Friday, December 17, 2004

AMERICAN FASCISM ALIVE AND WELL AT SFSU

San Francisco State University has been in the spotlight lately, and the picture that has emerged is not a flattering one. Following last month's nationwide elections, members of the SFSU chapter of the College Republicans were confronted by an angry mob simply for setting up a table and handing out political literature. Members of the International Socialist Organization, the General Union of Palestinian Students and others surrounded the Republican students, shouting at them to "get out" of SFSU.

After trying to provoke the Republican students, four Middle Eastern women claimed that they had been the victims of racism and physical aggression. Although the exact details are still being disputed by the various parties, police reports and eyewitness accounts appear to back up the College Republicans. It seems that free political expression is no longer welcome at SFSU, at least not if one is espousing unpopular views.

A question arises: How did such a threatening environment become associated with a campus located in one of the most liberal and tolerant cities in the nation? The truth is that SFSU has a reputation for intolerance that goes back at least 10 years. In this case, Republican students, clearly a minority at SFSU, were the targets. But in the past, such animosity was directed mostly at Jewish students or those seen as supporting Israel. Jews at SFSU have been spat on, called names and physically attacked, as well as censured by the administration for defending themselves, even as their attackers went unpunished.

The case of Tatiana Menaker, a Russian Jewish emigr, and former SFSU student, is an example of the latter indignity. After committing the "crime" of responding verbally to another student's anti-Semitic epithets during a 2002 rally, she found herself persecuted by the administration.

Pulled into a kangaroo court, threatened with expulsion and ordered by the university to perform 40 hours of community service (but specifically not for a Jewish organization), Menaker was later exonerated after seeking legal assistance from the Students for Academic Freedom and the local Jewish Community Relations Council....

Source



MORE UNIVERSITY HATE-SPEECH

The University of Louisville has withdrawn, at least temporarily, the contract of a sociology lecturer who was accused of urging violence against conservative voters. The university said in a statement yesterday that instructor John McTighe's contract has been withdrawn for the spring semester by mutual agreement, pending a review of a student's allegation about comments made after the Nov. 2 election. The student, according to the statement, claims McTighe made comments to his class that "could be interpreted to advocate gun violence against `religious zealots.'"

Last Thursday, the university received 1,600 e-mail messages after the American Family Association said on its Web site that McTighe had urged violence against conservative voters.

In an interview last week, McTighe acknowledged that he made comments Nov. 4 similar to those cited in a conservative student newspaper and on the association's Web site that conservative voters should be shot with automatic rifles. But he said that the comments were later taken out of context and that he was not calling for violence. McTighe couldn't be reached for comment yesterday. He said in the statement that there was "absolutely no attempt to advocate violence" and agreed to withdraw his contract because he has "confidence in the university process." McTighe is on a semester-by-semester contract. He said last week that he had signed a contract for the spring semester.

Student Brian Yates, publisher of the Louisville Patriot, a conservative student newspaper, quoted McTighe as telling his sociology class in explaining President Bush's re-election: "It was the religious zealots who say they are voting on morals. I think we should all buy AK-47s and shoot them all! That's what I would suggest, if it were allowed." McTighe has said the column misquoted him.

"We strongly support academic freedom," UofL President James Ramsey said in the statement. "The quote attributed to Professor McTighe is unacceptable and not an issue of academic freedom." Provost Shirley Willihnganz said in the statement that the review would be completed as soon as university officials could meet with students, who have left the campus for the holiday break. "Our goal is to determine the facts in this matter and to act responsibly to both students and faculty," she said.

Source (Via Commonsense & Wonder)

****************************************

American "liberals" often deny being Leftists and say that they are very different from the Communist rulers of other countries. The only real difference, however, is how much power they have. In America, their power is limited by democracy. To see what they WOULD be like with more power, look at where they ARE already very powerful: in America's educational system -- particularly in the universities and colleges. They show there the same respect for free-speech that Stalin did: None. So look to the colleges to see what the whole country would be like if "liberals" had their way. It would be a dictatorship.

****************************************

No comments: