Posted on 03/28/2003 5:44:19 AM PST by Sparky760
Defeat Troops, Professor Says Wants 'a million Mogadishus' By Ron Howell STAFF WRITER March 28, 2003 At an anti-war "teach-in" this week, a Columbia University professor called for the defeat of American forces in Iraq and said he would like to see "a million Mogadishus" - a reference to the Somali city where American soldiers were ambushed, with 18 killed, in 1993. "The only true heroes are those who find ways that help defeat the U.S. military," Nicholas De Genova, an assistant professor of anthropology and Latino studies at Columbia University, told the audience at Low Library Wednesday night. "I personally would like to see a million Mogadishus." De Genova was referring to the Mogadishu ambush and firefight, known for its graphic image of a slain American soldier being dragged through the streets. The battle was portrayed in the film "Black Hawk Down." The crowd was largely silent at De Genova's remark. They loudly applauded him later when he said, "If we really [believe] that this war is criminal ... then we have to believe in the victory of the Iraqi people and the defeat of the U.S. war machine." At least two of the speakers who followed De Genova distanced themselves from his comments. One of them was teach-in organizer Eric Foner, a history professor, who disagreed with De Genova's assertion that Americans who called themselves "patriots" also were white supremacists. In a telephone interview yesterday, Foner went further in his criticism, calling De Genova's statements "idiotic." "I thought that was completely uncalled for," Foner said. "We do not desire the deaths of American soldiers." Foner said that because of the university's tradition of freedom of speech, it was unlikely De Genova would suffer professionally in any way because of what he said. "A person's politics have no impact on their employment status here, whether they are promoted, whether they are fired or whether they get tenure," Foner said. De Genova did not want to discuss yesterday whether he had tenure. Acknowledging his beliefs are more radical than those of many others at Wednesday's forum, he said his remarks reflect his concern for oppressed people. While he did not retract his statements, he said he hoped they do not lead to "death threats," like those he received after a controversial speech at a pro-Palestinian rally last spring. Regarding Wednesday's reference to Mogadishu, the professor, who is 35 and from Chicago, said the U.S. Army is composed largely of men and women who have a "treacherous lack of prospects for a decent life," but even so, they "have a choice" in whether to oppress people like the Iraqis. He said the Iraqis must liberate themselves from domestic oppressors as well as from foreign invaders like the United States. More than 3,000 students and faculty attended the Wednesday teach-in, which lasted from 6 p.m. until about midnight and featured more than two dozen professors and other scholars. The applause at De Genova's call for the defeat of U.S.-led forces in Iraq reflected widespread frustration at the inability to reverse President George W. Bush's Middle East policies, Foner said. "A kind of flamboyant statement like that will get an applause in the heat of the moment," the history professor said. By turns, the speakers Wednesday night said the Bush administration's actions in Iraq were bullying, illegal, deceitful, corrupt and murderous. History professor Barbara J. Fields said like-minded Americans should vigorously oppose Bush. "The 'good Germans' of the Nazi era were the few who said, 'No,'" Fields declared. Copyright © 2003, Newsday, Inc.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
Really. So, Mr. Dumbass Professor, are you really advocating the death of 18 million Americans - most of them being stripped naked and dragged through the streets? No? That's what I heard - 18 Americans died in the Mogadishu battle. You want a million Mogadishus. Therefore, you want 18 million Americans killed and their naked bodies dragged through the streets. I have a feeling that the people who run or donate to Columbia University may have a problem with your desire for genocide against Americans and specifically the soldiers that protect and defend America.
Mr. Dumbass Professor - we're going to have your job. Seriously.
Unfortunately, the left in this country is financed almost entirely by the U.S. government in the form of grants, employment, etc. The rest comes from foreign sources and rich, liberal idiots.
Name: LEE C BOLLINGER
Title: PRESIDENT PROFESSOR
Dept: OFFICE OF PRESIDENT SCHOOL OF LAW
Mail Addr: 202 LOW LIBRARY
mail code 4309
Phone: MS 4-9970
+1 212-854-9970
UNI: lcb50
EMail: bollinger@columbia.edu
This is the image he's looking to create. This is a dead American Ranger being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu. I'm sure that there are plenty of Army Rangers that would be willing to give this sorry excuse of a man an "attitude adjustment" that he would never forget.
I'd say that if he's paid with tax dollars, he'd damned well better be fired. A private school may be able to get away with this, but when my money is taken and used to support this crap, the POS should be tossed out.
You are a pig and if I was in attendance when you made those comments I would have charged the stage and kicked your sorry a$$. If you had any balls you would have said what you said on a military base instead of a college campus.
Signed
A former US paratrooper 1990-1996
I wonder if the two or three (if Columbia has even that many) undercover conservatives on the humanities or social sciences faculties would agree with this.
It's The Onion. Nobody is this screwed in the head.
We lost 18. Didn't the Somalis lose over 1000? Be careful what you wish for Mr Professor....
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