Unfinished Business (Thomas Sowell)

Townhall.com ^ | June 19, 2007 | Thomas Sowell

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

What do you want to bet that the University confidential settlement, announced yesterday, had a provision the the settlement closed out related suits against staff and faculty even as individuals.

Unfortunately what you suggest has the ring (I typo'ed "rig" and that's more like it) of truth.

But if so, I hope that the aggrieved held out for enough to cover every dime of their legal bill, twice over. Minimum.

They should have sued any part of Duke which related directly to the 88 maledictors (if that's not in the dictionary, it should be) - e.g., "black studies" and "gender studies" departments - out of existence.

[LibertarianInExile]

“What Mr. Sowell is saying is “Parents, before you commit to spending $30,000 - $50,000 per year for a four or more year education for your sweet young child, make sure your SYC is going to get an education, not a liberal indoctrination course. That’s what they’ll get at most elitist, pricy schools on the eastern seaboard, the Northeast and the Left Coast. Let’s not forget about Austin, a wannabe eastern seaboard school.””

If you want your child to be educated, not indoctrinated, consider sending them to Hillsdale College. It’s at hillsdale.edu. One of the few in the country to not take dime one from the feds.

[roses of sharon]

Please ping me when collecting for this ad!!!

The public has been subjected to a monopoly of liberal commie vampire propaganda for 40 years running. They have been allowed to infiltrate our children's minds with impunity.

It is sicking, we must destroy the MSM for a better country.

[roses of sharon]

We have been giving to Hillsdale College for 25 years.

It has, over the years, become our exclusive charity, for what is more important charity wise than our children’s minds?

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

That such people are teaching students at an elite university is a chilling thought. That they promote a campus atmosphere where political correctness trumps the search for truth is painful.

That such attitudes and such atmospheres are not peculiar to Duke University, but are common on elite college campuses from coast to coast is a time bomb with the potential to destroy individuals and ultimately undermine the whole society.

. . . and that

The New York Times, which splashed these Duke students' pictures on the front page, along with inflammatory charges against them, and went ballistic on its editorial page, carried the story of Nifong's disbarment for prosecuting them on page 16.

is not unique to the NYT but is commonplace among journalism is even more horrifying. But worst of all is the fact that of our two-party political system, one entire political party is pretty much dedicated to that sort of stuff - and it wins elections that way.

[SkiHatGuy]

“Not attend Duke. Not send our children to Duke. Hire Duke graduates only with great reluctance. The actions of the faculty have called the value of the credentials offered by Duke University into serious question.”

How about Duke graduates that are FRiends like me, who have double major engineering degrees and are embarrased by the actions of their once-proud university?

There is a great divide at Duke between the Engineering school and Trinity (Arts and Sciences). The engineering school is quite conservative compared to the rest of the school. We often used to mock the PC police at just about every chance we got.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Honestly, if a young job candidate came to me with even an engineering degree from Duke at this time, I would be inclined to pass over his or her resume and look more closely at other candidates. I would assume that the campus environment had colored his or her thinking. Plenty of employers will now see a stigma attached to any Duke credential - especially as long as "the 88" remain unsanctioned.

And no logical reason is ever required to not hire a candidate.

[jazusamo]

one entire political party is pretty much dedicated to that sort of stuff - and it wins elections that way.

To me, that is the single most scary thing. It speaks volumes as to the state of our educational system, both the teachers and students.

[sauropod]

A local civil rights activist even had the gall to accost the mother of one of the accused students at Nifong's disbarment hearings to say that she still believes they were guilty.

If I were that mother, I'm afraid I would be charged w/ assault and battery. I would not be able to restrain myself.

[sauropod]

I’m in.

[jazusamo]

Agreed...There are many ignorant people in our country and that mother was accosted by one.

[jazusamo]

Thanks, I’ve got you down.

[from occupied ga]

I don’t think I’ve ever read a bad Sowell column, and this one keeps up the record.

[4CJ]

Ping. For your reading pleasure ;o)

[Congressman Billybob]

Just had a detailed call from the Business Office of the Duke Chronicle. A relatively knowledgeable lady named Nalina answered my factual questions. She had gone on line and read the Sowell column before she called me back. She, too, had never heard of Dr. Thomas Sowell.

The Chronicle has ended its publication for this school year. It prints one more paper, the largest of the year, which also is mailed to the homes of the students, on 25 July. The deadline for camera ready copy for that edition is 27 June. The one-time, non-profit rate for a b&w full-page ad in that special issue is $977.76.

After the ad is submitted and paid for, the Chronicle runs it by its lawyers to make certain it can be printed. Since the paper printed the two ads from the Gang of 88, they would be hard put to deny the Sowell ad a place in their paper. I told Nalina that it would be bad press for her paper to refuse this ad.

She laughed and said she agreed with me, but she could not speak for the lawyers. I told her I was a lawyer, and that nobody can speak for us.

So, whoever is interested, freep mail me. Or, e-mail me at John_Armor@aya.yale.edu If there is enough interest, this ad is a go. (I will take the responsibility of getting Dr. Sowell's permission to reprint.)

John / Billybob

[LexBaird]

They are tenured and viruently liberal.

Exactly...There is nothing that can be done to them for their despicable behavior in this incident.

There is one thing they could do. Eliminate the programs in "Ethnic Studies" outright. Use the campus classroom space for something much more productive, like hard science labs or storing toenail clippings.

[murdoog]

when Wendy is on an FNC segment I hit the mute, can’t stand her whining voice

But you still have to look at her giant chin. I don't know about you, but that chin scares me.

[Congressman Billybob]

Folks, see post #55 on this thread. I was thinking of a brief introduction that said. "No one should be considered well educated without at least an introduction to the excellent works of Dr. Thomas Sowell. The following column of his on 19 June addresses matters that ought to be of interest to the entire Duke community."

Then, after the column, there would be a sentence to say who we are who sponsored the ad.

That's it. Short and sweet. We have 8 days to the deadline to make this happen.

John / Billybob

[SkiHatGuy]

You’re right, you are free to hire whomever you wish. I think you would be silly to pass over a Duke engineering student because of this, but it is your perogative.

I was trying to convey the fact that the engineering school, for the most part, is fairly well-insulated from this nonsense. At least when I was in school, we didn’t have time to waste dealing in “campus activism” and associated garbage.

[jazusamo]

Thanks, John. I will start pinging everyone I can to your post. Your suggestion for the introduction seems appropriate to me.