Prof Must Keep Silent on Pro-Israeli Views [up for tenure, won't voice views]

Frontpagemagazine ^ | 6-9-03 | Jamie Glazov

[SJackson]

An academic scholar declines invitation to Frontpage Symposium in fear of endagering his appointment for tenure.

Frontpage's most recent symposium was Jihad in Iraq with Michael Ledeen, Dan Brumberg, Cliff May and Charles Kupchan.

We are now organizing a symposium on Leftist Anti-Semitism. Our distinguished panelists will be: Sol Stern, a contributing editor to City Journal and a Manhattan Institute senior fellow; Phyllis Chesler, Ph.D, the author of twelve books, including the international bestseller Women and Madness. Her most recent book is The New Anti-Semitism: The Current Crisis and What We Must Do About It; and Roger Gottlieb, a professor of Philosophy at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, author or editor of 12 books whose topics include Marxism, Environmentalism, the Holocaust, and contemporary religion. He is the author, most recently, of Joining Hands: Politics and Religion Together for Social Change and A Spirituality of Resistance: Finding a Peaceful Heart and Protecting the Earth. He is also 'Reading Spirit' columnist for Tikkun Magazine.

Another distinguished guest who would have offereded an excellent and profound contribution to the panel had to decline. He is an academic but his views are pro-Israel and he is up for tenure. Breaking the official Party Line in the university setting, therefore, is a little too risky for him at the moment. Below is the letter he sent me after receiving my invitation. For obvious reasons, his name remains anonymous:

Dear Jamie Glazov

I am sorry to say that I am going to have to decline your offer to appear with Phyllis Chesler. I thought I should share my main reason:

I am up for tenure and I am fearful that by supporting Israel and attacking Jew-haters on the Left, especially powerful Jewish Jew-haters on the Left, and especially in such a public forum as your excellent website, I will endanger my appointment at this moment. Talk about McCarthyism. The power of the Leftist establishment in academia is enormous as you all know at FrontPage, and I have to deal with that reality at this moment in my life.

I will continue to struggle against hatred against Jews and Americans and homosexuals as I have for all of my adult life--as best I can. I feel terrible about this decision as you can imagine.

Thanks for the invitation. I hope in the future I will be able to participate more fully and openly.

Sincerely,

Anonymous

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Jamie Glazov is Frontpage Magazine's managing editor. He holds a Ph.D. in History with a specialty in Soviet Studies. He is the co-editor (with David Horowitz) of the new book The Hate America Left and the author of Canadian Policy Toward Khrushchev’s Soviet Union (McGill-Queens University Press, 2002) and 15 Tips on How to be a Good Leftist. Email him at jglazov@rogers.com.

[Cathryn Crawford]

...bookmark for later.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

[carlo3b]

For some strange reason, this position sounds perfectly reasonable to me. I don't want my professor to be so fixed in his or her views that they would be comfortable in such a bias setting. I wish all educational venues would adopt this position, this would be a major step forward.
That said, if the institution in question has the same fair and balance constraint on it's entire faculty, if not, why not?

[carlo3b]

Put down the cooking sherry and explain this.

Nice try;
No I didn't say that at all, and I think you knew that. My kids are being bombarded by narrow-minded Profs. in every discipline. My son received a D for asking question about a lecture regarding a strongly held attitude of the prof. That professor routinely appears on left wing panels, and make no effort to expose the other side of the issues. Do you think that is fair, I don't.. so if the Univ. wants to out a stop to this type of action, I SAY THATS GOOD, don't you?..
It's what we keep saying on these threads all the time.. just teach, don't preach. I am willing to give up my strongly held views if that is the rule. Lets toast my reasonable position..How about a little Sherry?

[SJackson]

For some strange reason, this position sounds perfectly reasonable to me...That said, if the institution in question has the same fair and balance constraint on it's entire faculty, if not, why not?

So as long as a faculty is consistant in not allowing Jews, or Israelis, or supporters of Israel (not clear which categories the prof fits in), it makes sense to you?

What other groups and positions do you want excluded from academia?

[Pan_Yans Wife]

The liberal professors hold on so tightly to their bias that it blinds them to the intelligence of their students.

Perhaps the lesson is, when encountering these professors, to give them what they want, pass the class and move on. I hope that more students are willing to realize that the professor isn't God, and he isn't all-knowing, and take what the professors say with a pinch of salt.

[carlo3b]

Perhaps the lesson is, when encountering these professors, to give them what they want, pass the class and move on. I hope that more students are willing to realize that the professor isn't God, and he isn't all-knowing, and take what the professors say with a pinch of salt.

Agreed, but I suggest if this school is attempting to level that issue and ban such dogma from the faculty, isn't that what we want.. Or is it your pig they are goring, and that just isn't fair.. Surely you don't mean that..do you? Or do you?

[carlo3b]

So as long as a faculty is consistant in not allowing Jews, or Israelis, or supporters of Israel (not clear which categories the prof fits in), it makes sense to you?

How about just teach! How about not favoring any subject, pro or against, and leave that discussion to a debate. At least that way the students get a brief on both positions.. how in the world can that hurt. WE keep hearing that the Arabs schools feed the youth to hate Jews in every venue.. Are you suggesting it's ok on our side? Surely you jest!

[Pan_Yans Wife]

My point is that it doesn't matter what offensive things are said in the workplace or the classroom. It doesn't matter if others wish to air their political dogma, they have that right. But, this doesn't mean the students or co-workers need to become embroiled in fight. Can't the student or co-worker politely listen, and then dismiss the rantings as incoherent? "Agree to disagree."

A student is sent to school to earn an education. Do it, and then move on to the rest of your life. Is this battle worth it? Because no matter how much the student complains, the professor will probably patronize the student, or fail the student, whichever the case may be. And, then what recourse does the student have, other than finding a different school?

[carlo3b]

Sorry, that is the position that has placed us in the delema we are currently facing throughout the teaching establishment..if you think that this method works.. JUST MOVE ON AND NOT FIGHT, or welcome an attempt to put a stop to it.. god help us! I went to war for your right to be wrong, so believe what you want just don't force my kids to live in your passive world view! MOVE ON

[monkeyshine]

This prof hit the nail on the head. The international left is more McCarthyite than McCarthy! They have language police, thought police, and will boycott even their own if their own happen to be citizens of countries they do not like. Confotm to their groupthink, or be ostracized.

[monkeyshine]

this school is attempting to level that issue and ban such dogma from the faculty

Funny how you have turned the tables. This prof is afraid of being passed over because he doesn't heed the dogma.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

How else are we taught at the universities? If you want to shut out all liberal thought that you disagree with, and never encounter it, how are you going to get the degree?

And what about being able to cope with alternative thoughts in the real world.

I am not advocating that we all become adherents to the rantings of liberals. I am just suggesting that we brush up on our coping mechanisms. Because if something within the classroom is found to be extremely upsetting, just imagine how offensive the real world must be to graduating students.

The world is NOT politically correct. It is time to accept it, and deal with it by fighting the battles that we can win. Not by becoming so ultra-sensitive that we turn into a shrinking violet whenever we hear an alternative point of view.

[SJackson]

How about just teach! How about not favoring any subject, pro or against, and leave that discussion to a debate. At least that way the students get a brief on both positions.. how in the world can that hurt. WE keep hearing that the Arabs schools feed the youth to hate Jews in every venue.. Are you suggesting it's ok on our side? Surely you jest!

I think you need to read the article again.

Are you actually suggesting that, in the interest of students get(ting) a brief on both positions a litmus test should be placed on professors views, and if they're pro-Israel, or Israeli, or Jewish they should be banned from academia in the name of not favoring any subject?

Your formula is precisely how schools work in the Arab world. One opinion, one viewpoint, others banned.

[carlo3b]

Funny how you have turned the tables.

Why isn't it vice versa.. I understand the wish that our side is fully addressed, as I mentioned in a prior post, IF THE INSTITUTION demands the same of all sides. Why is our bias any better that theirs.. Because we believe we are right? I believe an education is the blanket exposure to all facts, and I will assist my kids to shape their opinions..

[LiteKeeper]

INTREP

[SJackson]

Agreed, but I suggest if this school is attempting to level that issue and ban such dogma from the faculty, isn't that what we want..Funny how you have turned the tables. This prof is afraid of being passed over because he doesn't heed the dogma.

Precisely, the profs opinions are essentially banned, he's forced to toe the liberal line or shut up if he wants to keep his job.

It's also worth noting that, in the instance of the proposed boycotts, these academics aren't necessarily teaching in fields related to the conflict. But if a biologist is supportive, he's fired, presumably in the interest of "leveling the issue". An educational gulag.

[carlo3b]

How typical of this subject, regarding strongly held views and polarizing our culture.
Are you so insecure in the strength of you positions that it can stand up to any scrutiny.. TEACH MY SIDE AND YOUR SIDE IS EVIL.. I am really getting a bit dubious about your causes.. So Liberal of you to ban the opposition!