Disclaimer I did not graduate from college, the left wing bias of the Professors annoyed me and I was making so much money I thought I could do without suffering through that nonsense. Having said that I am surprised that such distinguished Professors such as Glenn Reynolds, Eugene Volokh and Professor Bainbridge are protesting the apparent attempt to fire that epitome of the results of tenure, Ward Churchill. All three are very reasonable Professors who cannot be characterized as left wing but I disagree with them as a father who has to look forward to paying for the drivel of left wing wing-nuts teaching my 3 children.
The two issues that seem to protect this vile human being in these imminent Professors eyes are the first amendment and the fact that he is tenured. I admit to being somewhat of a simple minded old fool but the idea that words should have absolutely no consequence in your personal life strikes me as extremely foolish. No doubt I will be first in line to protect Ward Churchill should the US Government attempt to squelch his rights to act like an ass but that protection does not inhibit anyone who might employ such an example of putrid drivel from ridding themselves of his nonsense.
While his status as an employee of the State of Colorado confuses the issue somewhat, I don’t believe this to be a first amendment issue. Unless these Professors believe that employers have no right to fire an employee for verbally attacking their business because that would be violating their first amendment rights. Ward Churchill is an employee of the University of Colorado his first amendment rights to protection from the State do not extend to his employment status. Whats next, Ward Churchill types being protected from being thrown out of houses of people like me because that would violate their 1st Amendment rights?
I don’t buy into the vast expansion of the 1st Amendment the 60′s seem to have wrought. I believe that the 1st Amendment should protect us from being incarcerated for our personal views by the State. The 1st Amendment does not inhibit employers from ridding themselves of employees who abuse their status by stating opinions contrary to the employer while wearing the substantial advantage that may be only conferred on them by the status of being an employee of that employer. I would be interested in hearing why these 3 valuable Professors believe otherwise.
Tenure is a sore point with me. Because my words have a direct impact on my continued employment I have little sympathy for the belief that once tenure is achieved a Professor is virtually out of the reach of disciplinary actions for any words or words written. The system of tenure seems to have wrought what I have to face when I begin planning which colleges to send my children. And what I have to face is acknowledged by Professor Bainbridge as being Universities dominated by left-wing administrators and professors. Seems to me that the system is broken. It is hard to have sympathy for Professor Bainbridges pleas that if we fire Ward Churchill that right wing professors will face the bulk of the retribution by being fired themselves. To a simple old fool like me seems like its well past time to break the system to allow it to be rebuilt.
Color me unconvinced that continuing to appease the left wing administrators and staff of these universities is a good idea. I would rather confront them, break them, and regain some control for academic diversity rather than to simply sit meekly accepting that we must be forced to listen to their drivel as if theirs is the only view point at worst or that theirs is the legitimate counter to conservative thought.
ProfessorBainbridge.com: Voltaire and Ward Churchill
Powerline weighs in today and we are all better for it. Choice quote out of a terrific article “Some will say: but that will leave our universities susceptible to currents of politics or fashion. To which I answer: Really? You think? As opposed to what–the situation we have now, in which any scholar who admits to conservative or Republican tendencies is less likely to be hired as a professor than I am to play in the NBA? Cry me a river”
Exactly! And as Southern Appeal so cleverly points out “Or suppose a history professor taught his students that the Holocaust had never happened. Or suppose a political science professor taught his students that HIV was created by the CIA? Would the principle of academic freedom protect them? Should it?”
That is a brilliant counterpoint to Evan Coyne Maloney who happens to be invaluable in the fight against Leftist Professors. He just happens to be on the otherside of this argument.
Democracy Project is all over the case with links galore!
Say Anything has an interesting look at the issue…though I still say fire him.
Great comment over at Southern Appeal
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