9-11 Outrage: Hamilton College, Ward Churchill, and Jerry Springer

Hamilton College Alumni website (secure) | 1/28/05 | James Bohan

[theworkersarefew]

college campuses are so left leaning and anti-American! We need to stand up now to the tyranny of socialism and secularism that is promoted on our campuses.

[Cornpone]

I can think of some really neat verses of Santa Clause is Coming to Town to go with this but I'm afraid I would get arrested if I posted them....

[OldFriend]

Perhaps other families who have received large sums of taxpayer money to recompense for the loss of their loved one will think twice about spending that money on a college education at this type of school.

[NetValue]

I no longer trust the college degrees of recent graduates. Many high school graduates are more committed to work and more competent, too.

[Jatreus]

Representatives of Hamilton College have argued that the College should proceed to afford Churchill a platform for his view because the College believes in "free speech." However, this argument is a canard.

According to yesterday's Rocky Mountain News, Hamilton spokeswoman Vige Barrie, defended Churchill's invitation saying, "When Ward Churchill was invited, last summer, no one here was aware of those 9/11 comments." (The News wasn't fooled. It noted, "But the small liberal arts college was aware when it started advertising his appearance... It [the advertising] states that the title of Churchill's talk is to be 'Some People Push Back' - the very title of his controversial essay.")

Now, if Hamilton is so supportive of free speech, why should it matter that "no one here was aware of those 9/11 comments." Isn't the implication that, if Hamilton knew, it wouldn't have invited him to speak? And, if in fact the College wouldn't have invited him to speak knowing of the comments, why not "uninvite" him because of the comments?

The Rocky Mountain News article also reports Barrie said that the College intended to add two other persons to the Churchill's presentation: "Churchill's fellow panelists, as the program is currently planned, include Hamilton philosophy professor Richard Werner, and CU ethnic studies professor Natsu Saito. Saito is married to Churchill, although that relationship is not noted on the Hamilton program." If the goal of the presentation is a free and open discussion, why are the organizers stacking the panel? And why are they so afraid to fully disclose the relationship between the two participants?

[TheSquis]

I think Vige meant that the college didn't mean to bring a speaker that would upset so many people, but since he has been invited it would set a precedent of the college backing down to outraged people who don't know how to have a respectful academic discussion concerning issues they don't agree with. It's not that Hamilton is a flip-flopper on the freedom of speech issue, but, like most private institutions in this country, it never wants bad press. Conservatives in this country are so self-righteous they think if a school like Hamilton invites a speaker like Churchill to speak on a panel, they must therefore be in support of his views. Instead, this kind of discussion must be used to make us think about the reasons why Churchill is wrong, and gives us the opportunity to question his ideas upfront.

[studentvoice]

"I no longer trust the college degrees of recent graduates. Many high school graduates are more committed to work and more competent, too."


Before you condemn a the entire student body perhaps you should take some time to talk to the rest of the students and professors on the Hamilton Campus. I think you would be surprised to find that their views and interests differ greatly from the views and interests of Nacy Rabinowitz, and more importantly from those of Ward Churchill and Susan Rosenberg.

I also find it difficult to imagine how you can draw the conclusion that recent Hamilton graduates are less committed to work and less competent than many high school students based purely on the fact that the Kirkland Project invited Ward Churchill to speak at t panel discussion. This logic is incredibly flawed.

The vast majority of students at Hamilton are capable of thinking independently, and if you would like to sit down and talk with a student, I would be more than willing. I am convinced that I would be able to prove to you that a Hamilton degree is not a sham, and that many Hamilton students are incredibly competent and committed to work.

[hammie]

I'd just like to reply to the claim that a Hamilton College degree cannot be trusted and furthermore that the students are not rigorous workers.

I myself am a student on the dean's list at Hamilton College and would like to defend the institution. The righter of this comment must be unaware that in recent years, admission to the College has become more competitive. The school is ranked 19th among US Liberal Arts Schools by US News & World Report. Prior to attending Hamilton, I graduated from a nationally-recognized high school with an unweighted GPA of 3.98.

I was also admitted to several other similar liberal arts schools including Colgate, Middlebury, and Union Colleges. To insult the student body of Hamilton is to directly insult me, as a scholar. On behalf of the entire college, I urge you to recognize that this is an institution of higher learning, and that the school is growing in strength rather than declining.

[forevermayitwave]

"The righter of this comment"...
scholar eh?

[babble-on]

So, what are your thoughts on Ward Churchill, as long as you're hanging around?

[Jim Noble]

Ward's field of expertise is Native American issues. If he were asked to speak at Hamilton on those issues, I would not be troubled.

But you should be.

I think once the blogosphere disposes of Mr. Churchill's "expertise" on those matters, you will be sorry you ever heard of him.

[Jim Noble]

Conservatives in this country are so self-righteous they think if a school like Hamilton invites a speaker like Churchill to speak on a panel, they must therefore be in support of his views.

Well, inviting his wife to be the second of three panelists while concealing the relationship does raise that question, eh?

[Jim Noble]

To insult the student body of Hamilton is to directly insult me, as a scholar.

Welcome, scholar. Although, in the interests of full disclosure, I only went to Colgate.

Fortunately, though, when I went there, philosophy and logic were still required courses.

Please re-read your statement above, and if you are still prepared to defend it, explain why you are the embodiment of the Hamilton student body to such an extent that a comment about that collective should be recognized as an insult to you personally.

And oh, by the way -why are your fellow students supinely accepting a barking moonbat as President of the College? She is in a representative, or significatory, role vis-a-vis the College, and although she has associations and interests worse than an unrepentent Nazi, her tenure seems remarkably serene.

To coin a phrase, what's up with that?

[JimVT]

hammie
Since Feb 3, 2005

[JimVT]

TheSquis
Since Jan 31, 2005

[FreedomPoster]

Well, when you're paying speaking fees to jerks like this, and giving him advertizing and a college auditiorium that you'll likely fill with students, you are supporting his views, plain and simple. Your nonsense of calling people "self righteous" for not wanting to support it, and hiding behind your "freedom of speech" smokescreen, is absurd. He's free to say whatever he wants. We're free to say he shouldn't be supported in saying it, and to take action to prevent it being done on the public nickel.

[FreedomPoster]

Nicely done, sir. Didn't check that, which I normally do.

[Jim Noble]

Obviously Hamilton College students are going to be coming here over the next several days. It's natural, since their little College in now in our spotlight.

Try to engage them in discussions, don't stigmatize them by their sign-up dates.

they are smart, most of 'em. If they stick around, they will start to become educated.

[JimVT]

Oh I agree....but you'll note this article was posted by someone who joined this week and was quickly followed by some of his buddies...no doubt looking to paint Freepers are nasty right-wing thugs!