Mirecki hospitalized after beating (KU Relig. prof. who mocked religion)

Lawrence Journal World ^ | 12/05/05 | Ron Knox

[Will_Zurmacht]

Mirecki hospitalized after beating

By Ron Knox, Eric Weslander (Contact)

Originally published 05:37 p.m., December 5, 2005 Updated 06:31 p.m., December 5, 2005

Douglas County sheriff’s deputies are investigating the reported beating of a Kansas University professor who gained recent notoriety for his Internet tirades against Christian fundamentalists.

Kansas University religious studies professor Paul Mirecki reported he was beaten by two men about 6:40 a.m. today on a roadside in rural Douglas County. In a series of interviews late this afternoon, Mirecki said the men who beat him were making references to the controversy that has propelled him into the headlines in recent weeks. Mirecki

Mirecki

“I didn’t know them, but I’m sure they knew me,” he said.

Mirecki said he was driving to breakfast when he noticed the men tailgating him in a pickup truck.

“I just pulled over hoping they would pass, and then they pulled up real close behind,” he said. “They got out, and I made the mistake of getting out.”

He said the men beat him about the upper body with their fists, and he said he thinks they struck him with a metal object. He was treated and released at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

“I’m mostly shaken up, and I got some bruises and sore spots,” he said.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Officials are classifying the case as an aggravated battery. They wouldn’t say exactly where the incident happened, citing the ongoing investigation

The sheriff’s department is looking for the suspects, described as two white males between ages 30 and 40, one wearing a red visor and wool gloves, and both wearing jeans. They were last seen in a large pickup truck.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 843-TIPS or the sheriff’s office at 841-0007.

Mirecki recently wrote online that he planned to teach intelligent design as mythology in an upcoming course. He wrote it would be a “nice slap” in the “big fat face” of fundamentalists.

The remarks caused an uproar, Mirecki apologized, and KU announced last week the class would be canceled.

[Right Wing Professor]

Is the book cruel and Fran unusual or is it vice versa?

It's 'and', not merely 'or'. :-)

[AmishDude]

I have to be honest. I don't look to threads and cherry pick posts I don't like. If somebody says something particularly stupid, I ignore it. But that's just me. Comes from grading calc exams taken by bio students. Write down the zero and move on.

[AmishDude]

I knew it wasn't XOR, that's for sure. ;)

[Fester Chugabrew]

Since we did no such thing, how about we change it to, "Far be for you to teach morality to anybody."

That's fine. I'll just question the morality of someone who expresses no concern over the establishment of a university class for the purpose of ridiculing the beliefs of others, and the intelligence of someone who sees no connection between inflammatory words and a subsequent beating.

[Right Wing Professor]

I ignore more than I used to, but some stuff I won't let go. Just insert 'Jew' or 'Christian' for 'atheist' and see what the reaction would be.

BTW, paging through the thread, I recognized several evo regulars.

[CarolinaGuitarman]

"I'll just question the morality of someone who expresses no concern over the establishment of a university class for the purpose of ridiculing the beliefs of others, and the intelligence of someone who sees no connection between inflammatory words and a subsequent beating."

OK, and I'll question the morality and the intelligence of someone who can't find it in his heart to condemn terrorism. :)

Now we're even.

[Fester Chugabrew]

I'll further question the integrity of someone who continually harps on terrorism in a discussion concerning pugilism and then insists he is not implying any equality between the two. I addressed #461 by stating it is not necessary to treat the bubbleheaded professor on the same level as genocidal tyrants, etc. Remember? You've picked up some imaginary ax to grind.

[OB1kNOb]

Hate speech? Hate speech? Since when do conservatives believe in "hate speech"?

That tells me all I need to know.

And that would be ???????

[CarolinaGuitarman]

"I'll further question the integrity of someone who continually harps on terrorism in a discussion concerning pugilism and then insists he is not implying any equality between the two."

And I'll question the integrity of someone who can't condemn Eric Rudolph. :)

"I addressed #461 by stating it is not necessary to treat the bubbleheaded professor on the same level as genocidal tyrants, etc. Remember?"

So, you condone the bombing of abortion clinics then. Cause that is what post 461 was praising, remember? :)

[Fester Chugabrew]

And I'll question the integrity of someone who can't condemn Eric Rudolph.

I would, too.

So, you condone the bombing of abortion clinics then.

You seem to be well-practiced at non-seqiturs.

[jennyp]

defensive-creationists PLACEMARKER.

[CarolinaGuitarman]

"I would, too."

Then why do you support people here who have called his actions heroic and praiseworthy?


So, you condone the bombing of abortion clinics then.

---

"You seem to be well-practiced at non-seqiturs."

No, it's a logical conclusion if you think that
"genocidal tyrants" should be killed, and you realize that abortion doctors were lumped into that group in post 461. There is no other conclusion possible.

[Fester Chugabrew]

Then why do you support people here who have called his actions heroic and praiseworthy?

My posts have not indicated support for anyone's position but my own. Post #461 does not contain "praise." You just wish it did. It merely raises questions anyone is free to answer.

No, it's a logical conclusion . . .

It is not a logical conclusion to assume someone condones the bombing of abortion clinics when he merely states that beating up a loony professor is not on the same level as dealing with genocidal tyrants or abortionists.

It is a logical conclusion however, to assume someone is both delusional and disingenuous when he continually talks about terrorism in a thread related to pugilism in an attempt to paint other people in a bad light. But hey, since you can't tell the difference between sarcasm and gloating it stands to reason you can't tell the difference between beating up a loony professor and dealing with genocidal tyrants.

[Virginia-American]

...stage yet another attempt darwinian martyrdom.

Yet another?!

Examples please.

I'm a bit skeptical of Mirecki's story, but it's because libs have staged "hate crimes" in the past. We'll see soon enough.

[Virginia-American]

Fake posters are a real possibility, I agree.

Indeed, I would be surprised if that was not the case for many of the most over-the-top posts we see

I've often wondered how many of the anti-evo posters here are really plants from DU. Salting FR with off-the-wall quotes to mine.

[highball]

If you think that there is such a thing as "hate speech," it should not surprise me that you don't seem to have much of a problem with people being beaten for their political views.

That's what it tells me.

[CarolinaGuitarman]

"My posts have not indicated support for anyone's position but my own"

Your standing up for a disgusting series of posts. That's support. And when asked to speak against them, you refused.

"Post #461 does not contain "praise." You just wish it did. It merely raises questions anyone is free to answer."

You are deluding yourself. From post 461:

"So often I hear you "knee jerk" moralists demean and condemn others who faced with the holocaust in our country, have the courage to go after abortionists at the sacrifice of their own lives and liberty in an effort to slow down or halt this brutal, cruel, sadistic practice. Tell me something MeanWest, what gives you the right to critize these people? What have you sacrificed for these little ones?"

Then there is a different poster in post 541,

"Though I myself am a coward,I respect those heroes who are portrayed as evil, by the very ones who enable the true evil to continue." (speaking of abortion clinic bombers)

You entered the discussion in post 557, but failed to say one word against the above.

"It is not a logical conclusion to assume someone condones the bombing of abortion clinics when he merely states that beating up a loony professor is not on the same level as dealing with genocidal tyrants or abortionists."

That's not all you said. You refuse to say that post 461 was wrong. You lumped abortion doctors with genocidal tyrants.

"It is a logical conclusion however, to assume someone is both delusional and disingenuous when he continually talks about terrorism in a thread related to pugilism in an attempt to paint other people in a bad light."

I wasn't the one who brought up blowing people up. Should we have just ignored it? What would that say to the lurkers here? It would say that we condone that. Silence speaks as loud as words sometimes.

BTW, beating someone up isn't *pugilism*. It's assault.

"But hey, since you can't tell the difference between sarcasm and gloating it stands to reason you can't tell the difference between beating up a loony professor and dealing with genocidal tyrants."

Are abortion doctors genocidal tyrants who need killing?

[Virginia-American]

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone...

MOTHER!!

(an old Catholic joke from an old Catholic)

[OB1kNOb]

If you think that there is such a thing as "hate speech," it should not surprise me that you don't seem to have much of a problem with people being beaten for their political views. That's what it tells me.

Well, none of that's true but I'll restate one last time, a fact of life.

"In life, you can choose your actions, but you cannot choose the consequences."

[Fester Chugabrew]

You're standing up for a disgusting series of posts.

What do you mean, "Standing up for?" I'm just not an alarmist like you. I don't read between the lines, jump to stupid conclusions, and badger people when they express opinions of a moral nature. I'll let their words speak for themselves. A discussion about terrorists and such is not germane to this thread, but like a broken record you keep claiming it is. I don't care if you brought it up or not. You might as well have. What do abortion and terrorism have to do with a professor who was allegedly assaulted?