Based on the e-mail I've received in the past few days it appears I'm not alone in my disdain for the tolerance police. Last week I wrote a column about the attempted character assassination of SIU history professor Jonathan Bean currently being conducted on the Carbondale campus by a group of history department radicals.

Bean found himself in the crosshairs of a handful of radical professors after he distributed a handout about the race-related "Zebra Killings" that occurred in the San Francisco Bay area in the early 1970s. Bean's actions were labeled as racist. In the column I questioned the intolerance that the tolerance police have for an opposing view.

After writing the column I assumed I would receive the usual mixed number of pro and con e-mail responses that accompany my weekly endeavors. Boy was I wrong.

On an average week I normally receive 10-12 e-mail messages, however this week I was bombarded with more than 50 responses from 13 states. The amazing aspect is that only two people opposed what I had written in defense of Professor Bean.

Another thing that stood out in the responses is many people are tired of having a left-wing agenda crammed down their throats. However, the most telling comments came from parents of future college students who are watching the Bean-situation very closely.

One e-mail summed up the mood of many parents:

"I told my son he could go to any school in the state of Illinois he wanted, except SIUC. I also explained that I would not pay for him to be indoctrinated by the left-leaning, tree-hugging, whale-saving faculty and staff that are notorious at SIUC. Parents here in Southern Illinois, and the rest of the nation for that matter, should do a little homework before spending their hard earned dollars. SIUC in particular has become an institution of liberal indoctrination."

Additionally, I was contacted by the Chicago-based megastation, WLS-AM, and asked to appear on the "Art Wallis Show" on Sunday morning. The show's producer had read the column online and wanted to discuss the particulars with me. Interestingly, the same concern expressed in the e-mail was brought up on the show as the host pointed out there has always been a large influx of students from Chicago who attend SIU. He also pointed out that many Chicago parents are watching the radical ranting about Bean very closely.

That point in itself should make administrators at SIU pull their collective head out of the sand and address the problem.

During the smear campaign against Bean I've noticed a new left-leaning phrase has emerged: academic responsibility.

Let me explain how it works. First, when an ultra-liberal like Colorado University professor Ward Churchill calls the 3,000 people who died in the 9-11 attacks "little Eichmanns" those who support him scream he has a right to say that because of "academic freedom." This group is smart enough to know attempts to muzzle people like Professor Bean are going to be met with questions concerning his academic freedom.

A story by Moustafa Ayad in The Daily Egyptian proves my point. Ayad interviewed lead character assassin, Robbie Lieberman, who also is an SIU history professor. Lieberman said she and other faculty members were not trying to muzzle Bean and also that they value academic freedom.

"Everybody should bring up controversial topics," Lieberman said. "But, you have to do it in a responsible way."

Once again, the entire saga concerning Bean boils down to one simple fact: the term "academic freedom" hinges on who is talking. If it's the Liebermans and Churchills of the world, let academic freedom reign. But, if it's a lone conservative voice like Bean's, we must show academic responsibility. I know in academia it's not proper and probably considered uncouth, but my response to that logic is - hogwash.

There is currently a congressional battle concerning judicial appointments. One of the nominees, Janice Rogers Brown, is one who Democrats are filibustering. The daughter of black Alabama sharecroppers, Brown has been appointed to serve on the federal appeals court in the District of Columbia. She opposes abortion and affirmative action and describes herself as a "true conservative." She is also being attacked and facing an onslaught by liberals because of her beliefs. I recently read a quote from Brown that reminded me of the situation that Professor Bean is facing.

"These are perilous times for people of faith - not in the sense that we are going to lose our lives, but in the sense that it will cost you something if you are a person of faith who stands up for what you believe in and say those things out loud," Brown said. "It is not a shooting war, but it is a war."

Perhaps academic responsibility at SIU should begin with the practice that diversity, tolerance and academic freedom is a two-way street and not a means to muzzle those with an opposing view.

Jim Muir is a columnist for the Southern Illinoisan and can be reached at writeon1@shawneelink.net.@shawneelink.net.