The right-wing assault on college campuses has rapidly escalated after 9/11 and is occuring in the context of the Bush administration radically reshaping American governing laws and norms. Important statements and resolutions have been passed to counter this assault, especially surrounding Professor Ward Churchill coming under fire, but many voices have fallen silent. Sign this important statement to stop the attacks on critical thinking and dissent in academia and send it to your collegues and friends to sign. Click here to sign
Colleges and universities have historically been a source of critical
thought and dissent that have challenged convention, injustice and the
status quo and fostered movements of resistance. It is because of this historic role, that ruling figures of the U.S.
government and right-wing operatives like David Horowitz have led witch
hunts targeting progressive or radical educators as part of a campaign
to silence dissent in academia. Fundamental aspects of how objective
scholarship, history and science are pursued in the academy and how
they are broadly conceived in society are at stake. Academia and society at large is facing a critical juncture. If we fail to act, the consequences will last for generations.
David Horowitz’s campaign is not one of abstract debate or marginal “right-wing extremism”. Horowitz maintains strong ties with figures like Karl Rove, has designed academic bills that have been introduced as law in 16 states and has modeled a strategy of equating “leftists” with terrorists in an age of military tribunals and Patriot Acts. From attempts to purge campuses of critical thinking and dissent, to the attacks on science, including evolution, stem-cell research and global warming, the Bush administration is seeking to shape intellectual discourse into a suffocating mold that reflects the will of their fascistic program.
Ignoring the problem will not make it go away, nor will treating well-orchestrated attacks on professors like Ward Churchill, as isolated incidents. What will it mean if Ward Churchill is fired and campuses remain silent? At what point do the implications and actual effects of these attacks become too much and the time comes when putting reputations, careers and graduation on the line become necessary in order to boldly speak out and oppose such attacks? Our answer must be: NOW! Our voices must speak clearly and unapologetically.
Failure to acknowledge the unrelenting nature of the right wing assault on higher education and the fact that these attacks are in the service of cementing a larger agenda of endless wars, torture, and a hateful brand of Christian fundamentalism, will only lead us to a place where the kind of intellectual ferment that questions the legitimacy of acts carried out by the U.S. government would be considered beyond the pale and treasonous.
As the terms of debate in this country increasingly move farther to the right and the gap between candidates’ platforms and the population’s principles and aspirations dramatically widens; the people must bring something radically different onto the political landscape: a movement that seeks common cause with the people of the world and takes on the enormity of the challenge we face with moral certitude and widespread support throughout society. With the emergence of a movement aiming to force the Bush administration out of office, universities must act as a catalyst in inspiring others to challenge the conventional wisdom of “what’s possible” and reestablish themselves as centers of resistance.
We, the undersigned, affirm in word and in deed, to come to the defense of those who come under attack for speaking out against injustice or for challenging students to think critically. We pledge to support events planned on October 5th as part of a national day of resistance aiming to drive the Bush regime out office.
Luis Barrios, Professor of Puerto Rican/ Latin American Studies, John Jay, New York
Peter N. Kirstein, Professor of History, St Xavier University, Chicago
George Wolfe, Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, Ball State University
{kl_php}
$statementID = 0; // This is the ID for the statement you wish to use.
include($_SERVER[“DOCUMENT_ROOT”] . “/php/statements/form.php”);
{/kl_php}