To read the tribute to SFC Marcus Muralles, please click here
Friday, February 04, 2005
More Thoughts on Churchill
I cannot believe I'm going to do this. I'm actually going to defend the putz. Sort of.
For those of you who haven't been paying attention, Ward Churchill is the (now former) Chair of the University of Colorado's Ethnic Studies Department. He has gained notoriety due to an essay (and then a book) he wrote, saying that the 9/11 victims weren't really all that innocent and that they were, at best, "little Eichmans." All of this came to light because he was scheduled to speak at a small college somewhere and they canceled due to the media mess it caused.
Well, now... it looks like the Board of Regents has ordered a study to see if they should fire him.
Let me explain. Churchill wrote his essay shortly after 9/11. That was three and a half years ago. It's been out there for the whole world (and, by default, the CU Board of Regents) to read. What this tells me is that the University of Colorado has no idea what its professors say/write/publish on a regular basis. They're not paying attention to what is not even a fine detail. Professors are, in large part, the sum total of their published worth. That's where they get their stature, the place in the faculty pecking order, their key to the teachers' lounge.
Nope. I'm not buying it. CU knew who they had as Chair of the ES department, and they knew what he wrote and what he taught in the classroom. Oh, maybe the President of the University and a few others intentionally kept themselves in the dark (plausible deniability and all that). But... you have to know that someone knew, and they didn't care. They probably applauded it (in their hearts and minds, but never out loud). Until they got caught, that is.
When Hamilton College asked him to speak, they opened a can of worms that CU never anticipated. Someone- a student, TA, parent, we may never know- took the time to do a little research on Churchill. And, obviously (based on what we've seen of the backlash) they didn't like what they found. So, they brought to the school's (and the public's) attention his writings, his philosophy, his thoughts.
And, now CU is in an unenviable position. If they stand by Churchill's First Ammendment Rights, they will seem just as whacked as their (former) ES dept. Chair. If they condemn him, they look irresponsible for letting the man teach at their school.
Either way, that does not bode well for future enrollment by centrist and conservative students, now, does it?
For those of you who haven't been paying attention, Ward Churchill is the (now former) Chair of the University of Colorado's Ethnic Studies Department. He has gained notoriety due to an essay (and then a book) he wrote, saying that the 9/11 victims weren't really all that innocent and that they were, at best, "little Eichmans." All of this came to light because he was scheduled to speak at a small college somewhere and they canceled due to the media mess it caused.
Well, now... it looks like the Board of Regents has ordered a study to see if they should fire him.
The University of Colorado Board of Regents ordered an investigation Thursday into whether embattled ethnic studies professor Ward Churchill should be fired, and then took the extraordinary step of apologizing to the nation for Churchill's writings about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.So, y'all are thinking that I'm jumping up and down with joy over Churchill's impending doom, right? Well, I'll admit that I wouldn't be upset if he was no longer influencing young skulls full of mush on a regular basis. But... this just doesn't seem right.
In a raucous meeting where university leaders were shouted down by Churchill supporters who defied orders to be silent, the regents voted unanimously to authorize a 30- day investigation to determine whether there is cause to fire Churchill, 57.
Let me explain. Churchill wrote his essay shortly after 9/11. That was three and a half years ago. It's been out there for the whole world (and, by default, the CU Board of Regents) to read. What this tells me is that the University of Colorado has no idea what its professors say/write/publish on a regular basis. They're not paying attention to what is not even a fine detail. Professors are, in large part, the sum total of their published worth. That's where they get their stature, the place in the faculty pecking order, their key to the teachers' lounge.
Nope. I'm not buying it. CU knew who they had as Chair of the ES department, and they knew what he wrote and what he taught in the classroom. Oh, maybe the President of the University and a few others intentionally kept themselves in the dark (plausible deniability and all that). But... you have to know that someone knew, and they didn't care. They probably applauded it (in their hearts and minds, but never out loud). Until they got caught, that is.
When Hamilton College asked him to speak, they opened a can of worms that CU never anticipated. Someone- a student, TA, parent, we may never know- took the time to do a little research on Churchill. And, obviously (based on what we've seen of the backlash) they didn't like what they found. So, they brought to the school's (and the public's) attention his writings, his philosophy, his thoughts.
And, now CU is in an unenviable position. If they stand by Churchill's First Ammendment Rights, they will seem just as whacked as their (former) ES dept. Chair. If they condemn him, they look irresponsible for letting the man teach at their school.
Either way, that does not bode well for future enrollment by centrist and conservative students, now, does it?
