Willful Ignorance of the Academics
I have already spoken about my first experience with what a large swath of academia has degenerated into. Basically what really annoyed me about the whole situation was that I realized that one could spend an entire career there without accomplishing anything real. I couldn't stand sitting around being judged by a bunch of smug intellectual lightweights who are physically incapable of determining the difference between parody and reality. If your work is indistinguishable from crap, then guess what: it's crap!
The worst part, however, is how academics are increasingly seen to be defending scoundrels. A classic case is the Duke Lacrosse affair; 88 idiots from the faculty jumped on the case to publish an ad decrying the racism and sexism of the Duke community, further exacerbating the railroading of several innocent individuals. Even after it was proven that the students had been framed, most of these jackasses refused to recant. For some reason, they are still employed as professors.
Another example of academics circling the wagons is the Ward Churchill affair. He first became famous for saying something idiotic. Many were offended and demanded that he be fired. Investigations showed that he wasn't just an idiot, but an outright fraud. He was fired for lying about his qualifications (he had none). To this day, he has defenders who believe that he was railroaded politically. His initial attention was definitely political. His firing, however, was not. The unanswered question, however, is how he was hired in the first place.
Next, we have the case of William Ayers. He first came to prominence as a terrorist. As head of the Weatherman, he led a group which declared war on America. They planted bombs at the Capitol, the Pentagon, and several other places. See here for a list of their various despicable acts. Read here an account from a man who was a child when the Weathermen set 3 firebombs and tried to murder his family. Ayers went underground when his friend and his girlfriend encountered karma - that is to say they were blown up by their own nail bomb which they were planning to use on innocents.
It is one thing to believe that your country is on the wrong track and to try to change it. It is another thing entirely to use that as an excuse for murder.
Unfortunately, the police screwed up. They apparently improperly handled the wiretapping. As a result, Ayers walked free. He doesn't appear to have tried to kill anyone for a while. He has never, however, expressed regret for what he did. The money quote, which has been repeated quite a bit recently, is from an interview in the New York Times, published on September 11th, 2001. In it, he says "I don't regret setting bombs, I feel we didn't do enough.''
The terrorists of the Weather Underground belong, at the very least behind bars, if not underground themselves. Such people do not deserve to breathe the free air. Such a person definitely does not belong in a position where he could influence young people. But that is exactly where the University of Illinois at Chicago has him.
He has spent the last few decades attempting to push his radicalism into grade school classrooms. He has never given up his terrorist roots. He takes pride in them. This pride is well documented. It takes willful ignorance for anyone to examine his career and not see this.
Sadly, over 1800 idiots with college jobs have signed a statement professing just this ignorance. They claim that he is being railroaded for his political views.
This discussion on the Core Knowledge Blog captures the opinions of many who are involved in education. The co-signers completely ignore his history of violence, and his continued belief that his violence was justified. Ridiculous doesn't even begin to capture this.
This isn't about political opinions. This is about useful idiots pretending attempted murder never happened, while coddling a brutal radical, and placing him in a position where he might influence children. Apparently if they like someone's opinion, they will be willing to overlook any crime.
Sometimes bad guys get away. That's life. It is those who support him and promote him who really deserve shame.
The worst part, however, is how academics are increasingly seen to be defending scoundrels. A classic case is the Duke Lacrosse affair; 88 idiots from the faculty jumped on the case to publish an ad decrying the racism and sexism of the Duke community, further exacerbating the railroading of several innocent individuals. Even after it was proven that the students had been framed, most of these jackasses refused to recant. For some reason, they are still employed as professors.
Another example of academics circling the wagons is the Ward Churchill affair. He first became famous for saying something idiotic. Many were offended and demanded that he be fired. Investigations showed that he wasn't just an idiot, but an outright fraud. He was fired for lying about his qualifications (he had none). To this day, he has defenders who believe that he was railroaded politically. His initial attention was definitely political. His firing, however, was not. The unanswered question, however, is how he was hired in the first place.
Next, we have the case of William Ayers. He first came to prominence as a terrorist. As head of the Weatherman, he led a group which declared war on America. They planted bombs at the Capitol, the Pentagon, and several other places. See here for a list of their various despicable acts. Read here an account from a man who was a child when the Weathermen set 3 firebombs and tried to murder his family. Ayers went underground when his friend and his girlfriend encountered karma - that is to say they were blown up by their own nail bomb which they were planning to use on innocents.
It is one thing to believe that your country is on the wrong track and to try to change it. It is another thing entirely to use that as an excuse for murder.
Unfortunately, the police screwed up. They apparently improperly handled the wiretapping. As a result, Ayers walked free. He doesn't appear to have tried to kill anyone for a while. He has never, however, expressed regret for what he did. The money quote, which has been repeated quite a bit recently, is from an interview in the New York Times, published on September 11th, 2001. In it, he says "I don't regret setting bombs, I feel we didn't do enough.''
The terrorists of the Weather Underground belong, at the very least behind bars, if not underground themselves. Such people do not deserve to breathe the free air. Such a person definitely does not belong in a position where he could influence young people. But that is exactly where the University of Illinois at Chicago has him.
He has spent the last few decades attempting to push his radicalism into grade school classrooms. He has never given up his terrorist roots. He takes pride in them. This pride is well documented. It takes willful ignorance for anyone to examine his career and not see this.
Sadly, over 1800 idiots with college jobs have signed a statement professing just this ignorance. They claim that he is being railroaded for his political views.
This discussion on the Core Knowledge Blog captures the opinions of many who are involved in education. The co-signers completely ignore his history of violence, and his continued belief that his violence was justified. Ridiculous doesn't even begin to capture this.
This isn't about political opinions. This is about useful idiots pretending attempted murder never happened, while coddling a brutal radical, and placing him in a position where he might influence children. Apparently if they like someone's opinion, they will be willing to overlook any crime.
Sometimes bad guys get away. That's life. It is those who support him and promote him who really deserve shame.
posted by Obi-Wandreas, The Funky Viking | 2:46 PM
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