Posted on 11/28/2001 7:29:25 PM PST by mykdsmom
Those on political extremes at Triangle campuses are having trouble coming together to talk about the issues that have divided them since Sept. 11.
One side has challenged American policy through anti-war "teach-ins" and panel discussions. In response, supporters of the war in Afghanistan have staged their own rallies and speeches.
But for the most part, neither side has turned out to hear what the other has to say.
Some teach-in organizers say they'll stay away from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Memorial Hall tonight when Los Angeles-based neoconservative David Horowitz takes the stage at 7.
"I would not support him by being there," said Elin O'Hara Slavick, a UNC-CH associate professor of art. "And he would not come to our teach-ins."
Horowitz inspired student protests last spring on campuses across the country, including Duke and UNC-CH, with arguments against reparations for descendants of slaves. He rose again on the national radar this fall by denouncing as treason campus comments by Slavick and other war critics. He contends that conservative views are suppressed at UNC-CH.
"I think there's a very bad situation at UNC, a great intolerance for dissenting opinions," Horowitz said in an interview Tuesday.
Slavick said Horowitz is notorious for liberal-bashing and is not likely to foster an exchange of ideas. She also advised students against planning a protest. That would just increase his publicity, she said.
For their part, Horowitz fans say they do not plan to attend a scheduled teach-in at 7 p.m. in the Hanes Art Center Auditorium Thursday night, either.
Rheta R. Burton, 21, a UNC-CH senior, did not go to any of the other four teach-ins since Sept. 11, although she listened to a friend's tape.
As leader of the College Republicans and a supporter of the U.S. military response to the terror attacks, Burton helped organize a campus rally supporting the military response in October. She invited Horowitz to Chapel Hill to express his views against war protesters. He came on short notice and for $5,000, what she calls a bargain on the lecture circuit.
She knew his appearance would draw criticism.
"We do get criticized a lot," Burton said. "We're already getting criticized about Horowitz and his past beliefs. And we're telling people he won't be talking about that -- he'll be talking about the war."
Even though she stays away from the anti-war teach-ins, she said she hopes those who criticize the war would listen to what Horowitz has to say.
"They might not still agree with him, but [after his speech] they might have a different concept from when they went in," Burton said. "If you don't even like the guy at all, I still want you to come out."
Some opponents worry that if they go, observers will mistake turnout for support. Teach-in organizers proudly note their ability to draw hundreds of students, faculty members and local residents. Pro-war events have drawn smaller numbers and fewer students at UNC-CH and other campuses.
At Duke University, sophomore Martin Green has been pleased with the turnout for conservative rallies and discussions.
"I've been very impressed with the degree of patriotism on campus," Green said.
As president of the Duke Conservative Union, he has adjusted his expectations. Although the student government president and a basketball player have time to be active in the conservative organization, he said, many students with busy schedules grow politically apathetic.
In Chapel Hill, Burton says she believes conservatives have yet to fully tap student support.
Perhaps conservative students are afraid to speak up against a prevailing liberal view, observers at one national think tank say.
A report from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni earlier this month blasted university professors as "the weak link in America's response" to the Sept. 11 attacks. The organization, founded in 1995 by Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Republican Lynne Cheney, wife of Vice President Dick Cheney, quoted statements by students and faculty members, including Duke student Kathryn B. Duke and Slavick of UNC-CH, who it said were seeking to "blame America."
"Our belief is that academic freedom does not mean freedom from criticism," said Anne Neal, vice president of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni.
Duke, 20, criticized the report as a thinly veiled push for campus censorship.
"The premise of the report is that because 90 percent of this country is in support of this war, academics should be too," Duke said. "A lot of the quotes they used weren't even inflammatory in any way. ... A lot of things were just urging people to think -- basically just pacifist statements."
Duke said she has received threatening e-mail messages since the original article was published. Slavick said she and other speakers received death threats after the first teach-in.
UNC-Chapel Hill figures prominently among the campuses cited by conservative critics.
Horowitz and others criticized the public university for allowing "anti-American" professors to speak at a Chapel Hill rally in September. A recent Nation magazine article praised UNC-CH Chancellor James Moeser for defending his faculty's free speech rights.
Moeser recalls e-mail messages and phone calls that began soon after the teach-ins, demanding that faculty members be silenced -- "or in one case shot as traitors." But he defended the faculty members, as he has defended Horowitz from students who criticized his plans to speak on campus.
"He has a right to do it, and again that's what we're about -- the free exchange of ideas," Moeser said.
He cited a number of events as proof of the continuing debate -- panels on foreign policy and bioterrorism, memorials and volunteer campaigns. Volunteers from the student group Progress, which participated in the teach-ins, set up a daily lunchtime table outside the UNC-CH dining hall where they say they have had constructive conversations with passers-by since October. Faculty members say they may organize a structured debate for the spring semester -- a good idea, Moeser said.
There was a very good turn out, I'm estimating close to a 1000 people there. With all seats filled. I did admit I expected protesters to be present but did not see even one outside the hall. There was however about a dozen police officers and all bags were checked upon entering the building. There were also several private body guards around Mr. Horowitz at all times.
I noticed that there was one section up front completely full of black students. I figured they were up to something all sitting together and I found out very soon what it was. About 15 minutes after he began speaking all of these mostly black students staged a mass walkout. It was rather funny though because everyone else started applauding when they left.
He touched on several things, including Slave Reparations and the ad he took out in several college papers that caused so much controversy. He assumed that was why the black students left.
He started with giving some background of himself and why he was qualified to talk about anti-American protestors. He was the leader of the 60's radical war protesters.
He talked about why it was so dangerous for the UNC Chancellor Moeser to be involved in promoting the one sided teach ins that have been held on campus.
Some pretty troubling statistics about UNC were presented.
In the History Dept. there are 66 profs.
64 dems
2 repubs.
In the Political Science Dept. there are 26 profs.
22 dem
4 repub.
He said a really important thing about our nations socialist colleges. If the universities get control of the left in this country, this country will not survive.
He also mentioned that the "honorable" Chancellor Moeser is starting a business school in the country of Qutar. Apparently Qutar condems the U.S. and runs Al-Jezera propaganda on it's TV.
Did you know that there are 2000 Arab professors teaching in our college campuses? Neither did I. Half of these were recruited by the schools from terrorist supporting countries.
He touched a bit on slave reparations and why he feels they are a bad idea. He said that this country has committed sins but has corrected their past injustices. If it weren't for the U.S., slavery in almost the entire world would not have been abolished. This was accomplished by Christian White Males.
He did get a rather confrontational question from a junior democratic military student. He asked Horowitz why he felt a need to divide Americans with his "confrontational" rhetoric rather than trying to unite us.
I felt the response was well put. Mr. Horowitz said that he felt he knew more about the left and right views than this young man did. He said "In my radical days I committed treason by publishing an article that was extreme anti-American. In those days you could not have reasoned with me and unite with me because I wouldn't have listened to you". These anti-Americans are the same, they want the U.S. to lose the war. You cannot unite unreasonable people.
I really enjoyed listening to David Horowitz, someone whom I greatly admire. The most moving statement for me was "This can only remain the land of the free if it remains the home of the brave".
MKM
It took guts to say that. Some of the most staunch conservatives are reformed liberals.
MKM
MKM
MKM
I think one of the MOST disturbing comments he made was when he talked about the protests he participated in during the Vietnam war. He said that he and his friends on the left WANTED the communists to win. He also added that the extreme leftists today are GLAD the WTC was attacked, but they just won't admit it (in public)!! He KNOWS how these people think because he used to be one of them. That's why he says they are not anti-WAR, they are anti-AMERICAN.
I was so excited when I found out this afternoon at 3PM that Horowitz was going to be in Chapel Hill! It was great to be able to call a fellow freeper and work out last minute arrangements. Would be great if more freepers in this area could get together for events like this.
Please post any more that you can remember, even with my notes I can't remember a lot of what he said.
MKM
bttt
Thanks for posting.
When I first read this, I thought you must mean if the left gets control of the universities... Then I realized, of course, that the left certainly already has control of the universities. Can you explain what he meant, or implied, by the universities not yet having control of the left?
He also stated that there has been a war against the CIA and the military for the last 30 years and since 1993 to this year, Bernie Sanders (D), Major Ownens (D) as well as much of the leadership of the House including Gephardt voted to decrease the CIA budget 10% per year. Everyone needs to check on their Congressman to see if he/she voted for this as it could be a GREAT campaign issue in the next election. The academic standards are very low to get into the CIA. SAT requirement-900 and 2.75 Average!! No rocket scientists here... I think many of the more qualified ones quit during the Klintoon admin.
The universities are SO radical that if the liberals in this country go that far left then we are basically screwed.
Hopefully when these college students get out in the real world and are forced to experience life rather than the campus coccoon that they live in now they will alter their view of the "real" world.
This happened to me so I know there is hope for the future leaders of the world.
MKM
MKM
Frightening to see how much damage was done to our country in just a few years, most of them under Clinton's rule.
I also liked it when he asked The Daily Tar Heel (the on campus rag) to not use the word racist quite so easily against anyone that they disagree with but don't have the brains to argue against.
That was a nice jab and I think it got applause if I remember right.
MKM
I'm also a reformed liberal, like David I know how evil they can be (cheering Reagan's shooting, etc.) I just couldn't take one more insult, and when I dialed in Rush ten years ago.... I never looked back.
Thinking with logic instead of blind emotion is liberating.
VERY profound and accurate statement. It's so nice, mostly due to FR and my reading to be able to back up my arguements with facts.
My in-laws can go on all day about how horrible it is that conservatives don't care about "The Children" or whatever the latest rant from CNN is for the day. They can't back it up EVER, and I win, I LOVE it.
MKM
I thought the big lie--false hope at the end of the world was going to be communism(the tip)...now we see it as a false religion--science-Elite--Liberals/LIBERALISM...a ship-"bridge"!
Most conservatives are on board--Evolution...waving their holy grail!!
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