Hey! You can't say that!

Ward Churchill: Discuss. Consider:

• “Some People Push Back,” Churchill's essay that started the brouhaha in 2001 (and many more links to the ongoing controversy on that page)
• “On the Injustice of Getting Smeared,” a response from Churchill to recent criticism.
• “Ward Churchill's Banality of Evil,” which defends Churchill's right to say what he likes, but argues that Churchill was “dead wrong.”
• What Ward Churchill Didn't Say, a brief list of polemic statements that may or may not have provoked the same level of outrage now attending Churchill's remarks.
• The recent survey showing 75% of high school students think flag burning is illegal and one third think the First Amendment “goes too far.”
• Native American Genocide
• Remarks from Professor Althouse: “I look askance at UC, not Churchill: Why did they hire and promote him? ”
• What else?

UPDATE: See also a lengthy post with many links and heated discussion in the comments at Three Years of Hell. I'm actually kind of surprised—although I don't know why I should be—to find AR come down as he does (I won't try to characterize his position since that will only be begging him to tell me I got him all wrong). Also, more from The Yin Blog, here, here, here, and here. UPDATE II: Thoughts from Carey and his readers, including links on the subject from Profs. Leiter, Bainbridge, and Volokh. Also Dahlia LIthwick's perspective on Slate. All of them appear to dismiss what Churchill has to say (Volokh calls it a “horrific screed” and Bainbridge says Churchill is an “ass”), yet seem to think they're taking the high road by saying that he shouldn't be fired just because he said some things that sound crazy. My original point in posting about this has been made fairly well: Rather than giving any serious consideration to the content of Churchill's words, people have occupied lots of energy and effort arguing about whether he should be allowed to say them at all. That's what passes for free speech and public discussion of what might be the most crucial topic in contemporary American history (by which I mean 9/11 and why it happened). Very very sad.

Posted February 11, 2005 06:36 AM | general politics