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In Hoc Signo Vinces
Reader comment on item: From the Halls of Academia

Submitted by CyberData (Saudi Arabia), Dec 28, 2002 at 16:49

Professors Foner & Gibson feign surprise, even hurt, that they were verbally "assaulted" for their remarks vis a vis the Iraqi situation. I find it hard to believe that they and I inhabit the same planet.

It's interesting to note that many, probably most, possibly all academics who espouse the same sort of leftist viewpoints that they do have had other than what might be called a "normal" background.

Foner, for example, was a "red-diaper baby" of sorts and Gibson was probably one of the nation's first "affirmative action" officers in the private sector years ago. Each of these odd situations either nurtured or reflected a revulsion at the America they grew up in.

My point is that there are manifest reasons why academics display anti-american sentiments so readily. After all, both Foner and Gibson are specialists in American history......Foner of "reconstruction", Gibson of "the South" (interspersed with "gender" and all that).

Now why specialists in such arcane subjects feel qualified to publically declare their viewpoints on subjects they are abysmally ignorant of, I don't know. But they do.

And when they do, sometimes sparks will fly. After all, the backlash has been ferocious for these two. Like so many of their ilk, they've completely misread their public and their students.....and, I might add, their country. That's because, in my opinion, they've ceased being part of it, if not legally, then certainly in spirit, long ago.

"What was our sin?", they ask. Actually, that question has a sort of Koranic ring to it.
One of the Koran's Sura's reads: ".....when the baby-girl asks: what is my sin that I should be buried alive...?" (paraphrased), the line that prohibits infanticide of females in Islam.

The sin in this case, of course, is that intentionally or not, you are giving aid and comfort to the enemy and you are influencing young minds with a superficial, naive and ultimately suicidal viewpoint and way of thinking that is disgraceful and embarrassing. No more...and no less.

©yb3rdat4

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 for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but comments are rejected if scurrilous, off-topic, vulgar, ad hominem, or otherwise viewed as inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the Guidelines for Comments. For informational purposes, we identify countries from which comments are sent.

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Reader comments (122) on this item

Title By Date
5 years later [86 words]Jim LabbeJul 30, 2007 02:48
Liberals and "PC" are our greatest threat [290 words]BruceSep 29, 2007 04:05
Wonder if they've read... [94 words]MJAApr 18, 2005 21:04
The problem of pluralism [90 words]timpaulMay 6, 2003 04:49
Missing the point [262 words]Baruch LawrenceApr 30, 2003 22:20
Intellectual facism [382 words]Justin SpigelmanJan 27, 2003 01:57
Mixed priorities [583 words]Don CanhamJan 27, 2003 00:30
Disappointed at the quality of Professors' statement.. [76 words]N. SriramJan 13, 2003 10:11
Maybe the Prof's are more objective than many in their nation [286 words]Matt PackJan 13, 2003 02:06
Free speech, dissent, diversity: yes -- hypocrisy: no [166 words]Steven Malcolm AndersonJan 10, 2003 00:04
Stan at SFSU -- Please contact me [31 words]Stan BrinJan 8, 2003 21:06
The Left's Campus Tyrants [378 words]Paul broughtonJan 7, 2003 17:04
The Pot Calling the Kettle Black? [177 words]Douglas BallJan 7, 2003 16:57
No loyalty oaths, please [170 words]Marian HenningsJan 7, 2003 11:45
Hah! [128 words]scott howardJan 7, 2003 11:42
Enough already [53 words]Carrolyn WhiteJan 6, 2003 08:28
campus role in the 60's was different [102 words]H BrownJan 5, 2003 12:16
The right to dissent [88 words]Louis WheelerJan 4, 2003 05:54
The Sedition Act [1000 words]DarrylJan 3, 2003 14:56
Colors. [153 words]Frankie LeeJan 3, 2003 10:14
The refutation that didn't refute [36 words]James K. Condon, MDJan 3, 2003 06:39
Dissenting academics [32 words]S.C.PandaJan 2, 2003 04:20
Basic Human Rights of the Repressed [296 words]Jim RivardJan 1, 2003 22:24
Orwell lives on the American Campus - SF State Uber Alles [226 words]StanJan 1, 2003 18:25
University Profs still don't "get it" [236 words]Alan SkorskiJan 1, 2003 17:40
Cowards [72 words]James GlennonJan 1, 2003 12:17
Those who hate America [118 words]Michael BraunJan 1, 2003 11:03
Right to Dissent? or Fomenting Dissent? [117 words]Rick LasureJan 1, 2003 09:51
Response to "A Fight for Freedom of Speech" [134 words]Eric KammerJan 1, 2003 01:31
Pick the War that Does Not Fit!
[w/response] [133 words]
Marj LewisJan 1, 2003 01:21
Keep the Heat On! [160 words]Tova MatteroDec 31, 2002 21:37
moral subjectivists [377 words]Joseph GrossmanDec 31, 2002 19:21
Reclaim Campuses! [60 words]John KunnariDec 31, 2002 17:48
Should Foner and Gilmore be fired? [227 words]Stephen WaltonDec 31, 2002 15:12
Lack of Character [368 words]R.D.J.Dec 31, 2002 11:21
The Religious Right [467 words]Arlinda DeAngelisDec 31, 2002 09:36
So now the enemy is us? [30 words]Betty FureyDec 31, 2002 00:01
Where do these people come from? [203 words]Charles BrownDec 30, 2002 22:53
Who pays the salaries of most professors? [136 words]Alex Uan-Zo-liDec 30, 2002 22:52
America and the "professors." [69 words]Barbara BarronDec 30, 2002 22:39
They still hate us [27 words]Gary MillerDec 30, 2002 22:39
How to clean up the mess? [261 words]John LindsayDec 30, 2002 16:43
I'll 'hazard' some answers :) [646 words]F.H.Vondell Jr.Dec 30, 2002 16:16
Dissension and Patriotism [147 words]Raymond LowDec 30, 2002 13:38
Academic Dishonesty [151 words]Lily DowningDec 30, 2002 10:54
Pernicious thought control assaults [117 words]Dave MarciniakDec 30, 2002 09:23
When the US is attacked and at war [109 words]Norman WandDec 29, 2002 23:49
Timidity of the Campus Lions [276 words]Mike McGlothlinDec 29, 2002 19:05
Foner and Gilmore's reply [215 words]Ken ShillitoDec 29, 2002 16:20
Same old BS [227 words]Robert VaughnDec 29, 2002 14:02
Right on [57 words]Y. MilsteinDec 29, 2002 12:31
Pipes has courageously critisized the 'high moral ground' held by Universities [171 words]Jagan MohanDec 29, 2002 12:23
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campus wits need watching [107 words]TerijoDec 29, 2002 09:23
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War of Ideas on Campus [84 words]Dr. Stephen RittenbergDec 29, 2002 08:31
a responce to liberal professors [193 words]robert singerDec 29, 2002 05:58
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PROFESSORS AGAINST AMERICA [62 words]ROSE KELLYDec 28, 2002 23:40
The pain of dissent [190 words]Mark StrassburgDec 28, 2002 23:17
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Professors who hate America ... [161 words]Louisa B. McIntire-BrooksDec 28, 2002 19:30
Halls of Academia [350 words]Arlinda DeAngelisDec 28, 2002 18:18
Dissent doesn't mean lack of patriotism - well, that depends [570 words]Jerome D. BashinskiDec 28, 2002 17:55
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Re: #289bis: Pipes in LAT debates two anti-US profs [259 words]Helen SelzerDec 28, 2002 17:28
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The Academic View of Freedom of Speech [184 words]Ted JonasDec 28, 2002 16:44
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Outrage [411 words]Alan MencherDec 28, 2002 16:17
Thank you for your lens of reason! [345 words]Satyam BendapudiDec 28, 2002 16:10
Foner and Gilmore [165 words]Ben CreechDec 28, 2002 15:59
Daniel - again you are spot ON... [115 words]KevinWDec 28, 2002 15:56
Glenda & Eric Can't Read.... [67 words]Jim AnthonyDec 28, 2002 15:47
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[w/response] [78 words]
Linda CooperDec 28, 2002 15:12
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University atrocities [334 words]Lee StewartDec 27, 2002 22:06
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From the Halls of Academia [162 words]Tony PaduaDec 27, 2002 12:14
Freedom [64 words]Gabriel GrossoDec 27, 2002 11:14

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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 for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but comments are rejected if scurrilous, off-topic, vulgar, ad hominem, or otherwise viewed as inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the Guidelines for Comments. For informational purposes, we identify countries from which comments are sent.

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