Vigil to protest lecture at CSUMB

Monterey Herald ^ | 4/29/05 | SUKHJIT PUREWAL

[freespirited]

Opponents of a controversial Colorado professor are planning a candlelight vigil ahead of his scheduled lecture at CSU-Monterey Bay on Monday night.

Members of the Republican Party of Monterey County will be joined by CSUMB students and veterans in a remembrance of the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The gathering will be at 6 p.m. outside the University Center ballroom, an hour before University of Colorado ethnic studies professor Ward Churchill gives a free lecture in the building. Churchill will address, "On perpetual war: U.S. state-sponsored terrorism and the limits of academic dissent."

Churchill ignited a national firestorm earlier this year for an essay in which he took the position that the United States set itself up for the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks through its unlawful foreign policy, which led to the deaths of countless innocent people around the world. He likened the Sept. 11 victims to "little Eichmanns." The reference was to Adolf Eichmann, a Nazi who oversaw the evacuation of Jews to concentration camps.

Paul Bruno, co-chairman of the county Republican Party, said the group won't be protesting Churchill's right to speak. Instead, he said, they'll be honoring the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks by reading their names.

"It's important that people realize his (Churchill's) views aren't acceptable," Bruno said.

Eric Gruss, a Marine veteran, called Churchill a traitor. Gruss, who saw action in Afghanistan and participated in the Iraq War, said Churchill is growing rich by delivering hateful rants.

"Blaming the 9/11 victims is like blaming a rape victim for being raped," Gruss said. "It's ridiculous and unconscionable."

Kelly Bland, president of the young Republicans at CSUMB, said she would be joined at the vigil by a broad spectrum of students.

"This is not a Republican or Democratic thing," Bland said. "Ward Churchill is an extremist and I don't think my student fees should be going to support this."

Churchill is being paid $4,000, which comes from Associated Students fees.

CSUMB student Vito Triglia said he found Bland's complaint baffling.

"If a student wants to see something on campus, they can manifest it," said Triglia, who heads the Events Workgroup, charged with scheduling campus lectures and musical concerts.

The Events Workgroup and MEChA are sponsoring the Churchill event, part of a weeklong Chicano and multicultural celebration.

"If Kelly wanted to see a conservative speaker on campus, she should have made it happen," Triglia said.

Asked to comment on the controversy surrounding Churchill's scheduled lecture, CSUMB issued this statement: "As a university, we value the free exchange of ideas, even unpopular ones."

-------------------------------------------------------- Sukhjit Purewal can be reached at 646-4494 or spurewal@montereyherald.com.

[freespirited]

Do we have FReepers in the area? Can somebody ping them?

[USArmySpouse]

Ugh. And to think that CSUMB is located on a former MILITARY base where military families STILL live. CSUMB is disgusting.

[REPANDPROUDOFIT]

Isnt' this near the military base where they won't allow the BOY SCOUTS to meet? Something about disallowing the use of government property for BSA meetings due to their stance against gay troop leaders? Idiotic! Yet it is fine to have an obnoxious traitor speak on campus at the expense of the students.

I can't stand Churchill and would like to see his story more "out there". He is flying under the radar these days. We need to keep up the "outrage" response.