Bill O'Reilly and Ward Churchill
The other day I received in my e-mail Bill O'Reilly's talking points on Ward Churchill, the Colorado professor who is under attack from many for calling some who died in the 9/11 attacks as "little Eichmanns" and basically saying that "the chickens have come home to roost" in reference to American foreign policy. In the beginning, I dismissed these comments as the ravings of a left wing lunatic. Upon closer inspection, I'm convinced that these are the ravings of a left wing lunatic. I consider myself a progressive. I believe in a persons right to express his unpopular beliefs. Sometimes though a person needs to show some dignity and respect. Mr Churchill has shown himself to be lacking on both fronts. Aside from disagreeing with his ridiculous assertion that somehow the United States is responsible for 9/11, I wish this man could have shown some respect for the families of the deceased who, quite simply, have been put through enough. By his logic, I should be able to go into some unnamed country who's foreign policy I don't agree with and start taking hostages or bomb a building and somehow it would be justified. These were innocent people that were killed. These were fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters that were earning money and trying to make a good life for their family. They weren't some evil coalition who's death was justified. We also have to mention how Mr. Churchill profits from our tax dollars by teaching at a state run university, apparently our government isn't so evil when he goes to the bank and cashes his paycheck. I'm sure that Mr. Churchill would feel much differently had he lost someone close to him that day.
I do hear many right wing pundits calling for his firing. I'm not sure I can agree with that. Many of them say that "he's teaching our kids this kind of garbage, and how can we have that?". I have a little more faith in the students of America than they do apparently. I've had many teachers over the years. Some were great and some were poor. Some had an influence on me, many more did not. I don't subscribe to the notion that because a Professor teaches a certain point of view, our students devour it with a rabid intensity. I believe that a student should be exposed to many different beliefs. Once in a while a person will cross the line. That's the tradeoff you accept when you live in a country such as ours. I'd much rather have to deal with a left wing nut once in a while than have the Government and the right wing dictate what constitutes acceptable thought and belief.
I do hear many right wing pundits calling for his firing. I'm not sure I can agree with that. Many of them say that "he's teaching our kids this kind of garbage, and how can we have that?". I have a little more faith in the students of America than they do apparently. I've had many teachers over the years. Some were great and some were poor. Some had an influence on me, many more did not. I don't subscribe to the notion that because a Professor teaches a certain point of view, our students devour it with a rabid intensity. I believe that a student should be exposed to many different beliefs. Once in a while a person will cross the line. That's the tradeoff you accept when you live in a country such as ours. I'd much rather have to deal with a left wing nut once in a while than have the Government and the right wing dictate what constitutes acceptable thought and belief.
posted by Big Scott | 12:25 PM
6 Comments:
Here's the deal, besides ranting off looney things, this guy is a professor of Native American studies
who claims to be of native American decent. It turns out he is not, and 3 other professors were not hired in his
stead. This should be grounds for dismisal right there. People have the right to say what they want. That is what is great about the USA, but people also need to accept the consequences of saying those things. In this case, the people who hired this guy (basically the tax payers) should fire him, unless they like the fact that he teaches this crap to their state's youth. If a professor was telling my kids that 9/11 victims got what they deserved and I was paying the tuition, you better believe I would pushing for his firing too;
especially if it was a MN institution that I help pay for. Saying these things deliberately and willingly is just spouting to create controversy and to severly undermine a war on terror that
I support.
Yeah, I heard about the Indian thing today. See ya' Ward. Here's the larger issue I have with the "consequences of what we say" line of thinking. A college university should be a place where many ideas and thoughts should be debated, (even if I never participated in any of it). You run the risk of censorship by firing people who say things you don't agree with. I'm not saying that this is the case here, obviously he stepped over the line of decency and respect, but it's not always clear where that line ends. It's a dangerous precedent. I sent you an article (to your home address) on the thoughts of one of the family members who lost someone. Very well written.
I see your point on where the line ends, but here is how you can tell where it ends. When outrage or objection erupts from millions of people like in this case. Or when the person's constituents (for lack of a better word) are pissed off; again, as in this case.
I think its generally obvious "where the line ends." I mean its usually just common sense. No offense, but it's usually liberals or progressives who blur that line. Just say to yourself, would most people think this is crazy or ridiculous? If it is, then the line has been crossed; as in this case.
3 things:
First, I just realized you have my main man and Ward Churchill in the same breath for the title of this post, so don't ever speak to me again.
Second, there is now new evidence to suggest that WC never signed the oath to the US constitution required under CO law for all professors. This is not really a loyalty oath, it is an oath that says you can dissent and say all you want, you just cannot encourage violence or over-throw of the US government. I'm not saying WC has necessarily done this, but he has not signed the oath, and that is un-American.
Third, where are all the special interest groups and corporations that donate money to UCB? I looked on the website, and after a little hunting around, I've found that Shell Oil, Keck Foundation and Microsoft, to name just a few, all donate (big) money to U of C. I think they can speak out by maybe cancelling a few checks until something is done about Ward Churchill (terrorist and traitor).
I don't disagree with what you said... much. (I don't like the fact that you call him a "terrorist" and "traitor", you throw that "traitor" word around a little too much for my liking, but I suppose that's your right).
I've only used the word traitor for two people. Ted Kenendy and Churchil. A traitor (especially during war time) is anyone who deliberately helps the other side, or intentionally hurts our troops. Dissention is fine, disagreement is fine, but anyone who says or does things that directly and negatively affect what we are trying to do or that compromises the safety of Americans or American troops is a traitor. This guy encourages and applauds violence towards Americans; except, like you say, the bank teller who cashes his paycheck given to him by the good people of CO. Some of whom probably had friends or family that were burned alive or crushed by millions of tons of concrete and metal or were forced to jump from the 110th story of the WTC when Islama-fascists crashed some of our air planes into it.
Therefore this guy fits the definition of traitor very well. Especially if you look into who he is and acts as a person.
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