Tuesday, February 01, 2005

Conservative Censorship-Intimidation of Scholars Continues: Ward Churchill Resignation Statement

University of Colorado professor, Chairman of Ethnic Studies and Native American activist Ward Chruchill is the latest victim of conservative slander-attacks:

Ward Churchill Resignation Statement

Why you should care from Michael Hawkins who wrote this in response to a query from me (Michael was a student of Churchill's):

Yep, he's not one to issue soft statements. Truth is, his identity is that of an American Indian, and he sees himself -- through his indigenousness -- being the ongoing victim of an aggressive and genocidal nation. He's coming from a heritage of being brutalized by an occupying power, and the people of that occupying power are not only complicit in its nation's actions, but accountable for its crimes as well. It's a very harsh thing for Americans to hear, so they try to destroy the messenger -- same as they destroyed Malcolm X and the Black Panthers, both of whom are situated in Ward's lifestory very prominently.

We as Americans like to divorce ourselves from our government, especially when the ruling Party is not our own. "Not my President," we say. Well, from our many enemies' perspective, it IS our government, we tolerate its actions, and in many cases many of us support it wholeheartedly. And we don't enjoy being reminded of how we are viewed by our conquered peoples.

And the thing is, Ward has made provocative statements like this over and over since he returned from Vietnam and joined the struggles against racism and genocide. He doesn't care what anyone thinks, and is prepared for whatever Predator (from his book When Predator Came) throws at him. Having been a combat vet in Vietnam, it makes even more sense that he doesn't fear death, especially when combined with his commitment to advocating for his people.

I know you know all this, Thivai, but we're seeing COINTELPRO kick into high gear all over again. He used to tell us in class that he was amazed to be alive. People like Ward Churchill are being lined up for neutralization.

He's one of many prophets who fortell intense times for the mesmerized masses.

---------------------------------------------------

Recent IndyMedia Report

9 comments:

Michael Hawkins said...

Thanks for linking to Ward's statement, Thivai. I plan to blog on this later today, but like you, I am feeling a lot of anger over this latest attack. Ward has put up with this crap his whole adult life, and he's a lot smarter than his attackers, who would do well to avoid pushing this any further.

Our dark times dim a little more every day. I think we're all ready for the pendulum to begin its swing back toward the left.

Lucky Jim said...

Somehow I don't expect David Horowitz, the Caped Crusader of Academic Freedom, to be taking up Churchill's cause! Thanks for letting us know about this.

Michael said...

Your welcome Michael and Lucky Jim,

Reports about this are flooding the IndyMedia centers, at least someone is paying attention.

Anonymous said...

Ward churchill is a fraud, something he has even admitted. He is not at all an american indian, just another white, liberal baby-boomer academic with an axe to grind for the U.S. Perhaps if he was a real Indian his name would be "Lies to Students", or "Bites the Hand", or the more accurate "Horses' Ass".

Michael said...

Anonymous,

Your comments hold no merit when signed anonymously, evidently you are not willing to stand behind your comments... and thus they remain unsubstantiated and worthless.

Although if you would be willing to step out from behind the curtain...

Anonymous said...

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~53~2733299,00.html
Hope this link works. not on Blogger yet. Mr.Churchill has admitted that he is not an American Indian. So he is indeed a fraud. This makes his career a sham, his books fanciful ethnofiction, and his tenure an affront to the University's students. -Eric

Michael said...

Eric,

1) His military career is no more fanciful than the "air jockey" who currently occupies the White House. If you condemn Churchill, you must also excoriate the President for his lies about his service in the national guard? In fact our ridiculous emphasis on lilitary service seems to be causing many people to be bending the truth in regards to their service (for the sickness that underlies our culture in that regard, perhaps you might check out "The Denial of Death" by Ernets Becker or "Blood Sacrifice and the Nation" by Carolyn Marvin and Davied Ingle).

Besides the news article isn't even sure who said he served with the 101st--him or his publicist. Find where he says it--it should be easily found as conservative--pundit assassins are currently scouring his background...

2) Nowhere in that article does it say that Churchill "states" that he is not of American Indian descent... so you are lying here.

3) What is your stake in this matter? Who are you and what is your position?

So, still your position is empty and you are seeming even more misleading and dishonest, despite the fact you supplied a first name pseudonym.

Anonymous said...

http://starbulletin.com/2005/02/23/news/index2.html
Here you can see Mr. Churchill admit that he is not an American Indian.
When did George W. Bush come into this? Why do you assume that I am a fan of George W. Bush? To paraphrase Mr. Churchill, "I am not". Though I am grateful that he bravely protected Texas from the Vietcong, and that he is both articulate and glib in representing the United States of America.
It just really peeves me that people like Ward Churchill can lie, get a job at a University, then become head of ethnic studies and receive tenure without anyone having the nerve to call him on his lies. Have you seen his picture? The guy is obviously white, yet the weak-kneed academics must have been too PC or scared , (or both ) to notice. Seen his books? All written from an "Indian" perspective... that mkes them a pack of lies, an extended, fat pack of lies.
I'm just sick of people like Mr. Churchill. There are plenty more in University's around the country, the entrenched, far-left left over from the '60's that are now The Establishment in academia. And i'm amazed that people still defend an obvious indian fibber. The name is no pseudonym, thivai.
-Eric

Michael said...

Eric,

Here is a correction that has been appended to the article you sent me:

"Churchill
misquoted
in article on
UH speech
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, incorrectly quoted University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill as admitting that he was not American Indian.
The story about Churchill's Tuesday night speech at the University of Hawaii-Manoa said the professor noted that his "white Republican" critics were asking, "Is he an Indian? Do we really care?"

"Let's cut to the chase, I'm not," the quote in yesterday's paper continued.

But a review of video and audio tapes of the speech shows that Churchill actually said: "Is he an Indian? We really care. We're trying to protect the rights of Indians to divine for themselves, say this circle of flies in the form of white reporters circling a manure pile like it's of all consequential importance. Cut to the chase on that."

Churchill went on to say that he is an associate member of the Keetoowah tribe and that associates are enrolled in the band after their genealogy has been vetted by the enrollment office. He said that he is less than one-quarter Indian, so he does not qualify to be a full member.

The issue of whether Churchill has Indian blood is part of the national debate over the controversial professor who gained notoriety for comparing some Sept. 11, 2001, victims to Nazis."
-----------------------------

Are you an idiot? Do you even read the materials your conservative groups give you to defend your position and to pester those that hold positions different from yours.

As for your pseudonym, it doesn't matter if your actual name is "eric" or not, you still are hiding behind an anonymous name because your refuse to identify yourself or your cause.

Which leads me to assume you are gutless and uninformed.

Thanks, I haven't had such a good laugh in such a long time--if this is the best that Churchill's attackers can muster then we can all sleep easy... ha, ha, ha