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<< 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. >>

[Except that every word is of Bollinger's response is unmitigated BarbAra Streissand] -- So far, so good.

But where on Earth in:

"Congress shall make no law .... abridging the freedom of speech ....;"

.... does Bollinger find the licence to deny De Genova the dignity of the consequences of his actions?

The subversive traitor, De Genova, may rest assured that the Congress will refrain from ordering him silenced.

But nothing in Our Beloved FRaternal Republic's Founding Law can be sufficiently parsed as to be made to read to protect him from being fired for subversive treachery!

And from thus being saved from the pain of having to accept any further installments of his American-taxpayer-provided American Government Dole!

Thanks for the pings, Brian and Jeff. Both of your posts are spot on. And President Bollinger’s response to you, Jeff, is simply a barrel of double-speak. Why am I not surprised that he would hold a position of authority at an Ivy League (read that ‘bastion of leftist indoctrination’) school?

The argument that De Genova cannot be terminated because of tenure is a crock. Yes, tenure often protects those teachers who are burned out, incompetent, etc. But, no matter the terms of any tenure, if a teacher’s actions are egregious enough, tenure can be circumvented. There are always grey areas (severe professional misconduct, academic irresponsibility, default of academic integrity, conviction of a felony or other crime involving moral turpitude ....) which allow for tenure considerations to be waived. Tenure is an excellence in academics obstacle, but it is never an insurmountable one. The question is always: will those in positions of power have the resolve/character to invoke the causes for dismissal represented by those grey areas?

Apparently President Bollinger is not intending to spearhead the effort. I can’t help but wonder whether Bollinger is simply backbone-impaired, or whether he may somehow believe that such despicable comments are appropriate at an American institution of higher learning. Either option is not acceptable.

I don’t believe there is a legal name for what De Genova did. But I would rank it right up there with subversion, sedition and treason on the scale of abominations.

Anyone who is an alumnus of, studies at, teaches at, is otherwise employed by, or contributes to Columbia University – and who doesn’t believe that he/she needs to hold the university accountable for this man’s despicable behavior, and demand his removal – is just as culpable as he. Apathetic silence is sometimes the most insidious form of approval.