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Defending Scholarship

Reader comment on item: York University and Campus Watch

Submitted by Wayne J. Levin (Canada), Feb 2, 2003 at 12:30

As others have suggested, you did well, Dr. Pipes, but could have been better. ... Not an easy job - but you do remarkably and I hope you'll forgive the armchair quarterbacking here. I'm solidly behind you.

We need a sound-bite, something very specific about the issue at hand. How's this?

Scholarship mandates that published views be freely challenged and debated.

Too many Middle East Studies professors are not prepared to face the scrutiny that academics in all fields MUST face. The principle purpose of academic journals is to provide a medium where scholars can express their views based on their research and allow others in their field the opportunity to scrutinize and criticize. That is both expected and legitimate.

They are no-doubt thin-skinned because they KNOW perfectly well that their "analysis" is motivated, selective and distorted. After all, they are not complete idiots.

Of course, not only do they denounce the critics, but in a broken-telephone manner, they also propogate falsehoods like Campus Watch is a blacklist a la McCarthy. There is no such list. Shame on Ms. Tremonti for not having done her research - I expect better from her.

From what I've learned from Campus Watch and other sources, it appears that these politicizing & indoctrinating Middle East Studies professors would defend their discovery of Cold Fusion - even if no one other than themselves could replicate it!

Keep up the good fight and thanks for helping so many others who are fighting along with you.
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Reader comments (9) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Complaint to the CBC [104 words]Alex P. KornFeb 5, 2003 06:126414
Daniel Pipes on CBC's The Current: -a letter sent to CBC [363 words]b kostynuikFeb 3, 2003 18:296335
WELCOME TO CANADA [168 words]Jeff BercovitchFeb 3, 2003 13:116323
Audio Link [24 words]Michael SmithFeb 2, 2003 22:246296
Ms. Tremonti not a very good listener [74 words]S. SilversteinFeb 2, 2003 13:266275
Defending Scholarship [244 words]Wayne J. LevinFeb 2, 2003 12:306270
Typical CBC "Balance" [199 words]Ken DavidsonFeb 2, 2003 02:466254
So, you are saying America is at war with fluffy bunnies? [143 words]Ben ShniperFeb 1, 2003 23:546249
Tough room [22 words]Ron WeinerJan 31, 2003 14:436193

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