What has happened to the American spirit? We've gone from "Give me liberty, or give me death!" to "Take care of me, please." Our colleges were once bastions of free speech; now they're bastions of speech codes. Our culture once rewarded independence; now it rewards victimhood. Parents once taught their kids how to fend for themselves; now, any parent who tries may get a visit from the police.
In his new book, Not a Day Care, Dr. Everett Piper, president of Oklahoma Wesleyan University and author of the viral essay, "This Is Not a Day Care. It's a University!," takes a hard look at what's happening around the country -- including the demand for "safe spaces" and trigger warnings at universities like Yale, Brandeis, and Oberlin--and digs in his heels against the sad and dangerous infantilization of the American spirit.
Dr. Everett Piper is the fifth president of Oklahoma Wesleyan University. In his 14 years as president of OKWU, Piper has become known for his passionate defense of intellectual freedom. He advocates tirelessly for cultural courage grounded in the conservation of time-tested truths, and is the 2016 recipient of the Jeane Kirkpatrick Award for Academic Freedom. His commentary on religion, education, and politics challenges the intolerant tolerance of today's academic community. Dr. Piper is the author of Why I Am a Liberal, and Other Conservative Ideas and the viral op-ed, "This is Not a Daycare, It's a University". His op-eds are routinely featured in local and national news outlets and he serves as a regular guest on talk-radio across the nation.
A native of Hillsdale, Michigan, Dr. Piper and his wife Marci, along with their two sons -- Seth and Cobi -- have served as OKWU's First Family since August of 2002. Dr. Piper actively participates in the Bartlesville community and the Wesleyan church, and serves on a variety of councils and boards relating to Christian leadership, public policy, and community leadership.