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Controversial UIC Professor Denied Emeritus Status
The Chicago Tribune ^ | September 24, 2010 | Jodi S. Cohen

Posted on 09/24/2010 3:32:42 AM PDT by PBRCat

In a very unusual move, University of Illinois trustees Thursday denied giving emeritus status to controversial retired professor William Ayers.

The vote, at a U. of I. board meeting in Urbana, was unanimous and came after a passionate speech by board chair Christopher Kennedy, who invoked the 1968 assassination of his father, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, in saying that he was voting his conscience.

While trustees regularly vote on emeritus appointments, they rarely comment about them.

But in an emotional statement, Kennedy discussed his reasons for voting against Ayers' request.

"I am guided by my conscience and one which has been formed by a series of experiences, many of which have been shared with the people of our country and mark each of us in a profound way," Kennedy said.

He said he could not confer the title "to a man whose body of work includes a book dedicated in part to the man who murdered my father."

Kennedy was referring to a 1974 book co-authored by Ayers, "Prairie Fire," which was dedicated to a long list of people including Robert Kennedy assassin Sirhan Sirhan and "all political prisoners in the U.S."

(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: ayers; ayres; illinois; kennedy
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Bill Ayres finally denounced by the University of Illinois. Too little, too late?
1 posted on 09/24/2010 3:32:45 AM PDT by PBRCat
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To: PBRCat

Wow ! a sane Kennedy ... Who knew !


2 posted on 09/24/2010 3:35:14 AM PDT by xtinct (The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you..Be Strong Patriots!)
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To: xtinct

> Wow ! a sane Kennedy ... Who knew !

Don’t get your hopes up.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.


3 posted on 09/24/2010 3:38:36 AM PDT by Westbrook (Having children does not divide your love, it multiplies it.)
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To: PBRCat
Different group; UIC is part of the Illinois U system, not affiliated with the campaus in Champaign that routinely gets caught up in football recruiting scandals. The state-level board refused to provide Ayers with Emeritus status, but the local school still loves him.

And they just don't get it when they send me alumni donation requests, and I return the envelope with a note, "Please get your blood money from Bill Ayers."

BTW, Mr. Kennedy did not condemn Ayers for what he did, just that he dedicated a book to the guy who killed one of the Kennedys. He's probably OK with the rest of William Ayer's past.

4 posted on 09/24/2010 3:44:07 AM PDT by Bernard (One if by Land, Two if by Sea, Three if by Government)
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To: PBRCat

He is a renowned domestic terrorist first and an average Marxist professor second.

Nothing controversial about that.


5 posted on 09/24/2010 3:45:50 AM PDT by sodpoodle (Despair; man's surrender. Laughter; God's redemption.)
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To: xtinct

These folks like Ayers keep pushing their their dubious wares because they know there’s no one out there pushing back. This must have been a shock to the system for that small clique , we all know who they are, at every college and university who thought no one knew what they were really up to.


6 posted on 09/24/2010 3:57:08 AM PDT by Calusa (The pump won't prime 'cause the vandals took the handle. Quoth Bob Dylan.)
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To: sodpoodle

“He is a renowned domestic terrorist first and an average Marxist professor second.”

Don’t forget that this slimeball is also a marvelous writer of fiction. He ghost wrote Obama’s “Dreams” book. He is one hideous and odious figure, but he certainly can write well.


7 posted on 09/24/2010 4:17:04 AM PDT by pelican001
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To: PBRCat
Weathermen’s Ticking Time Bomb

IMO university employees, the ruling class, high ranking government employees, and media employees are facing growing difficulties protecting Mr. and Mrs. Bill Ayers.

The Ayers may be innocent of murder but I'd like to hear a jury say it.

Officer Down Memorial Page

Weathermen’s Ticking Time Bomb The investigation into a cop killing in the ’70s leads to a Chicago law professor involved in the early stages of Barack Obama’s political career By PETER JAMISON published: September 17, 2009

8 posted on 09/24/2010 4:21:31 AM PDT by WilliamofCarmichael (If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)
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To: PBRCat
Ayers became a controversial figure in Barack Obama's presidential campaign because they worked on a school-reform initiative together, leading opponents to say Obama was linked to a "terrorist."

As if that was the only connection-what a joke.

P.S. Love the quotes on "terrorist"

9 posted on 09/24/2010 4:25:30 AM PDT by icwhatudo ("laws requiring compulsory abortion could be sustained under the existing Constitution"Obama Adviser)
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To: All
Ayers has lots of friends. Blame Alinsky's Rules For Spoiled Brats.

The 1960s Marxist-Alinsky campus/street revolutionary rabble and their ideological issue arguably are now the Establishment.

They've elected two presidents and virtually control key aspects of our society such as education, the news media, and the entertainment industry.

All images obtained via google images. Respective sources are listed in the links

10 posted on 09/24/2010 4:27:24 AM PDT by WilliamofCarmichael (If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)
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To: PBRCat

Wow, ten posts and no one yet has said, “Schadenfreude.” So I guess I’ll say it.


11 posted on 09/24/2010 4:40:53 AM PDT by Rocky (REPEAL IT!)
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To: PBRCat

“controversial!”
A terrorist is controversial!


12 posted on 09/24/2010 5:38:04 AM PDT by Leftism is Mentally Deranged (Annoying liberals is my goal. I will not be silenced.)
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To: Rocky
Schadenfreude? Pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others? I don't see how the word applies to the "misfortunes" of an unrepentant terrorist.

Personally I take no pleasure in this.. my pleasure will be when they are finally(!) put before a jury. And as I said above.. they just might be innocent, I just want to hear a jury say it.

13 posted on 09/24/2010 5:45:57 AM PDT by WilliamofCarmichael (If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)
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To: WilliamofCarmichael

Yeah, as the years pass the history gets rewritten, it will be more than difficult to convict. Both should be in prison IMO.


14 posted on 09/24/2010 6:12:39 AM PDT by Mouton
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To: PBRCat

Bill Ayers deserves a dark cell and serving of rice once a day for the rest of his life, and little else.


15 posted on 09/24/2010 6:21:14 AM PDT by A_perfect_lady (Instead of building a grand mosque at Ground Zero, let's build a Ground Zero at their Grand Mosque.)
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To: sodpoodle; All

” He is a renowned domestic terrorist first and an average Marxist professor second.

Nothing controversial about that. “

Actually, these days, having “domestic terrorist” on your resume could help you get tenure.


16 posted on 09/24/2010 6:39:54 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker
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To: PBRCat

Any sane university would have denied giving an unrepentant terrorist like Bill Ayers a professorship, must less an Emeritus title.

That they would even CONSIDER giving him an Emeritus title and the vote would be this close just shows you how far out of whack our colleges have become.

And these mainstream media type would rather focus on Christine O’Donnell’s high school date.


17 posted on 09/24/2010 6:53:51 AM PDT by WebFocus
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To: icwhatudo
This comment by a reader hit the bullseye in regards to the liberal news media bias:

LoonsToTheLeftOfMe at 10:27 AM September 24, 2010 ..... The Trib writes: Ayers became a controversial figure in Barack Obama's presidential campaign because they worked on a school-reform initiative together, leading opponents to say Obama was linked to a "terrorist."

Okay, this is rich. Ayers became a controversial figure in Obama's campaign when it was revealed that Obama was a close friend of Ayers' for years, had launched his political career in Ayers' living room, and was backed for years by Ayers' father, Thomas Ayers, the wealthy socialist CEO of Commonwealth Edison, who was a huge political power broker in Chicago and gave Obama his sinecure position as head of the the Woods Fund. Obama and Ayers were thick as thieves for many years before Obama ever ran for President. Ayers wasn't "linked" to Obama. He was joined at the hip to him.

18 posted on 09/24/2010 9:08:25 AM PDT by Polybius
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To: WebFocus

Ayres and his wife, Dohrn, were wealthy children of privilege who played at being revolutionaries. When the law caught up to them, their wealthy families lawyered up for them. Ayres escaped prison due to evidence being barred as inadmissible due to the exclusionary rule.

Ayres’ father was the head of Commonwealth Edison, the Chicago electric utility company, and Pops showered money on various local politicians. The allegation is that the faculty posts held by Ayres at UIC and Dohrn at Northwestern (How many law school graduates are permitted to teach law school classes after being denied a law license by the state bar?) were bought and paid for many times over by their rich parents.

Someday, Obama may appoint Ayres to a post in the US Department of Education if the Congress is not in session!


19 posted on 09/24/2010 9:59:41 AM PDT by PBRCat
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To: Westbrook

Excellent!


20 posted on 09/24/2010 5:35:07 PM PDT by calcowgirl ("In politics the middle way is none at all." -- John Adams)
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