Ward Churchill and Academic Freedom (Again)

The Chronicle of Higher Education had an article claiming that the people of Hawaii loved Ward Churchill. Again, things have been taken WAY OUT OF CONTEXT!

http://chronicle.com/temp/email.php?id=he8covazklilqc2f4b35xn1rywflqlwd

That article gives mainland whites the misconception that all of Hawaii is pro-Churchill due to the large presence of Asians and Polynesians, when in reality, it was UH white radicals (most of whom grew up in the mainland) who invited Churchill in the 1st place.

Most non-UH affiliated people I know think Churchill is a lower than a bag of manure. But they didn't throw stuff at him because 1) they're too busy with other things to attend that speech, 2)they didn't want to get roughed up by security, 3) they didn't want to get beat up by hippie radicals and Hawaiian sovereignty fanatics, 4) again, the culture of restraint common among traditional local Asians which discourages confrontation!

As for why I didn't throw stuff at Churchill, I already had plans for the night his idiotic speech happened. Plus, reasons #2 and #3 would've applied to me if I attended Churchill's speech. Reason #4 doesn't apply to me because I'm not Asian, but a lot of people in Hawaii are, so it applies to a lot of people.

As for the Native Hawaiians, some like Haunani-Kay Trask loved Churchill for his anti-American hatred. Those who oppose Trask aren't as vocal because they don't want to get outnumbered in a screaming match at their next family gathering. For some Native Hawaiians, opposing the Hawaiian sovereignty fanatics would lead to getting outcasted from their family. And in Hawaiian culture, extended family is VERY IMPORTANT. That's why some Native Hawaiians are silent on this. Unfortunately, this silence leads many non-Hawaiians to think all Hawaiians are sovereignty fanatics who want to kick out all the non-Hawaiians.

2) More evidence that the Radical Left at UH dont give a rat's ass about academic freedom.

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Feb/25/op/op10pletters.html

Grant Cromwell speaks again

While I support the UH administration's commitment to free speech and its approving the speaking visit of controversial ultra-left-wing professor Ward Churchill ("UH takes heat over visit by professor," Feb. 19), it has yet to be demonstrated that the key organizers of this event have the same noble commitment to free speech themselves.

One of the organizers of the event, UH American Studies professor David Stannard, was quoted in the article as saying, "If we invited a right-wing political commentator like Bill O'Reilly, we'd defend him the same way we defend Churchill."

Back when I was a student at UH and an editorial cartoonist and columnist for the student newspaper, Ka Leo O Hawai'i, David Stannard was one of the very people who publicly demanded my firing from the newspaper for cartoons he considered "hate speech."

Take Tuesday's event for what it really was — a promotional tool for several professors who share Churchill's mentality of an immense hostility toward the United States. That's the reason they brought him here, not any commitment to free speech, which they have sorely lacked.

Grant Crowell
Elgin, Ill.

And this is how the UH Radical Left treats another non-leftist speaker

http://starbulletin.com/2005/02/25/editorial/indexletters.html


With puffed-up chests we are proud that our university stands so firmly on matters of freedom and democracy. The controversial and perhaps anti-American Ward Churchill gets to speak. But what happened to these lofty ideals when it was Charlton Heston, then president of the National Rifle Association, scheduled to speak? After a minor controversy he was cancelled.

Perhaps freedom of speech only applies to those with whom UH agrees.

John Mack
Mililani