This item was distributed by The Hill several days ago, on January 21: NOT A LOAD OF A BALONEY: Senators voted 98-1 that “climate change is real and not a hoax.” I repeat “not a hoax!” The bipartisan vote caught Democrats off guard as many thought a majority of Republicans would vote against the amendment, which will now be attached to underlying…
The neologism of the month appears to be “Deflate-gate,” though the issue surrounding the deflation of the footballs used by the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game has also inspired the neologism “Ballghazi” and the pun “The Cheatriots.” Yeesterday “Deflategate” was the lead story on all four nightly newscasts on the major networks.…
New FSU President John Thrasher is taking a stance on controversy surrounding the Koch-funded faculty positions at the university that echoes the stance now being taken by those at the University of Illinois who have rescinded the offer letter to Steven Salaita and those who support that decision. Now that they have expressed their determination…
Earlier this month, five professors at the University of Illinois (Nicholas Burbules, R.H. Campbell, Kim Graber, Joyce Tolliver, and Matthew Wheeler, referred to as the “Gang of Five”) wrote a response to the UIUC CAFT Report, criticizing it and defending the dismissal of Steven Salaita. The Gang of Five claims that they embrace the AAUP’s…
What follows is the transcript of a speech given by Senator Bernie Sanders on the economic and political implications of widening wealth inequality and the “Citizens United” decision of the U.S. Supreme Court. The speech was given in late March 2014 on the floor of the U.S. Senate. _________________________ Thank you very much. As the…
I agree that John McAdams should not be suspended for his speech. Like his colleague Daniel McGuire, but from a much greater distance, I find little in his political views with which I agree. Moreover, although I think that the way in which he handled the situation with a graduate student, which led to his…
The following letter, reprinted with permission, was written by Marquette University professor Daniel McGuire to Michael Lovell, president of the university, concerning the case of professor John McAdams, who was suspended and barred from campus for criticizing a graduate student instructor on his personal blog. By Daniel Maguire At a faculty meeting on last Thursday,…
The debate over the firing of Steven Salaita is not over. The criticism of the University of Illinois continues, although many defenders of the chancellor and trustees wish people would stop talking about it. The Campus Faculty Association has started a petition calling for the U of I to follow the recommendations of the CAFT…