Well said. Jack
--- Don Williams <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Forget the academic freedom bit. That's a red herring. He can think > and > say what he likes and teach it as well. I remember (vividly) a > University Professor and Head of the Chemistry Department (Cape Town) > > who was crazy. The Vice Chancellor let him go on, and on, and in the > end > he holed up in his office with a .22 rifle and it became a nightmare. > > That's Academic Freedom in action. But it was an exception. > > It's this man's nutty idea that needs to be examined. Is it true? Is > the > report factual or distorted? Newspapers are well known for getting > things right out of context. If this is not the case he's digging his > > own grave. If he really believes that those buildings were > deliberately > blown up by the US government, then he's crazy and not fit to teach > anyway. > > Don > > frank theriault wrote: > > On 7/25/06, Bob Shell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > >> Which part do you consider bullshit? What the man proposes to > teach, > >> or the university defending his right to teach it? Personally, I > >> think freedom of speech must encompass ideas that the mainstream > >> considers repugnant. > >> > > > > Right you are, Bob! > > > > For one thing, at university, they call them "professors" for a > > reason. To profess is merely to affirm a belief. At a > post-secondary > > level, the assumption is that students are at a level that they can > > research the professors affirmations and form their own opinions as > to > > whether the professor is right or wrong. > > > > Up to the end of high school we have "teachers". To teach is to > > impart knowledge. The distinction between teachers and professors > is > > an important one. > > > > This guy in Wisconson may (or may not be) a nutbar, but I defend > his > > right to lecture whatever he wants. Moreso, I defend his > university's > > right to pay him and have him lecture there. The fact that tax > > dollars go to that university does not give the taxpayers or the > > legislature the right to demand that the guy gets sacked. At most, > it > > gives them the right to pull those tax dollars out of the place, > but > > then 90% or more of the students will be harmed due to (what's > > portrayed as) the rantings of this loonie. > > > > The other thing, of course, is that perhaps, just perhaps, if > someone > > actually sat in on this guy's course and read the materials, he > might > > have a few accurate things to say, and he might have evidence to > back > > up his assertions. Stranger things have happened. It's hard to > judge > > based on a newspaper article - and a biased one, at that. > > > > I've got to admit, I always wondered how it is that the Pentagon > isn't > > one of the best defended buildings in the world, with all the > latest > > detection devices and radar and defences. I've always thought it a > > bit strange that something as complex and difficult to pilot as a > > modern airliner, flown by a rank amateur, managed to get through > those > > defences and score a direct hit. I'm not saying this guy's right, > but > > it makes one wonder. > > > > cheers, > > frank > > > > > > > > > -- > Dr E D F Williams > www.kolumbus.fi/mimosa/ > http://personal.inet.fi/cool/don.williams/ > 41660 TOIVAKKA Finland - +358400706616 > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
