can't help but wonder where exactly Bush is going with this. But I suppose if he started making sense to me, he'd become predictable like everyone else. And really, where's the fun in that?
