(Editor's Notes by Christina Myer - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

I didn’t know how I felt about the newly created Washington Center for Civics, Culture, and Statesmanship at West Virginia University until I read a comment from its director, Patrick Lee Miller:

“We should revere this civilization. In my view, it is the greatest and like it or not, our country is the leader of it,” Miller said. “We need to renew it in that spirit. My vision is to train students in the Western tradition, starting with ancient Greece and Rome, through the framing of the U.S. Constitution and up to the present crisis.”

Forget about wondering what “crisis” Miller thinks the center might address, can you imagine the outrage if an academic claimed any other “civilization” was “the greatest?”

A quick listen to Miller’s ideas on the matter — and on the purpose for his center — make it pretty obvious he knows what his assignment is. And if it’s not “indoctrination,” I don’t know what is.

College students are smart. Many of them are also, for the first time in their lives, interacting with people who don’t look like they do or believe what they were taught to believe. A doubling down on what they already received in most public schools is not what they’re looking for.

Meanwhile, one can only wonder what George Washington would have thought about the teachings of men such as Friedrich Nietzsche (“There are no facts, only interpretations.”) and Sigmund Freud (“Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility.”)

Oh, and you’ve got to wonder, in all his study of Greek and Roman philosophy, if Miller ever caught on to what made the Roman Empire tick.

Inclusion.

The guys in Rome figured out fairly quickly that they had a much easier time if they allowed those who became part of the empire to hold on to their own cultures while they also became Romans.

In fact, there’s a fascinating article on The Roman Empire Times website headlined “Empire of Diversity — Romans Beyond Rome: Beyond the marble walls of the Eternal City, the Roman Empire thrived on its ability to weave diverse cultures into a unified whole,” by Christina Athanasiou.

Yes, there was plenty of slavery involved in the effort. I’m certainly not suggesting anyone should look to the Roman Empire as a model of decency and humanity. But I am suggesting that if Miller IS as familiar with Rome’s history as he is with its philosophy, he knows there’s no getting around diversity, equity and inclusion if you want your country to be stronger and healthier.

I also admit, I bristled a little when I read Miller said “I hope to live up to the trust that the men here have shown in me.” (Emphasis mine). But I am perfectly capable of recognizing when I bristle unfairly, as photos of the event revealed there were, indeed, only men standing around him at the time.

On the other hand, I don’t think it was unfair of me to be uncomfortable with his next line: “Above all, I hope to give the people of this state what they asked for: a place where the young of West Virginia can learn about our civilization and our country (emphasis mine) in an atmosphere of respect, and even of reverence.”

West Virginians didn’t ask for students to be told how to feel about any particular “civilization” (what a dangerous word to use) or country. In fact, they’ve been rather vocally opposed to just that.

What students from all states and countries who attend West Virginia University want is to learn how to figure out for themselves what they think after they have been given the opportunity to explore as much of humanity as possible; and been given an accurate, thorough education that teaches them about not just the relatively short sweep of “American” history (warts and all), but the history of people and cultures around the world — most of which far pre-date “ours.”

I keep getting snarky about “ours,” because the use of the word signals Miller believes he is speaking to a unified group of people to the exclusion of “the other.”

Gov. Patrick Morrisey says he wants to teach students “how to think, not what to think.”

WVU President Michael Benson says he wants the Washington Center to be a place for debate.

In fact, Morrisey went so far as to unironically claim he “will not tolerate … political indoctrination on my watch.”

If those things are true, perhaps I’m being unfair. And, of course, students are free to avoid taking courses at the center (as far as I know), and explore courses that really will broaden their horizons. Or they are free to attend and will, indeed, engage in vigorous debate as they develop their critical thinking skills.

I hope they do. I hope college students today are what I remember them being (ahem) years ago.

Time will tell if I’m bristling over nothing. I, truly, hope I am.

Christina Myer is executive editor of The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. She can be reached via e-mail at cmyer@newsandsentinel.com.