Racism allegation stirs academic-freedom debate

St Paul Pioneer (de)Press ^ | 10/28/01 | JUDITH YATES BORGER

[nothingnew]

We, them, us, all need to get over this crap...(too many damned laws and too many damn lawyers IMHO)

FMCDH

[madprof98]

Dunbar, 39, is equally charismatic.

I'm not sure "charismatic" is the word I'd use for a jackass like this, but I was really struck by his age. The fact that this absurd cry-baby complaint was filed by a 39-year-old man who is a student at a community college rather than, say, a fresh-from-high-school coed at Snob U, shows how pervasive the political correctness movement has been. As the article indicates, he might actually win too.

[an amused spectator]

"I don't buy the argument that I took this out of context," Dunbar says. "So what is the proper context? Why don't they just tell Holocaust jokes? Are you telling me you can't teach without using that language?"

"I don't buy the argument that I took this out of context," Dunbar says. "So what is the proper context? Why don't they just tell Holocaust jokes? Are you telling me you can't teach without using that language?"

I ignored all the words that I didn't want to hear in Dunbar's quote. It sounds to me like he understands and likes Holocaust jokes. I refuse to listen to anything further explanations from Mr. Dunbar about his obviously racist and anti-Semitic attitudes. ;-)

[Tacis]

I think the black guy needs to watch some of the humor on BET to get him used to a word that he finds offensive. What, it is only offensive from the tongue of a white man? Fee, isn't that, well, racist?

[Coastman5]

I just started a site to document anti-conservative agendas at California State University schools. Read my first teacher criticism at http://www.geocities.com/rogationes/index2.html

[Valin]

Dunbar asked that Wartman be reprimanded and suspended for two weeks without pay. He also asked for posters in the building extolling the value of diversity, a written apology from the president of Normandale and $1,000 for his trouble.

I do believe we've discovered the price of "racist statements", I guess that for a grand he's willing to be insulted. And I thought I was cheap and easy.

[jimtorr]

I see several datums here:

1. Wartman has used the same examples for 15 years, and nobody ever complained. I myself think the examples sound like good ones.
2. Dunbar is a 39 year-old minister (without a church? The article doesn't mention a church) who brags that he didn't even listen to much of the lecture. He was too busy praying to listen.
3. He never spoke to Wartman again, simply dropped the class and filed charges.

Now I ask you, who looks like a racist here? Wartman, who was making a point about how to taylor a speech to your audience, or Dunbar, who got offended and stopped listening?

[Looking4Truth]

African-American

I'm confused. Which is it, African or American? I didn't know you could be both.

The only cases that this would even remotely apply would be perhaps having dual-citizenship with the U.S. and some African country or being a first-generation child of an American(?) citizen and a citizen of an African country.

Now I'm really confused, what if someone from a South American country and someone from an African country have a child. Is this child also African-American? Or since it is in the southern hemishpere, it must be American-African.

"Hey no fair, Africa's supposed to come first in that title", the race baiter said. (head explodes)

[clintonh8r]

I've always thought that if you call yourself an "African American" you aren't really an American. You are some kind of hybrid. Why can't everybody who's an American citizen just consider themselves to be an American?

[muawiyah]

Pretty clear Mr. Dunbar is not into listening; besides that, he appears to be a bit too dense to be taking a speech class. Maybe he ought to stick to things he understands, and in an environment of his own making where he can be comfortable.

[RainDog]

Racists suck.

[Valin]

It does get more than a little consusing. And I don't even want to bring up the one drop of blood thing.

[Looking4Truth]

Damn, if I had a thousand dollars for everytime someone of another race uttered the words 'cracker' or 'whitey' where I could hear it, I'd retire today.

Some minister. He must have gone to the same minister school as Jackass Jackson and Fat-Boy Sharpton.

"Oh yeah, throw in some 'diversity' posters, I just moved into a new apartment." Jerkoff.

[Looking4Truth]

Yep, you're either American or not.

I forgot to add a sarcasm tag on that first post, eh?

[RWG]

"Why don't they just tell Holocaust jokes?...the professor didn't tell a joke, he used an example. Oh so tired of hyper sensitive minorities.

[Wonder Warthog]

"...the incident in Wartman's class touched off a classic conflict between two bedrock principles of education -- the student's right to a comfortable learning environment vs. academic freedom."

"..the student's right to a comfortable learning environment...". Gee, where is that RIGHT listed among the fundamental human rights ANYWHERE?? Most learning happens when the student is forced to be UNCOMFORTABLE.

[Valin]

Ok, here's the deal, anyone can insult me and my ancestory for the low low price of $999.00. This could be the money making opportunity of a lifetime.
I'll have to give some thought to a bulk rate.