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Cowardly Professors' Hypocritical Orwellian Accusations of "McCarthyism"
Reader comment on item: An Inadvertent Endorsement of Campus Watch [at Georgia Tech]

Submitted by Amendment9 (Israel), Apr 22, 2006 at 18:26

How pathetic that radical middle eastern and even American professors in U.S. universities, who have been spewing forth their hatred of Israel as a proxy for hatred of ALL Jews, now run and cower the minute they are challenged to provide even the most minute semblance of balance in their classrooms. They hide from serious debate on the historical reality of mid-east history, hiding behind the coattails of "academic freedom", and then dare to accuse those who would justifiably call them to task for their outrageous and willful falsification of history.

I wish they had known my favorite high school history teacher who was fond of quoting Voltaire's famous dictum: "I despise what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." This wonderful TEACHER - in the finest sense of the term - used to set us up in debates on historical issues and encourage us to take sides OPPOSITE to that of our personal views. Some of these professors literally could not have, so-to-speak, carried his bookstraps.

If our universities have been reduced to mere soap-boxes for propaganda, instead of fulfilling their traditional role of teaching us HOW to think, not WHAT to think, then our civilization is for all intents and purposes ALREADY "toast." We have reached the point where the TRUE McCarthyites, those who would stifle debate and intimidate students into fearing to express opposing viewpoints in the classroom, actually accuse of "McCarthyism" anyone who would dare call them to task for this, then hide behind the tenure of their mommies' skirts and cry that their so-called "academic freedom" is being threatened. It would be laughable if it were not so pathetic.

The original purpose behind the concept of "tenure" is supposed to be to keep academics from being threatened with firing if they express unpopular opinions. This has somehow morphed into a situation in which, perceiving no restrictions on them, they take "license" to use their platforms for pure propaganda. Anyone who has spent even a modicum of time in Israel understands that the radical Islamists have unleashed a religious war against ALL Jews, where ever they live in the world, not just Israelis in Israel, and that this war has been going on for over one hundred years. It is NOT about land, but it is about a theological posit of superiority on the part of the Islamists, who insist that hey are ordained by "Allah" to rule over all of mankind, with all non-Muslim "infidels" as inferior "dhimmi."

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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Reader comments (54) on this item

Title By Date
Professor Laura Bier [147 words]Charlie CoyleApr 23, 2006 14:46
well said [86 words]BosAug 23, 2007 09:23
⇒ Cowardly Professors' Hypocritical Orwellian Accusations of "McCarthyism" [420 words]Amendment9Apr 22, 2006 18:26
Campus Watch is Missing the Point (and so is the Right as a whole) [1078 words]Pro-Israeli DemocratApr 21, 2006 07:53
Wow [341 words]D WilliamsApr 22, 2006 21:42
If you read closely [402 words]Pro-Israeli DemocratApr 23, 2006 08:45
There is no fine print [436 words]D WilliamsMay 9, 2006 12:40
The need to be judicious in your remarks [127 words]Paul BowmanApr 20, 2006 13:29
In defense of free speech [39 words]NathanApr 20, 2006 01:59
Finally, Progress [30 words]Douglas BoggsApr 19, 2006 23:53
Spelling and grammar of GA Tech professor [35 words]Carl S. HoffmanApr 19, 2006 12:32
where do they come from??? [33 words]john bennettApr 19, 2006 11:30
Campus Watch [235 words]kim segarApr 18, 2006 14:09
Frontal Lobe Removal [109 words]Kevin MApr 18, 2006 13:27
Nice, Kevin! [10 words]D WilliamsApr 22, 2006 21:58
The Freedom Fighter [103 words]PigfootApr 18, 2006 12:58
Does Ms. Bier hear herself? [215 words]PatApr 18, 2006 11:53
Stop the witch-hunt; preserve democracy and academic freedom
[w/response] [735 words]
Pro-Israeli DemocratApr 18, 2006 10:40
Facts, please Pro-Israeli Democrat [370 words]CanWePleaseWakeUpHereApr 25, 2006 14:38
world war II [27 words]robert aApr 18, 2006 06:15
Britain!!! [51 words]Catriona BrownApr 18, 2006 05:45
Laura Bier [17 words]Peter YarrowApr 18, 2006 05:39
campus watch [147 words]Julia MackApr 17, 2006 23:31
What a silly diatribe [321 words]JeffApr 17, 2006 22:15
Good Point Raised [73 words]D WilliamsApr 22, 2006 22:09
Please drop the ...drivel [314 words]obilicApr 17, 2006 21:54
Are you saying [10 words]D WilliamsApr 22, 2006 22:14
campus [168 words]baruch tovaApr 17, 2006 20:41
cream of the crop [91 words]Donald OApr 17, 2006 20:27
The Fifth Column [9 words]Donna SummerApr 17, 2006 19:05
The historical expertise of Laur Bier [94 words]Joseph GreenbergApr 17, 2006 18:56
Israel is the promised land [163 words]Donald Grant CheesmanApr 17, 2006 18:38
Tenure you say [27 words]Katherine McLeanApr 17, 2006 18:19
what occupation? [444 words]john mcginleyApr 17, 2006 17:11
Keeping tabs on profs [35 words]David W. LincolnApr 17, 2006 17:01
Leah Bowman whoever [94 words]Colin SpencerApr 17, 2006 17:01
The radicals on American college campuses. [155 words]Richard Lion heartApr 17, 2006 16:38
Laura Bier [121 words]Donald W. BalesApr 17, 2006 16:06
Laura Bier [38 words]Jerry ScheinbergApr 17, 2006 15:48
Critical Thinkers or Captive Audience? [229 words]ddsApr 17, 2006 15:32
Pre-Occupied with Occupation [401 words]David GatorguyApr 17, 2006 15:26
Brainless or Brain dead? [73 words]JaladhiApr 17, 2006 15:09
Victims [38 words]D WilliamsApr 22, 2006 22:35
Organizational Conflicts are Generic [128 words]Stew GableApr 17, 2006 14:54
The Occupation of Palestine [69 words]Geoffrey LewisApr 17, 2006 14:37
I, amongst many, appreciate "Campus Watch" -- and I thank you!! [22 words]Nikki SimonApr 17, 2006 14:30
America today [83 words]HarrakApr 17, 2006 13:45
Holy cow, Harrak! [37 words]Kevin MApr 17, 2006 14:44
Nice [9 words]John RApr 17, 2006 21:47
we are losing... [165 words]ahmadzafireApr 17, 2006 22:07
Financial, Emotional.... [87 words]JohnApr 21, 2006 13:55
Coward thy name is Leah Bowman, I mean Laura Bier [31 words]SullyApr 17, 2006 13:33
Downside of Tenure [34 words]Ruth Morton FazioApr 17, 2006 13:17
Laura Bier longs for the days before the Web arrived [109 words]Yoel NatanApr 17, 2006 12:51

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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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