Learning About America – 5/25/07

Remember Colorado University Professor Ward Churchill and the move to fire him despite his having tenure? If fired, Churchill will be the first tenured professor in CU’s history to be fired.

If anyone has forgotten Churchill’s plagiarism, his faked American Indian “ancestry” to get a position at CU in the first place, his encouragement of terrorists, and much more, please visit here.

Now, Rocky Mountain News columnist Mike Rosen brings us up-to-date on Churchill's situation. In doing that, Rosen also tells us a lot about America today.

Excerpts from Rosen:

The Ward Churchill saga goes on - and on and on, ad nauseam. We learned last week that a five-member panel representing the University of Colorado Faculty Senate Committee on Privilege and Tenure voted 3-2 that Churchill be suspended rather than fired.

But just how did we learn this?

The Denver Post, in a story on May 17, tells us that the committee's confidential report was "obtained" by the newspaper. What an interesting way to phrase it.

In other words, an unauthorized copy of the faculty committee's report, intended for the eyes of CU President Hank Brown, was leaked to the Post (and The Associated Press) by someone who violated the confidentiality agreement.

You needn't be Sherlock Holmes to deduce that the leaker was likely a faculty member sympathetic to Churchill, or his attorney, David Lane.

Since the Post has, itself, been sympathetic to Churchill while the Rocky Mountain News has been far more critical, it's not surprising the Post was awarded the local scoop.

It's also not surprising that self-serving faculty members would recommend that the school be lenient with Churchill for several reasons:

1. The firing of a tenured professor sets an inconvenient precedent for them, threatening their inviolable job security and insulation from the consequences of unconscionable behavior.

2. Although Churchill is being disciplined for plagiarism, willful misrepresentation of facts and conduct that "falls below minimum standards of integrity," his defenders have framed this as a free-speech issue, which they believe to be an absolute protection.

3. Churchill's tasteless, hateful, bitter and cockeyed views are shared by many of his left-wing, blame-America-first colleagues in academia, including some at CU.

Another ploy of Churchill apologists is that he should be awarded the academic equivalent of a get-out-of-jail-free card and be exempt from any punishment for his blatant research misconduct.

Why? Because of the way it came to the school's notice when he brought attention to himself by calling victims of 9/11 "little Eichmanns" who deserved what they got.

Rosen goes on to explain why that shouldn’t happen. He closes with:

The regents can't allow themselves to be cowed by that threat.
If they cave now, CU's integrity and credibility will be forever stained.

It's long since time to throw the bum out.

I hope CU throws him out. As Rosen says, it’s long since time.

Wake up, America. The Left is stealing our country.

And wake up, college and university givers. Look where your money's going.

Rosen's entire column is here.