Professors, Students, Speak out against war in Iraq at Teach-in

Cavalier Daily ^ | 4/15/03 | Christine Wallace

[Cosmo]

Professors, students speak out against war in Iraq at teach-in

(I) Participants address issues of media coverage, post-war reconstruction, organizers express regret concerning failure to present both sides of issue due to time, illness (I)

Christine Wallace Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

Peter Dunn | Cavalier Daily

Last night at 7 p.m. in Rouss Hall, the Anti-War Coalition sponsored "War with Iraq: a teach-in," to educate University students about conflict in Iraq and potential consequences.

Nine speakers detailed several topics stemming from the war, such as media coverage, motives of the United States and the United Kingdom, the war at home, exploitation, post-war consequences, long-term political implications, civil disobedience and treatment of Muslims and immigrants.

English Prof. Eric Lott said he believed the coverage of the war is not accurate.

"I think we are getting an incredibly partial, if not censored, account of what's going on in Iraq," he said. "The information that gets put through by the journalist is not the shock that they go through."

Anti-war poetry also was read during the teach-in, some of which was satiric.

Protestors said they believed tax dollars should be spent on problems other than a war which they said is unfounded.

"War is something that exists right here," said Andrew Holden, a Charlottesville resident and member of Citizens Against Global Exploitation.

The $80 billion that America is spending on the war could be divided up for food for all 6 billion people in the world, Holden said.

Second-year College student Sam Brody discussed what could happen after Saddam's regime is toppled. According to Brody, America and the United Nations will try to control the economy and government of Iraq. He said Iraq should control its own government.

Some attendees said they were displeased with the over-simplicity of modern patriotism.

University Democrats President Ian Amelkin cited 18th century writer and critic Samuel Johnson, saying "Patriotism is the last resort of the scoundrel."

The event was organized by second-year College student Macarena Rotger and third-year College student Jessica Forman, both members of the Anti-War Coalition.

The organizers said they wanted to educate students about both sides of the war, especially the side not often displayed by the media.

"The main concern was [that] at least one person walk away learning something different." Forman said. "We saw a lot of new, fresh faces."

The organizers said they planned to focus on both sides of the war, but because of time constraints and illness, only the anti-war side was well represented.

"It wasn't supposed to be as one sided as it turned out," Forman said. "We were showing the side that they don't hear on TV."

Those involved said they were pleased with the turnout of close to 60 people.

"People were being innovative," Amelkin said. "I thought it was a good turnout tonight."

[Cosmo]

Thought y'all might get a kick out of this article: the timing, the turnout, the excuses -- you name it. Oh, how I love the Academy.

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[grobdriver]

Professors, students speak out against war in Iraq at teach-in

HELLO???
It's OVER!!

[Psycho_Bunny]

President Ian Amelkin cited 18th century writer and critic Samuel Johnson, saying "Patriotism is the last resort of the scoundrel."

"Academia is the last resort of those who can't Do."

[goldstategop]

War? What war? 60 people turned out for the teach-in. Thank heaven the Left has a short attention span.

[Anamensis]

The $80 billion that America is spending on the war could be divided up for food for all 6 billion people in the world, Holden said.

Oh, THAT'S brilliant! Give everyone $13, that'll feed 'em for a day or two. Then it's gone and the WMD are still in Saddam's hands, the children are still in his prisons, the people are still being tortured, the terrorists are still being trained and funded... but hunger has been staved off for 24 hours, so, like, that's like, good, right? Like y'know?

[American Soldier]

My God, why are people in Charlottesville so stupid? IT'S TOO LATE. The smart liberals already admitted their error in this matter. Lord how I hate universities. (And UVA is supposed to be one of the "conservative" ones too...DOH!)

[OldFriend]

If they call it a TEACH IN........I want to know what their solutions are to the issues of dictatorship, brutality, starving the citizenry to pay for palaces.......

[Lee Heggy]

"The $80 billion that America is spending on the war could be divided up for food for all 6 billion people in the world, Holden said."

Oh, yeah! well tell me Mr. Warm Fuzzy, how many trees are gonna have to be ground up to make the toilet paper these people will need after eating all that food? HUH!? and WHO is going to deal with all the litter and stuff?!! Don't know? I thought so you little peck-sniff! Think it through next time Mr. Green.

[Billthedrill]

LOL - "close to" sixty people show up for a rally that "accidentally" turned out to present only one side of the topic. Poetry is read. A sophomore intones profundities about UN control of the Iraq government (huh?) and a budding Trotsky from the - God help us - "Citizens Against Global Exploitation" tells us that there is some sort of equivalence between a bucolic campus and Hellfire missile zone. Raw, real-time video from embedded journalists is declared "censored" by an English professor.

I can't go on - my cliche meter has pegged past the pain threshold. You just can't make this stuff up.

[weegee]

Call "teach ins" what they really are, indoctrination at re-education centers.

[Arpege92]

Don't forget that this $80 billion is coming out of our pockets....that's right....the Americans....we are not only supposed to feed the entire world, we have to explain why this is not just a problem for the Americans to figure out.

[Corin Stormhands]

Yup. This here's yer skul, ain't it?

[lilylangtree]

"organizers said they planned to focus on both sides of the war, but because of time constraints and illness, only the anti-war side was well represented"

What a display for democracy and objective thought (sarc)! Sounds like it was recruiting ground for the leftists Marxist ideas.

[weegee]

The mushmouths on the left need to realize that the dictators starve their own people. It's not a matter of not having enough money for the food...

Mountains of baby food stashed in secret warehouses - Troops help with babies

[Thud]

Given that it's over, I wonder why these idiots don't protest the Vietnam War instead. It's over too, and the Vietnam War is what they're really upset about. Everything else is a rerun.

[weegee]

"Close to" 60 people is a crowd that would be best characterized as "dozens" (although AP typically reserves that word to identify 150 conservatives gathered together).

[weegee]

They're still trying to RESTART the Cold War.

[OpusatFR]

Sixty people?

Been worrying about The University of Virginia lately. Glad to see they haven't completely morphed into a silly liberal establishment. Not that the weenies haven't tried...

[TonyS6]

I just lectured in a college class about the economics of the Iraq war. Basically, why it makes no sense to argue that it is "blood for oil" since that argument is not supported by any reasonable economic model. And certainly, we could close all prisons in the U.S. and distribute the savings to poor people; however, I think most Americans would find this unacceptable. Why would we want to distribute money to poor people at the expense of women being raped and murdered in Iraq? Some of the students then realized that parity is a wonderful concept.

One student left in anger and another glared at me. Welcome to free speech - if you don't like, don't listen!