Tuesday, February 08, 2005
(9:43 AM) | Adam R:
Ward Churchill
While looking for Scott McLemee's new post at Inside Higher Ed, I came across this short report on Ward Churchill, the professor who has sparked recent attention for his caustic post-9/11 comments. He said people in the WTC were "little Eichmann's," and maybe another attack was needed. (I think I'm taking these quotes farther out of context than most media reports have, even, but that's sort of the point I'm making. You'll feel free to correct what he said in the comments.)I don't know what Churchill meant, but apparently he's got the support of students and faculty at his school, so something tells me that TV news has misreported this story. I do know people who have made similarly atrocious statements to Churchill's. Take me, for example. I see clearly how someone might hate America and feel so helpless that a violent attack might seem like the only recourse. Accordingly, I have often felt the terrorist actions are justified. They haven't done enough to make a difference, though, I've said.
It's not like I'm thrilled to death about the 3,000 civilian deaths or don't appreciate the heroism of the firefighters. Or anything like that. Is Ward Churchill happy about it? I don't know, and that seems like a far worse tragedy. And now Churchill's appearance at his own university has been shut down by threats of violence. Um.
See, I think it'd be really nice to hear what the guy has to say. Put it on TV -- I'd watch that. I wouldn't have to take news reports as the last word. But what else is the news for if not the last word! How great is this country, are our networks, to dam up the flow of free speech! How great is the citizenry to threaten to blow up a building before hearing a response!
That's the real story, how an act 3 1/2 years old has so easily imposed fear on us for so long. It's amazing anyone ever leaves his house. I don't blame the university for cancelling the event; death threats were probably not the kind of publicity they wanted just now. I blame the dimwits who don't want to hear the guy out. Jeez.
Even if all Churchill meant to say was that all the people who died in 9/11 were like Adolf Eichmann, that's still less offensive to me than Bush arguing that "they hate us because of our freedom." Even if all he meant to do was gain a little notoriety, I don't regret posting this. It's not a post in his favor -- it's just a meanly intended statement against the US. Who says the times are wicked? Me and Nietzsche say they're paltry.
