Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 21:36:10 -0500
Subject: Re: Lynne Cheney-Joe Lieberman group puts out a blacklist 


thanks for this report, i agree with much of its analysis, i would add that
this is a classic fascist tactic: taking advantage of academia's isolation,
elitism and classism to turn mainstream white public opinion against
intellectuals in general. bob brown
--
"solidarity means sharing the same risks" - Che
( la solidarita significa correre gli stessi rischi)

----------
>From: julian samuel <jjsamuel-AT-vif.com>
>To: postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
>Subject: Lynne Cheney-Joe Lieberman group puts out a blacklist
>Date: Sat, Dec 15, 2001, 3:47 PM
>

>
> Published Thursday, Dec. 13, 2001, in the San Jose Mercury News
>
>
> Lynne Cheney-Joe Lieberman group puts out a blacklist
>
>
> BY ROBERTO J. GONZALEZ
> AN aggressive attack on freedom has been launched upon America's college
> campuses. Its perpetrators seek the elimination of ideas and activities that
> place Sept. 11 in historical context, or critique the so-called war on
> terrorism.
>
> The offensive, spearheaded by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, a
> Washington-based group, threatens free speech, democratic debate and the
> integrity of higher education. In an incendiary report, ``Defending
> Civilization: How Our Universities Are Failing America,'' the American
> Council claims that ``colleges and university faculty have been the weak
> link in America's response'' to Sept. 11. It also asserts that ``when a
> nation's intellectuals are unwilling to defend its civilization, they give
> comfort to its adversaries.''
>
> The report documents 117 campus incidents as ``evidence'' of
> anti-Americanism. More than 40 professors are named, including the president
> of Wesleyan University, who suggested in an open letter that ``disparities
> and injustices'' in American society and the world can lead to hatred and
> violence.
>
> Other examples abound. A Yale professor is criticized for saying, ``It is
> from the desperate, angry and bereaved that these suicide pilots came.'' A
> professor emeritus from the University of Oregon is listed for recommending
> that ``we need to understand the reasons behind the terrifying hatred
> directed against the U.S. and find ways to act that will not foment more
> hatred for generations to come.''
>
> Dozens more comments, taken out of context and culled from secondary
> sources, are presented as examples of an unpatriotic academy.
>
> The American Council of Trustees and Alumni was founded in 1995 by Lynne
> Cheney, the vice president's wife, and Sen. Joseph Lieberman. Its Website
> claims that it contributed $3.4 billion to colleges and universities last
> year, making it ``the largest private source of support for higher
> education.'' Cheney is cited several times in the report, and is reportedly
> a close associate of its authors, Jerry Martin and Anne Neal.
>
> Although the council's stated objectives include the protection of academic
> freedom, the report resembles a blacklist. In a chilling use of doublespeak,
> it affirms the right of professors to speak out, yet condemns those who have
> attempted to give context to Sept. 11, encourage critical thinking, or share
> knowledge about other cultures. Faculty are accused of being ``short on
> patriotism'' for attempting to give students the analytical tools they need
> to become informed citizens.
>
> Many of those blacklisted are top scholars in their fields, and it appears
> that the report represents a kind of academic terrorism designed to strike
> fear into other academics by making examples of respected professors.
>
> The report might also function to extend control over sites of democratic
> debate -- our universities -- where freedom of expression is not only
> permitted but encouraged.
>
> At my campus, symposiums, teach-ins and lectures about religion, terrorism,
> central Asia, the Middle East and U.S. foreign policy have been organized
> recently. A teach-in entitled ``Background for Understanding'' drew hundreds
> of students, faculty and citizens from many political and intellectual
> perspectives. The audience had the opportunity to ask questions and comment
> freely. The discussion was lively and at times contentious.
>
> As a microcosm of society, the university is a place where people of
> different ethnicities, religions, generations, and class backgrounds
> exchange ideas and opinions. Anyone who has visited Bay Area colleges knows
> that they are especially rich places for intercultural exchange.
>
> The vigorous and often heated debates typical of such encounters are a
> hallmark of democratic processes. On most campuses this can still be done
> freely, but official accusations of anti-Americanism might intimidate and
> silence some voices.
>
> That is not patriotism, but fascism. The American Council's position is
> inaccurate and irresponsible. Critique, debate, and exchange -- not blind
> consensus or self-censorship -- have characterized America since its
> inception.
>
> Our universities are not failing America. On the contrary, they are among
> the few institutions offering alternatives to canned mainstream media
> reports.
>
> The targeting of scholars who participate in civic debates might signal the
> emergence of a new McCarthyism directed at the academy. Before it escalates
> into a full-blown witch hunt in the name of ``defending civilization,''
> faculty, students and citizens should speak out against these acts of
> academic terrorism.
>
> Roberto J. Gonzalez is an assistant professor in the Department of
> Anthropology at San Jose State University.
>
>
>
>
>
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