The first guy [Charles DeMotte (Professor of History, Empire State College, New York)]is a real wack job, whose writings range from Finger Lakes restaurant reviews to book reviews of New Age gibberish.
We have another guest column today in which the writer holds forth that:
Using terms like "evil Taliban," "Axis of Evil" and other such phrases is shortsighted and dangerous. "You are with us or against us" is a phrase that is good only for dividing people; it opens the door to persecution. Any puppet with speechwriters can incite nationalistic fervor. Does the name Joseph McCarthy ring a bell?Colleges (ideally) should teach students to think critically, to analyze evidence, to weigh all factors and to arrive at intelligent, logical decisions. Opinions that differ must be taken as what they are; we cannot believe that our team is always right.
We also have another whiny letter to the editor asking:
Does anyone really think that it is unpatriotic to ask whether some of our foreign policies are causing unexpected and undesirable consequences for others and ourselves?
Ithaca is the City of Evil.