Wis. lawmakers want univ. instructor fired

MODS: I didn't see this posted today, and I know that there was a prior thread that showed an interview on FOX with Ollie North and some other talking heads but I couldn't find it to add this to it.

If you find the original thread and want to move this there, that is fine by me.

JDub

LINK

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- More than 60 state lawmakers are urging the University of Wisconsin-Madison to fire an instructor who has argued that the U.S. government orchestrated the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

A letter sent Thursday and signed by 52 Assembly representatives and nine state senators condemns a decision to let Kevin Barrett teach an introductory class on Islam this fall.

This guy must have really ticked some people off the other day after his interview! They are after his job now, and just may get it.

I saw the interview posted here on ATS and thought he handled himself very well with all the hostility immediately thrown his way by the interviewers.

JDub

This is precisely why professors are given tenure, to prevent peopel from firing them for having unpopular political views. Its idiots like the people trying to fire this man that are responsible for hte existence of tenure and any of the problems in teaching quality that might stem from it.

For reference purposes the makeup of the Wisconsin State Legislature is as follows:

The Wisconsin State Assembly consists of 59 republicans and 39 democrats.
Assembly Home

And the Wisconsin State Senate consists of 19 republicans and 14 democrats.
Senate Home

Imho it goes beyond tenure. In essense these legislators want impose a litmus test for acceptable speech by state employees. It sends a message, "if you want to keep your job, shut up!", to state workers. This sounds like a clear violation of the first ammendment.
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Unbelievable, do they have any idea how transparent their desire to squelch any view that differs from the official line is?

In America you now have no free speech?? Well isn't that nice? next they'll send the thought Police round and you'll die of heart failure --- induced by lead poisoning no doubt...

So his views are not to every ones tastes, so? isn't that what education is about? thoughts and debate? its turning into pure indoctrination when you cannot step off the party line and view a subject from another angle.......