It's not free speech if my tax dollars are paying for it
Great, just flippin' great. I thought that ONE professor trying this was enough. At least I could understand the "why" part - that ONE was located in Madison, WI - an very liberal part of the Wisconsin state sponsored higher education system. There, he has created quite for firestorm for wanting to teach a class (and I am specifically not mentioning his name - I have no intention of furthering his fame) - with the results that a lot of the politicos there are trying to cut the funding.
I understand and believe that free speech is one of our most cherished rights and a foundational peice of our governmental system. If this "building block" is removed, a lot more will come tumbling down rather quickly. Also, we know and recognized that free speech is not free - it has to be defended constantly, even within our own system.
That said, I do not want my tax dollars supporting this guy. The Manchester Union Leader (the main paper of record here in NH) has this story about another professor teaching at UNH, William Woodward, is spouting similar stuff:
A tenured professor of psychology at the University of New Hampshire believes an "elite" group within the federal government orchestrated the September 11th attacks on America.
William Woodward has already raised that possibility in his classroom and later this year hopes to teach a class that would explore Sept. 11th "in psychological terms -- terms like belief, conspiracy, fear, truth, courage, group dynamics."
And how does he think this was accomplished?
The group contends that "pods" attached to the jet airliners actually steered planes into the Twin Towers and explosives planted inside the buildings were then set off.
The group also has advanced various conspiracy theories about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Woodward told the Sunday News he's convinced "there was a genuine conspiracy on the part of insiders at the highest level of our government."
And which group, pray tell, does this nutcase belong too?
Woodward, an acknowledged member of several leftwing political action groups, belongs to the Scholars for 9/11 Truth.
Woodward doesn't hide his political views; he's a member of New Hampshire Peace Action and several Seacoast groups that plan anti-war activities and question the official story surrounding Sept. 11th. And he is currently awaiting trial for criminal trespassing, after he and five others who call themselves "the Dover Six" were arrested during a May sit-in at U.S. Rep. Jeb Bradley's office to protest the Iraq war.
His Quaker tradition, Woodward said, compels him to "speak truth to power."
"I know there could be consequences, but if only more people would speak out, then we would have a safer world," he said. "We need to be vigilant."
Do I think UNH should jettison this guy? No, not yet. Given the fact of his membership in the above groups and his willingness to break the law (the arrest came because Jeb Bradley would meet with them and their collective noses got bent out of shape - how DARE this congressman not meet with us - we DEMAND to talk about peace!).
MY problem is that this kind of theory is in the catagory of "crackpot". There is no verifiable way that this guy could present reasonable evidence that could support his hypothesis. In fact, the only obvious evidence in record is that it just seems to continue the long line of professors with too much time on his hands going off the deep end.
And I do not wish my tax dollars to support this. If he wants to do this on his OWN time, I'm dandy with that. If he wants to use his vacation time to go and do any research that he deems necessary, great! If he uses holidays to go off and give speeches - more power to him. Let him spend his time and his resources to do this.
But when it comes right down to it, I'm tired of those in the elite Ivory Towers, especially those built and maintained with my tax dollars, attacking the government that maked it possible for them to do what they do, for idiotic causes and reasons. It is times like these I wish I could "earmark" my tax dollars for specific purposes.
Why not me able to direct my monies - politicians set up earmarks with our money all the time!
And can we PLEASE get rid of that stupid phrase "speak power to truth"....what a know-nothing, do-nothing phrase of English.....
