LUCY PEMONI / STAR-BULLETIN Protesters made their opinions known last night outside the entrance of the auditorium where University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill delivered his speech on the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus. Posted on 02/23/2005 1:28:51 PM PST by leaning_libertarian
Starbulletin.com
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
"I never wanted to be a poster boy for academic freedom. You can't give an inch. If you let this one down, you've lost it all."
Ward Churchill Visiting University of Colorado professor
LUCY PEMONI / STAR-BULLETIN Protesters made their opinions known last night outside the entrance of the auditorium where University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill delivered his speech on the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus.
Churchill attacks essay’s critics University of Colorado president calls for calm
By Craig Gima cgima@starbulletin.com
Ward Churchill, the outspoken Colorado professor who created a national uproar by comparing 9/11 victims to Nazis, told an overflow crowd at the University of Hawaii last night that he is the target of a right-wing strategy to attack academia.
"I was targeted because they thought I would be an easy target," Churchill told the crowd of about 800. "That was a mistake.
"It's not just an attempt to purge me," he said. "It's a purge of the academy."
The crowd was mostly sympathetic to Churchill, a University of Colorado ethnic studies professor. He was applauded more than a dozen times and was greeted at least three times with standing ovations.
Before the speech began, about a dozen members of a UH college Republican group protested.
"I never wanted to be a poster boy for academic freedom," Churchill said. "You can't give an inch. If you let this one down, you've lost it all."
Much of Churchill's speech was devoted to explaining and expanding on his essay written on Sept. 11, 2001, that called 9/11 victims "little Eichmanns."
LUCY PEMONI / STAR-BULLETIN University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill drew about 800 people to his speech at UH-Manoa last night -- plus a dozen protesters like these.
He said the theme of his essay and a later book was that the United States has been involved in violating international law and killing innocents and should not be surprised that some people would want to kill Americans -- the "chickens coming home to roost," as his essay is titled.
He argued that the World Trade Center could be considered a legitimate target because it is a symbol of the financial power that allows the United States to flex its military might.
He said if you read his essay, he called the "technicians" in the World Trade Center "little Eichmanns," a reference to Adolf Eichmann, who actually did not kill any Jews but made it possible for the trains to run on time and for the Holocaust to take place.
It's obvious, Churchill said, that he did not mean to say children, janitors, firefighters and innocent bystanders were part of that group. Instead, he said, he was referring to investment bankers and others who make the killing of innocents by the U.S. military and U.S. policy possible.
Churchill did address the issue of his ethnicity, admitting that he is not Native American.
"Is he an Indian? Do we really care?" he said, quoting those he called his "white Republican" critics.
"Let's cut to the chase; I am not," he said.
His pedigree is "not important," Churchill said: "The issue is the substance of what is said."
He went on to explain that the issue of whether he is Native American has been blown up by sloppy reporting and reporters quoting other reporters.
His speech drew mostly positive reaction from those who attended. But Tyrone Hogenauer said he was disappointed.
"I thought he was going to talk on free speech," Hogenauer said.
Instead, Churchill talked about himself and attacked his critics the way they are attacking him, Hogenauer said: "It's a sad thing."
UH student Kirsten Chong said her professors assigned her to listen to the speech.
"He was humorous and he certainly didn't pull any punches," she said, adding that because she is native Hawaiian, she agrees with much of what he said.
University of Hawaii www.hawaii.edu BACK TO TOP | University leader urges calm in professor decision By Steven K. Paulson Associated Press
DENVER » University of Colorado President Elizabeth Hoffman warned lawmakers yesterday against rushing to punish a professor who likened some Sept. 11, 2001, victims to Nazis, saying a misstep could land the university in court and make the embattled teacher "a very wealthy man at our expense."
Furious lawmakers threatened to take state funding away from the university over an essay by Ward Churchill, a tenured professor of ethnic studies, who wrote that some "technocrats" killed in the World Trade Center were like Adolf Eichman, who orchestrated the Nazi holocaust.
Gov. Bill Owens has said Churchill should be fired, but Hoffman told a caucus of Republican legislators that the professor's future has to be handled the right way.
"If we approach this issue wrong, not only will every regent be sued personally, but every administrator will be sued personally and professor Churchill will win his lawsuit with triple damages and be back on the faculty, a very wealthy man at our expense," Hoffman said.
The university has launched a review of Churchill's writings and speeches to see if he overstepped academic freedom and should be dismissed. But Hoffman said public debate about firing him only clouds the issue.
"The more talk there is about the need to fire him, the more difficult it becomes for us to do that, if that's what we decide to do," she said.
Republican Sen. Doug Lamborn of Colorado Springs, who introduced a resolution last week urging the university to fire Churchill, did not return a message.
Lamborn said he had been meeting with regents to discuss the resolution because he wanted to avoid any "unintended consequences."
Hoffman said the law protects public employees' right to free speech, "no matter how odious it might be."
Some members of the Board of Regents have suggested reviewing the university's policy of granting tenure, essentially a lifelong appointment. Owens has said lawmakers might want to consider setting statewide standards for when tenure is granted, instead of leaving it to universities.
Hoffman told lawmakers that tampering with tenure would be a mistake that could drive away other faculty members and make it difficult to hire new ones.
"They need to know we have not engaged in a witch hunt," Hoffman said. "We're taking a careful and measured approach."
University of Colorado www.colorado.edu/
Great work, LL.
UH student Kirsten Chong said her professors assigned her to listen to the speech.
"He was humorous and he certainly didn't pull any punches," she said, adding that because she is native Hawaiian, she agrees with much of what he said.
News Flash Kirsten, if your last name is Chong, you're Chinese, not Hawaiian. You're as Hawaiian as I am "Pennsylvanian".
Ward Churchill is a disgrace that only shines light on how wrong the left is and how little esteem they hold the truth in. His claim that the U.S. somehow weaponized small pox in 1837, some 50 years before Pasteur did his experiments is a joke. Keep cloaking yourself in ignorance, the light is on and we can see you.
Owl_Eagle
”Guns Before Butter.”
Hey Wisconsin Freepers, come see what Hawaii's doing to this bag of crap Churchill!
"Is he an Indian? Do we really care?" he said, quoting those he called his "white Republican" critics.
"Let's cut to the chase; I am not," he said.
More grist for the mill of EWU alumni protesting the university's decision to pay Churchill to speak at their event to honor Native Americans.
What really annoyed me(as someone who is 1/4 Native American) is throughout his speech he referred to Indians as "we" before admitting that he is not one. Most of his followers didn't seem to mind this contradiction, or even notice it.
bump
"I thought he was going to talk on free speech," Hogenauer said. Instead, Churchill talked about himself and attacked his critics the way they are attacking him, Hogenauer said: "It's a sad thing."Does this mean Churchill is complaining about how his 'chickens have come home to roost'??? Gee. those pesky chickens...
It's only the truth that bothers the left, not lies.
Now he says he never claimed he was an Indian??? Funny, that's the first thing in his resume.
Does the REAL Indian who did not get the job (two were interviewed by CU) have a lawsuit against the college?
If I was a real Cherokee and this Cigar Store Indian, this Hikawe took my job, I'm suing.
He claimed he was an Indian to get Affirmative Action preferences.
Self Pity is such poor Box Office.
rush limbaugh argues that churchill's of more value to us where he's at, on display at the university of colorado.
i think there is merit to this argument. if churchill is fired, the issue will energize the left.
Since he's admitted not being an Indian (yes, INDIAN, not Native American) maybe we should start calling him "White-bread Ward"?
I love this mud-for-brains Lefty. Apparently, he just can't bury himself fast enough.
"...because she is native Hawaiian, she agrees with much of what he said"
That's an interesting justification for agreeing with someone, isn't it?
Translation: "Well, even if he is a fake Indian, and I'm a real one, we're both Indians so we both must think alike."
I was unaware that all people of given races (or perceived races as we now know) had to march in lock-step. By the way, what do mixed-race people do? Do they cut their agreements down the middle? Inquiring minds want to know (or at least mock this crap).
Since many of the students were there because they had to be, not because they wanted to be, you have to wonder how much support this loser really has.
1, 2, 3.........HUZZAH, HUZZAH!!!! GREAT JOB! Poor Chief Soggy Loincloth...
Dems, such as the likes of Mayor Blooming-idiot of NYC, think there's nothing wrong with his statements.
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