Eye Babies

by digby

Whenever people pooh-pooh the actions of the Bush Justice Department, I think of the fact that they actually allowed immature, right wing, religious zealots to do the hiring. As we’ve seen over the past few days, the allegedly non-partisan hiring in the bureaucracy consisted nearly entirely of federalist society members and right wing Christians.

This little find, from TBOGG tells the story in a nutshell. He discusses the work of one Esther Slater McDonald who was deeply involved in the “vetting” of hires, specifically charged with finding out if they were “anarchists” or “leftists.” She was an alum of another of those Conservative Christian Colleges, like Monica Goodling:

Thanks to TPM reader Citoyen92, we learn a few things about Pensacola Christian College which makes the Yearning For Zion Ranch look like Hef’s mansion:

Pensacola Christian College prides itself on being different, not just from secular colleges, but from fellow Christian ones, too. Some of those differences, like the way students dress, are obvious to any visitor. Others are not. Since its founding, more than 30 years ago, Pensacola has blossomed from a tiny Bible college into a thriving institution of nearly 5,000 students. Along the way it has become known as among the most conservative — and most secretive — colleges in the country. Not to mention one of the strictest. The rules at Pensacola govern every aspect of students’ lives, including the books they read, the shoes they wear, the churches they attend, and the people they date. Many of those regulations are spelled out in a handbook sent to students after they enroll, but there are plenty of unwritten rules as well. Demerits are common and discipline swift. It’s all in the name of preserving Pensacola’s “distinctives” — the word the college uses for what sets it apart. But many former students say the enforcement of the rules is often cruel and capricious. Dissent is never tolerated, they say, and expulsions for seemingly minor infractions are routine. […] Of Pensacola’s many rules, those dealing with male-female relationships are the most talked about. There are restrictions on when and where men and women may speak to each other. Some elevators and stairwells may be used only by women; others may be used only by men. Socializing on particular benches is forbidden. If a man and a woman are walking to class, they may chat; if they stop en route, though, they may be in trouble. Generally men and women caught interacting in any “unchaperoned area” — which is most of the campus — could be subject to severe penalties. Those rules extend beyond the campus. A man and a woman cannot go to an off-campus restaurant together without a chaperon (usually a faculty member). Even running into members of the opposite sex off campus can lead to punishment. One student told of how a group of men and a group of women from the college happened to meet at a McDonald’s last spring. Both groups were returning from the beach (they had gone to separate beaches; men and women are not allowed to be at the beach together). The administration found out, and all 15 students were expelled. Even couples who are not talking or touching can be reprimanded. Sabrina Poirier, a student at Pensacola who withdrew in 1997, was disciplined for what is known on the campus as “optical intercourse” — staring too intently into the eyes of a member of the opposite sex. This is also referred to as “making eye babies.” While the rule does not appear in written form, most students interviewed for this article were familiar with the concept.

People are free to attend whatever schools they choose, of course. But the idea that people this far out of the mainstream of American life were working in the highest reaches of the Justice department ferreting out “anarchists” and “leftists” makes my blood run cold. Are there many of these people working in government jobs that give them access to personal information about American citizens?

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