Posted on 02/02/2005 11:04:57 AM PST by NorCoGOP
State lawmakers on Wednesday denounced comments by a University of Colorado professor who compared victims of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks to Nazis, saying his remarks were "evil and inflammatory."
The House unanimously approved a resolution saying remarks by professor Ward Churchill in a three-year-old essay had struck "an evil and inflammatory blow against America's healing process."
The resolution, introduced by Rep. Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch, also proclaimed support for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
"I want to make sure this body stands firm in support of the victims of 9-11," Harvey said.
Churchill's essay and follow-up book, "On the Justice of Roosting Chickens: Reflections on the Consequences of U.S. Imperial Arrogance and Criminality," attracted little attention until his planned appearance Thursday at Hamilton College in New York state triggered protests.
The college canceled the appearance this week, citing death threats against Churchill and school officials. Churchill resigned Monday as chairman of CU's Ethnic Studies Department but retained his job as a professor.
He did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment Wednesday.
In a statement released Tuesday, Churchill said was not defending the Sept. 11 attacks, "but simply pointing out that if U.S. foreign policy results in massive death and destruction abroad, we cannot feign innocence when some of that destruction is returned."
Some lawmakers on Wednesday called for the Legislature to cut funding for the Ethnic Studies Department, saying Churchill has a right to free speech but taxpayers do not have to subsidize his views.
"Maybe if his funding goes away, he will as well," said Rep. Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs.
The university's Board of Regents plans to meet Thursday to discuss Churchill's status.
The Colorado chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is not involved in the case because no official action has been taken against Churchill, legal director Mark Silverstein said.
"Certainly the First Amendment protects his ability to write freely and speak freely, especially when the writing in question occurred outside his classroom duty," Silverstein said.
Hate speech is only when people who are non-liberals talk about the minority group du'jour. When liberals talk its called "valid criticisms".
In short, Hate Speech falls under the definition of "It means whatever the leftists want it to mean"
LOL. Excellent!!!
His faculty parking space?? Now you are hitting him in the ONLY place it hurts...
Right you are. Is Nicholas DeGenova, who wished for a million Mogadishu's befall our troops in Iraq, still teaching at Columbia (or was it NYU)? Of course he is, and drawing a nice fat salary and pension. Universities are the last refuge for sixties terrorist radicals who spew their poison at generation after generation, unchecked.
Academic Freedom has come to mean "educated fool". People need to start voting with their wallets!!!! These "educated idiots" are, for the most part, holding impregnable positions given the protections that tenure offers. There needs to be more public exposure of these weasels.... but that's unfair to our furry friends.
I'm with you and will expose them at every level I can. But the real tragedy is the effect they have on the malleable minds of 19, 20, and 21 year olds. We cannot afford another generation of useful idiots for the communist/islamic left.
I agree again! Don't write off the younger generation, though; Many of them see right through the drivel spewed by the likes of Churchill. They tolerate it as a survival mechanism. The problem is that these universities are "closed shops" so only "like minded" get hired and get tenure. Therein lies the big problem!!! How does one break THAT cycle?
BTTT
You have posed the question that has haunted conservatives on campuses for years--exposing the Churchills and the DeGenovas of the academic world is a good start. As tenured profs die or retire, there must be a concerted effort to pressure the deans to hire a more balanced faculty. This effort has to come from parents, alumni/ae, students, community leaders and the media.
It is a bit of a pipedream, though.
Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."
I believe we do. They were recently invoked to keep protestors from being prosecuted for disrupting the Columbus Day parade in Denver.
Mr. Churchill was a part of that.
Wouldn't that be hate speech? Doesn't Colorado have laws against hate speech?
It's not "hate speech" if it's addressed toward whites, you see.
I don't know... Calling all the Jewish people who died in the WTC "little Eichman's" seems pretty hateful to me. And I'd venture a guess that the majority of the kitchen staff at Windows on the World was black.
Hispanic.
He also claimed to be in Vietnam, which looks suspicious. As a public relations officer. And another time as an airborne recon guy. Could he be Gloria Steinham in disguise?
see American Digest: Cherokee wannabe.
Fire this pinhead, it's not about freedom of speech it's about freedom to fire somoeone who has hurt your image.
Scary, isn't it?
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