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Controversial Ayers enjoys his moment in the limelight
Contra Costa Times ^ | 1/29/09 | Lisa Vorderbrueggen

Posted on 01/29/2009 8:50:02 AM PST by NormsRevenge

MORAGA — The much-anticipated speech Wednesday by militant-turned-college-professor Bill Ayers at Saint Mary's College attracted nearly 600 people, many of them very clearly in diametrically opposite political camps.

That figure does not count the roughly 200 people who loudly protested Ayers' appearance outside the packed Soda Center auditorium in an unparalleled level of interest in an academic lecture at this rural, private Catholic college.

Inside, Ayers' 90-minute presentation drew jeers, boos and an emotional outburst from a woman who swore at him and left. He also received plenty of laughs and claps and even a few standing ovations from the half of the crowd that liked him.

Critics had called for the college to dis-invite Ayers, an education professor at the University of Illinois who was thrust into the national limelight during President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign when it was revealed that the two men sat on several boards together and ran in the same liberal circles in Chicago. Ayers' opponents call him an anti-American terrorist who helped found Weather Underground in the 1970s, a militant group that bombed several public buildings including the Pentagon.

But despite promises from Saint Mary's officials that residents would be allowed to ask questions of Ayers during the question and answer period, the college permitted students to ask questions first and the clock ran out before local folks had their chance at the Advertisement Lifestyle aricles by: ARALifestyle.com Compare Auto Policies and Start Saving Today Working Moms Can Go Back to School with a $10,000 Scholarship! Building Strength and Muscle without Illegal Substances ARALifestyle.com microphone.

"I wanted to offer some balance to some of the points Mr. Ayers made and I am disappointed that I was not allowed to speak," said Becky Kolberg, echoing the argument of others who say the college is obligated to offer its students other points of view.

Yet, Ayers' speech lacked the kind of fire-breathing, radical language that some might have expected from a militant who once thought blowing up a Pentagon bathroom could change the course of war. (Ayers admitted in an interview prior to his speech that the bombings did not stop the war.)

Today, the 60ish college professor is slightly thick about the middle. He wore two earrings, worn blue jeans and an oversized casual jacket.

An unapologetic liberal and socialist, Ayers spoke earnestly.

He urged students to open their eyes and act when they learn about injustice in the world.

Ayers praised Obama and his community organizer background.

He called for the nation to stop treating education like a commodity that can be manufactured like a Chevrolet and instead open numerous, small schools where students are known by their teachers.

He advised students to reject dogma and challenge conventional wisdom, noting that slavery and women's inability to vote were at one time accepted legal and social norms.

And he embraced the rights of the protesters in the room and outside, although he objected to their suggestion that he would "warp (students') impressionable minds," he said. "Really, are there books they shouldn't be allowed to read, too?"

Ayers biggest radical moment of the night may have been when he said — at a Catholic college — that he supports a woman's right to have an abortion.

His most insightful statement, though, came early in his speech when he remarked that had it not been for the intense publicity around his ties to Obama, his appearance at Saint Mary's would very likely have drawn a far smaller crowd.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections; US: California; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: acorn; alinsky; annenberg; ayers; commies; communityorganizer; controversial; dohrn; domesticterrorism; enjoys; hydepark; limelight; moment; obama; obamasterrorist; oterrorist; sds; terrorist; weathermen; weatherunderground
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1 posted on 01/29/2009 8:50:03 AM PST by NormsRevenge
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FRom last night

Raucous Protest Greets William Ayers at Moraga Speaking Engagement

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2174000/posts

01/28/2009 9:04:38 PM PST · by Harley · 30 replies · 942+ views
Contra Costa Times ^ | o1/28/09 | Paul Thissen
MORAGA — The shouts of “Shame on you!” resounded across the small Saint Mary’s College campus Wednesday night, where under the glare of television lights, a couple hundred sign-carrying, flag-waving protesters gathered around a megaphone to object to an appearance by 1960s anti-war militant William Ayers.


2 posted on 01/29/2009 8:50:49 AM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed.)
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To: NormsRevenge

Ayers enjoys being protested. Makes him feel even more self-important.


3 posted on 01/29/2009 8:55:01 AM PST by autumnraine
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To: NormsRevenge
We do hope they have a video of the crowd clearly showing the people who applauded Ayers.

Then publish their names.

4 posted on 01/29/2009 8:55:27 AM PST by muawiyah
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To: NormsRevenge

“At least one man had to be escorted out of the auditorium by campus public safety officials when he walked up to the podium where Ayers was speaking, carrying a book that resembled a Bible, and began shouting profanities.”

It APPEARED to be a Bible? Was it or was it, say...a manhole cover? Good reporting...this writer appears to be a jackass...


5 posted on 01/29/2009 8:59:24 AM PST by jessduntno (Barack - Kenyan for "High Wind, Big Thunder, No Rain")
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To: autumnraine

He’s still the same cheap street punk he was back then.


6 posted on 01/29/2009 8:59:25 AM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed.)
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To: NormsRevenge

Screw St. Mary’s.


7 posted on 01/29/2009 9:01:24 AM PST by demsux
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To: NormsRevenge
Ayers biggest radical moment of the night may have been when he said — at a Catholic college — that he supports a woman's right to have an abortion.

A college that would invite a clown like this to speak probably has an on-campus abortion clinic already.

8 posted on 01/29/2009 9:01:49 AM PST by madprof98 ("moritur et ridet" - salvianus)
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To: madprof98

Exactly right...just more “Catholics” supporting abortion proponents.


9 posted on 01/29/2009 9:03:50 AM PST by demsux
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To: madprof98
Only "Ayers' opponents call him an anti-American terrorist who helped found Weather Underground in the 1970s..?"

What about the rest of the civilized world? Oh, that's right. One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter.
10 posted on 01/29/2009 9:05:07 AM PST by coffee260 (coffee)
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To: NormsRevenge

“Ayers praised Obama and his community organizer background”....

Ayers praised Obama and his corrupt Chicago political background”....fixed it.


11 posted on 01/29/2009 9:05:11 AM PST by AngelesCrestHighway
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To: NormsRevenge
The much-anticipated speech Wednesday by militant-turned-college-professor Bill Ayers...

I believe the term "domestic terrorist" is a more accurate description.

Kudos to all who showed up to protest this despicable piece of fecal matter.

12 posted on 01/29/2009 9:06:34 AM PST by Ben Hecks
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To: NormsRevenge

“he advised students to reject dogma and challenge conventional wisdom, noting that slavery and women’s inability to vote were at one time legal and accepted norms.”

he must be speaking about the conventional wisdom of communist thought which has enslaved billions of people, murdered countless millions, deprived other millions and millions of a true vote between different ideas, forcibly imprisoned millions and millions of people behind iron curtains, bamboo curtains, berlin walls, established killing fields in asia, assasination lists in southeast asia and re-education camps to eliminate the “enemies” of communist unity? is that the conventional wisdom he’s speaking of?

IMHO


13 posted on 01/29/2009 9:06:37 AM PST by ripley
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also FRom last night

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2174074/posts

Large Crowd Protests Ayers’ Appearance At St. Mary’s College Campus
Thursday, January 29, 2009 2:28:22 AM · by Jim Robinson · 33 replies · 1,115+ views
PipeLineNews ^ | Jan 28, 2009
January 28, 2009 - San Francisco, CA - PipeLineNews.org - St. Mary’s College in Moraga CA received a black eye this evening as a large and angry crowd of protesters turned out to provide counterpoint to the Ayers’ presence. The event was organized by the Simple Justice not Social Justice Coalition’ an ad hoc organization comprised of many partners, that came together in response to Ayers. Since the public became aware of the controversial founder of the Weather Underground’s scheduled speech, college officials have stubbornly maintained that he was nothing more than a respected professor of education and a proponent...


14 posted on 01/29/2009 9:12:30 AM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed.)
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To: NormsRevenge

I don’t suppose anyone thought to ask him if he ghostwrote Obama’s bio?


15 posted on 01/29/2009 9:17:37 AM PST by Valpal1 (Always be prepared to make that difference.)
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To: NormsRevenge
An unapologetic liberal and socialist...

Ayers is not a "liberal and socialist."

Ayers is a revolutionary communist.

16 posted on 01/29/2009 9:26:15 AM PST by Interesting Times (For the truth about "swift boating" see ToSetTheRecordStraight.com)
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To: NormsRevenge

I hope that when B.O.’s foreign policy bears its poisonous fruit Ayers will be among the first to get beheaded (or more justly, blown up).


17 posted on 01/29/2009 9:27:01 AM PST by Trod Upon (The Left killed my country.)
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To: NormsRevenge

I would not suggest they send any fund-raising letters to the alumni anytime soon.


18 posted on 01/29/2009 9:29:05 AM PST by Right Cal Gal (Abraham Lincoln would have let Berkeley leave the Union without a fight)
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To: NormsRevenge
Officer Down Memorial Page

Are Mr. and Mrs. Ayers guilty? Why can't we find out? Who is protecting them? The academe employees? The MSM employees? .. and now, the President of the United States of America?

KSFO personality Brian Sussman had calls last night from San Francisco policemen. A retired policeman described the aftermath of the bombing. The case is "open" (a murder) but none, city, state, or federal is working on it.

I saw an article reporting that the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California took over the case in 2003. Little if anything has happened since. Both policemen thought that Mrs. Ayers, Bernardine Dohrn, should be arrested and charged with the murder. Mr. Ayers is said to have known in advance of the bombing.

Who the hell is protecting these, IMO, murderers?!!

19 posted on 01/29/2009 9:34:04 AM PST by WilliamofCarmichael (If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)
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To: NormsRevenge
The greatest damage to our Republic by Ayers is being inflicted now; moreso than in his Weatherman days.

All need to research the word Constructivism and education. This is a nation-wide trend now corrupting teaching programs and filtering into high and elementary schools public and private.

I know this because the Catholic school where I teach is now launching such a program, and in my research, lo and behold, Ayers pops up everywhere as one of the prophets of Constuctivism.

Philosophically, it is a descendant of Deconstruction (Foucault, Derrida, ad nauseum) and it drinks from the spring of relativism.

Fuzzy math, creative spelling, emotion-based instruction, non-competition, all-values-are-equal, group learning - you know the sad refrain.

One more thing: content (what is actually taught) fades away to relative unimportance.
20 posted on 01/29/2009 9:46:17 AM PST by jobim
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