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Posted on 01/31/2005 6:34:51 AM PST by aynrandy
If you're unfamiliar with Ward Churchill, consider yourself lucky.
He's a professional revolutionary and America-hating activist who, when not agitating, chairs the Ethnic Studies Department at University of Colorado at Boulder.
While Churchill has made a career of trying to deny Denverites their First Amendment rights, last week we found out that it wasn't personal, just a widespread contempt for freedom.
You should understand, when I say "America-hating," I don't mean to suggest it in a flippant, love-it-or-leave-it, knee-jerk, right-wing sort of way.
I think it's fair to state that a majority of reasonable Americans find Churchill's contention - that the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were justified and the victims weren't innocent but rather Nazis - reprehensible.
At least, I hope so.
His right to make these vile remarks - masked in the guise of intellectual discourse - are guaranteed.
No one wants to take that away.
The problem is, as with all tenured professors, Churchill doesn't have to answer for his actions.
That brings us to a delicate matter: How do we balance the need to protect diversity and academic freedom with the need to protect impressionable students from hate-filled ideologues?
"Call me an old-fashioned guy," U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez says. "But I was raised by an old-fashioned guy who didn't mind calling right right and wrong wrong. This guy (Churchill) was clearly way out of line, way out of touch."
If we all, or most of us, agree that wrong is wrong in this case, what are our options?
"I will defend his right to free speech," Beauprez says of Churchill. "But speech has consequences. This guy is just leveraging political correctness against academic freedom for his own betterment. Most people, if they go overboard in this way, would not have kept their jobs."
What would my career prospects be if I suggested a group of murdered civilians, "little Eichmanns," deserved to be slaughtered? I'm fairly certain my next public statement would be: "Would you like fries with that?"
Churchill, on the other hand, is teaching your kids.
Fortunately, I have the perfect karmic solution: the market - a concept Churchill detests more than any other.
Wouldn't it be heartening to see all the little Eichmanns who scraped and saved to send Johnny and Alice to CU start calling, sending letters and applying some concentrated pressure.
Sure, guys such as Churchill hover cheerfully above the result-based reality that gives parents and students little precious extra time for activism. But Beauprez believes it's the right way to go.
"Parents and students can put enough public pressure on this guy. Most people, after a certain amount of pressure, get the message," he says.
Churchill won't. But others might.
CU president Betsy Hoffman? She saw fit to suspend football coach Gary Barnett for disparaging remarks about the kicking abilities of a female player.
Does accusing Sept. 11 victims of being Nazi technocrats qualify for some similar punishment?
How about Phil DiStefano, CU's interim chancellor? Though he "may find Churchill's views offensive," he "also must support" his right "to hold and express his views."
Are you as tired as I am of these spineless, cookie-cutter statements? We all know Churchill has a right to free speech. What rights do students, parents or CU have? Any?
Maybe one day we'll see a release with some backbone. If I may:
"Though Ward Churchill has the right as an American citizen to express himself, even in a morally indigestible and intellectually vacant manner, his comments have embarrassed CU and are out of touch with even the most liberal definition of mainstream thought.
"Consequently, we ask that Mr. Churchill do the honorable thing and step down."
David Harsanyi's column appears Monday and Thursday. He can be reached at 303-820-1255 or dharsanyi@denverpost.com.
Can we please just ignore this clown? Believe me, he will go away much faster that way.
This isn't what the Left says.
When Larry Summers of Harvard said that women and men had innate differences he was pummeled by the chorus of the Left for his "vile remarks".
The Left is very selective on what constitutes free speech.
"...a professional revolutionary and America-hating activist who, when not agitating, chairs the Ethnic Studies Department at University of Colorado..."
A perfect case for the immediate abandonment of the tenure system in 'higher' education.
How MUCH does he REALLY HATE Santa Claus?
>"...a professional revolutionary and America-hating activist who, when not agitating, chairs the Ethnic Studies Department at University of Colorado..."
>A perfect case for the immediate abandonment of the tenure system in 'higher' education.
Or a better case for the immediate abandonment of the Ethnic Studies Department at University of Colorado.
Excellent point.
I believe Churchill is a member of American Indian Movement.
The last political stunt AIM involved itself in was a jaunt down to Cuba to give Castro a war bonnet and make him a "big chief."
All current AIM members I've encountered are goosestepping communists a**holes and racists.
How MUCH does he REALLY HATE Santa Claus,.... and Christopher Columbus Day?
Hm... Churchill has a right to say what he wants and society has a right to fire him for saying it. I'm not sure these statements hang together.
why not? they hand together perfectly. market forces should come into play here as they do everywhere else in society. he can write book about nazi americans and sell them, like chomsky
And I will defend his right to say these things to the last drop of his blood.
And I will defend his right to say these things to the last drop of his blood.
I'd say both.
Mash Here for the article.
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