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Show PAGEA5 Guest Faculty Op-ed... Words matter: academic freedom, Utah Valley State College, and the United States of America Scott Abbott Director of the Program in Integrated Studies The President of the University of Colorado recently resigned after she angered Colorado politicians by suggesting that the outcry against Professor Ward Churchill ("terrorist advocates violent revolution") reminded her of McCarthyism. This spring, when Harvard University Visiting Professor Dora Maria Tellez, a Sandanista commander during the overthrow of the Somoza dictatorship in Nicaragua, now a historian, applied to enter the country, the U.S. State Department denied her a visa. She has often been in the United States, but under new guidelines, she is now excluded because of involvement in "terrorist acts." "The U.S. has declared war against terrorism," she said. "They have branded me a terrorist. That threatens my safety and my reputation." Ibrahim Parlak, a Kurdish freedom fighter, was given political asylum in the U.S. in 1991. He subsequently became a popular and successful caf6 owner in a small Michigan town. Last July, using the same documents he provided in 1991 when he appealed for asylum, U.S. officials arrested him as a terrorist. A couple of weeks ago, UVSC President William Sederburg asked the organizers of the annual Mor- mon Studies Conference to excise conversation here. Because Presithe words "gay," "lesbian," "homo- dent Sederburg's decisions have sexual," "animal rights," and "lib- public ramifications, public discuseration theology" from presentation sion of this critical issue will be titles. It was the week before the good for us all in the long run. I'd Utah Legislature finalized UVSCs like to make three simple points. budget, Utah Valley legislators were One: There is never a good time already nervous about the college for "controversial" subjects. The legislative session is (Michael Moore, over and the money Vagina MonoA couple of allocated, but now we logues, Queer Thehave accreditors comory and Literature), weeks ago, UVSC ing to campus. After and the President President William the accreditors leave, said he didn't want there will be graduato be blindsided Sederburg asked tion. Then there will by bad publicity. be a capital campaign. Postpone the con- the organizers of Then legislators will ference till after be meeting again. Apthe legislative ses- the annual Morpeasing angry comsion, he suggested, mon Studies Conmunity members for a or change the titles week or a month does so they aren't con- ference to excise nothing but encourtroversial. the words "gay," age the need for more A week later, dur"lesbian," "homoappeasement. ing a question-andanswer session sexual, " "animal Two: A president with the President, who limits legitimate I argued that he had rights," and "libacademic expression violated the prinby suggestion or imeration theology" ciple of academic plied threat or actual freedom. He re- from presentation threat sends a chilling plied that no force message to his faculty had been exerted titles. and students. When that president has fiand that his only nal say in all budget deconcern had been that he know in advance what is cisions, as ours does, it is difficult to happening on campus. In his mind, disagree with him. Will my Integratthe request for new titles was simply ed Studies budget, for instance, suffer a quiet ax? The Religious Studa matter of expedience, of timing. Our inability to discuss the issue ies budget? Because they are my clearly or with mutual understand- respected and admired colleagues, ing has prompted me to continue the and because my actions may make Readers Forum... Math Department needs to work with Business Department Letters with an asterisk at the head have been abridged due to length and space considerations. It you enjoyed reading the abridged version visit www.netxnews.net for our reader's original uncut letter. Reader Guest Op-ed... Compassionate Conservatism takes into account dignity of hard work over the degradation of hand-outs In answer to Mr. Steven Hall's opinion article "where is the compassionate conservatism" (Monday April 4) it is right here and all around us. America is great because people work, not sit idly by on their butts. Redistributing wealth, like what Mr. Hall suggests, is not the answer; but work is. Work increases your self-worth and self-image while producing a good or service for the betterment of mankind. Funny thing is, it simultaneously . boosts our economy. What Mr. Hall talks about is the core of Socialism, and from what I've seen, Socialism doesn't work; free enterprise and hard work does. If you think about it, why would a man (or woman) aspire to be anything if he is constantly fed and satisfied from an extended hand? The answer is not found in giving money away to the poor. Perhaps if we looked at it another way: in order to pay welfare recipients, that money must come from somewhere. It's a simple mathematical, and calculative fact. Even when the government is the one to cut the check to welfare recipients, it must get it from somewhere. That somewhere is from the productive people within our borders; their work in Mormon Studies more The result? The University of Freidifficult, I should point out that nei- berg becomes a place where we're ther Brian Birch nor Dennis Potter afraid to talk about Jews instead of are aware that I am making this ar- a place where Jews are respected as gument, nor did they come to me people, defended as people. originally with their story. I noticed Jew. Queer. Terrorist. Mormon. that the titles originally advertised Darwinist. gave way to blander titles and then The idea of evolution as a threat is asked why the changes had been suggested by Elaine Jarvik's recent made. The fact that I feel I have piece in the Deseret News: to make this disclaimer makes my "'Parents have become too comlarger point. placent about the teaching of evolution Three: Words in Utah schools,' Utah matter. Declare war Declare war on Eagle Forum's Gayle on terrorism, raise Ruzicka says. 'We fears of terrorism, terrorism, raise need to make sure the declare someone children of Utah hear a terrorist under a fears of terrorism, both sides in biology shifting definition, declare someone class. The Eagle Foarrest the person, rum has been preocdeny a visa, assas- a terrorist under a cupied with other issinate. It's a seamshifting definition, sues but now plans to less progression. tackle evolution, she To illustrate arrest the person, says." what it meant to deny a visa, assasexcise the words Academic freedom "gay," "lesbian," sinate. It's a seam- is academic, as they and "homosexual" say, when nothing is at from paper titles, less progresssion. stake. When passions I asked President run high, however, when we're threatSederburg to consider the following situation: Let's ened by fear, when ideology trumps suppose I'm the philosopher Martin science, when economic pressure is Heidegger, Rector of the Univer- brought to bear, academic freedom sity of Freiberg. One of my faculty is our bedrock, our guarantor of the members has organized a religious possibility of truth and justice, our studies conference that includes hope for intelligent and compasseveral presentations about Jews. sionate community. I ask the organizer to replace the word "Jew" in those titles because we're funded by the Nazi state and that is currently a hot-button word. people who work hard for a living. In order to rob from Peter to pay Paul, Peter must have produced and earned something to "give" to Paul. I think that it would be harder, but more accurate, to say to Peter, 'I'm going to take from you without your consent, a good portion of your hard earned money and give it to Paul who is able to work, but It is the liberals, who like their socialist counterparts, want to destroy the spirit of free enterprise and create a more drone-like state of fieldleveling and mediocrity. likes to play all day instead.' Is that not the message that Liberals communicate? I maybe over generalizing by saying this, but it is the liberals, who like their socialist counterparts, want to destroy the spirit of free enterprise and create a more drone-like state of field-leveling and mediocrity. It is compassionate to supplement someone who is working there hardest to help meet their families' needs because I know they understand the value of hard work. I would be more than willing to support someone who is struggling to make his or her ends meet, rather than someone who is able-bodied, taking for granted every nickel and dime and not realizing the sacrifice it took to get that funding there. Nothing is free, and there is no free lunch, but what Mr. Hall is proposing is that we punish and penalize the hard workers within our great country and reward people who work very little to contribute to that same society. The way I see it, the able bodied people who make up the welfare rolls "get" to go to work, not "have to" go to work. You can give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day, or you can teach a man to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime. There lies the difference, and there lies the compassion. Brian D. Beadle Integrated Studies Major Business & Earth Science Letter to the Editor: So, you print the Kougar (Corner in the paper and make fun of the Cougs. I am totally ok with that because I can't stand that school. But, if you are going to print stuff about how silly the Cougs are at least try to make our school not look so stupid at the same time. For example, just below the Kougar Korner, in the April 4th edition of the College Times where you rag on BYU, is the letter to the editor section where you posted two of the most ridiculous letters ever! So the Math department requires a C- grade or higher to advance to the next math level. College Times Correction Letter to the Editor, I wanted to thank Hanna Hooge for her article on me in the College Times. I would like to point out, though, that although possible distortion on her tape recorder may have made it sound like I referred to one General "Custard," it was actually Custer. George Armstrong Custer. Custard = dessert. Custer = unrighteous-dominion • oriented military figure. Thank you (and especially thanks to Hanna), David R. Wilson Assistant Professor of History and American Indian Studies Department of History and Political Science Utah Valley State College EDITOR'S NOTE: Our apologies to Mr. Wilson. The mistake was entirely ours. If someone can't pass Math 0995 with a C-, how in the $@*% are they going to pass Math 1010? Get a tutor, go to class, do the homework, put in a few extra study hours so you can get a head. The Math department has other problems to deal with. They need to stop being such big-headed sticklers and work closer with the Business Department. This would allow students a more applicable math education that relates to their major. You know... something like a business math class... what a novel idea! Caleb Reeve LETTERS TO THE EDITOR * E-Mail letters to uvscopinions@hotmail.com * The NetXNews room is located on campus in SC220. * All letters become property of NetXNews and may be edited for content, specifically clarity, length or other concerns at the discretion of the Opinions Editor. * Letters between 50-250 words are encouraged and those letters marked by their succinctness are more likely to be published. * Letters must be accompanied by full name, address, and phone number for verification purposes (contact information will not be published). Occupation, title or major is optional. |