My response to the President of Columbia University and his email regarding Professor De Genova

Email from the Prsident of Columbia University | April 4, 2004 | Jeff Head

[Jeff Head]

Here's my response to President Bollinger email to me from Columbia UNiversity (the Presidnet's email I am responding to is included after my response):

President Bollinger,

I got your response to my emails regarding the atrocious comments by Professor De Genova.

While I am gratified that you find Professor De Genova's words revolting, I am wondering what you are going to do about it. Your response was completely absent of any action on your or the University's part regarding censoring, punishing or reprimanding the Professor at all. In fact, your email was noteworthy for that absence in my opinion.

Words are not enough Mr. President, we are dealing with a situation so outlandish and so beyond the pale that actions are required..

President Bollinger, a Blackhawk helicopter was downed a couple of days ago killing several Americans in Iraq. Reports from Baghdad indicate that the Iraqis learned a thing or two from Mogadishu.

Quite frankly, I am more concerned about the harm and death the Professor's words serve to incite from our enemy, and the pain resulting from THAT, than I am about sensibilities offended by his mere words.

There is responsibility and accountability that goes along with free speech and the professor exhibts neither.

I must say, that unless the University shows some responsibility and removes such an individual from your employ, I will continue to do all in my power to get not only Alumni funding cut off to Columbia ... but I will extend my efforts to their Federal funding you recieve as well ... I don't want my tax monies paying for someone like De Genova to make such comments to our youth at College "teach-ins".

Please respond and let me know what substanative actions you plan as actions showing consequence for De Genova's words.

Sincerely,

Jeff Head
http://www.jeffhead.com
Emmett, Idaho

Here is the email I received from President Bollinger to which I was responding. I received this email in response to my own initial email that was posted on FR HERE:

Mr. Jeff Head

I want to acknowledge your email message concerning Assistant Professor De Genova's remarks. I am appalled by his outrageous comments. I want to assure you that his comments in no way represent my views nor anyone with whom I have spoken at the University. His comments were not made in a classroom, but rather at a teach-in, an informal gathering where faculty and students come together to discuss and debate the pressing and important issues of the moment. They are not authorized or officially sanctioned classroom experiences.

Assistant Professor De Genova was exercising his freedom of speech when he made those remarks. However, free speech does not insulate him from criticism. Our faculty and students, regardless of their position on the war, have not been silent in their denunciation of his remarks.

While Nicholas De Genova's words properly invite anger and sharp rebuke, there are few things more precious on any University campus than freedom of thought and expression. That is the teaching of the First Amendment and I believe it should be the principle we live by at Columbia University.

I appreciate your adding your voice to those who have expressed their opinions. At a time of war, when American troops are in harm's way, his comments are especially disturbing. I am particularly saddened for the families of those whose lives are at risk and who must endure the pain provoked by his statements.

Sincerely,

Lee C. Bollinger
President
Columbia University

[Jeff Head]

I thought folks following this might be interested.

Please email your congressional Representatives regarding this issue and ask them to introduce or support legislation to cut Columbia's funding off over this issue.

Please email President Bollinger indicating your intent to do so. Here's the email address:

President Bollinger
Columbia University
bollinger@columbia.edu

We need to keep this pressure on, please forward to your email lists, friends, relatives and neighbors and encourage them to do likewise.

[Jeff Head]

FYI ... latest on my involvement with this situation.

[TomServo]

there are few things more precious on any University campus than freedom of thought and expression.

Except "diversity" and kissing the butts of malcontents and rabble-rousers. Nice letter, Jeff.

[Revolting cat!]

I hope you sent the above after running it through a spellchecker first - there are at least two spelling errors in the letter, and such things have a tendency to influence the opinion of the recipient of the sender. Other than that, the letter is very good!

[Illbay]

I wonder what you want him to do, Jeff.

The guy has his right of free speech. Columbia is a private institution.

According to the young lady from his class who was on Hannity & Colmes yesterday, as well as on Laura Ingraham's radio show today, di Genova does not use his classroom as a bully pulpit; he does not discriminate against those few who support our war effort.

His comments, though they were disgusting, were his own.

I support YOUR right to publicly condemn him, and excoriate him to the high heavens for his disgusting remarks, but that's the extent of it, as far as I'm concerned.

We still have the PRINCIPLE of free speech in our Republic, and so long as this guy is representing himself and his own views, I'm not in favor of anyone "doing something" about it.

[beaversmom]

That was a great reply to the president. You really haven't forgotten about this!!--that's great. I remember you posted something a few days ago shortly after his remarks were made known. I'm outraged too, but I haven't been able to muster the mental power to write a letter to Columbia.

[cinFLA]

They have been sending out that standard reply for the last several days.

[Torie]

Bollinger many decades ago, when he was a first year assistant professor, taught my class in contracts. We had many good debates. He was a reasonable guy, although a bit caustic. Still, he gave me a top grade, in part because I was mouthy in his class. I respect that. In those days, I was more of a hard core right winger. In this case, Bollinger's response is correct. You don't bounce someone for stating the execrable in a university context. But the guy should be denied advancement absent compelling contervailing circumstances (ie he is a freakin genius in his field), and if he is denied advancement, he will soon depart. That is certainly what would happen to some junior pup stating outrageous and unuanced and close to demonstrably false hard right wing opinions.

[Keith in Iowa]

>>part regarding censoring, punishing or reprimanding...

Do you really wan to censor him? Or censure?

Censoring him would be really anti-free speech.

[sistergoldenhair]

We need to keep this pressure on...

Thanks for your efforts.
Those splitting the of hairs between it's "not the University", "academic freedom" and "first amendmend rights" must be called to task.

[Anamensis]

Columbia is a private institution.

They get millions in tax dollars every year, private or no.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Ask him if it's okay for a Professor to say "I hope all gays die of aids so they all die off and will be removed from the gene pool" at a unofficial teach in? Would that professor be sactioned or kicked off campus before he got the period on the end of his sentence?

[Revolting cat!]

Frankly, I think we need to implement something similar to the Goodwin Law but with regard to the tired old cliches of "free speech" and the "1st Amendment"! Pathetic defenses of the indefensible, if you ask me! I wouldn't even lower myself if I were you to explain to the clueless above what this is about.

[Anamensis]

I don't know about anyone else, but I want left wing extremist speech treated the same as right wing extremist speech. If you can't say "I wish gays would die of AIDS" and keep your job, you shouldn't be able to say "I wish soldiers would be killed by terrorists" and keep your job. If you can't say "A true hero is someone who kills an abortion doctor" then you can't say "A true hero is someone who kills an American soldier." And so forth. I want them to use their hate speech laws against both sides or not use 'em at all.

[Illbay]

That wasn't my point. My point is that they are not answerable to some legislature, and they are not prone to be strong-armed by political muscle.

This guy wasn't doing this in class. He was saying the horrible things he said as a private citizen.

As odious as we might find the remarks, our only recourse is to condemn those remarks in the strongest possible terms.

As has often been said, the true measure of freedom is that we protect the right of free speech of those with whom we may violently disagree.

I despise this man's remarks and will never cease saying so. But I will never agree that "something ought to happen" to him.

[NH Liberty]

Great job. Glad you're pressing him to respond; it is *astounding* that there was no reference to any proposed penalty in his reply.

Keep us posted.

[Jeff Head]

I want them to fire him, plain and simple.

His remarks went beyond free speech. He advocated the death of Americans by our enemy, and then went on to encourage American soldiers to kill their own as the Sgt. in the 101st did.

That is beyond mere free speech, that is inciting.

Sorry, you may disagree on that, but there needs to be responsibilty and accountability for what is said, just like there would be for crying fire in a crowded theater.

If you don't agree, fine, that is your right, but I am going to go about exactly what I have said in my letter to Bollinger. I will do all in my power through my contacts with Alumni there and through my own representatives to get their funding cut off until Columbia removes this guy, Plain and simple.

[Illbay]

I appreciate your statements here. But the ideal should be that the notion of "hate speech" ought to die an ignoble death. It is an onerous concept.

Yes, someone ought to be able to say "I wish gays would die of AIDS," so long as he is doing so on his own nickel. And others ought to be able to say that he is a hate-monger.

Ideas are ideas, within very broadly defined limits.

[Jeff Head]

I got mine today and am responding to it.

[Jeff Head]

Thanks Keith ... censure.