US: Repression Ward Churchill Under Attack 02 Feb 2005 13:29 GMT Ward Churchill, generally considered a friend of radical and indigenous communities, is under attack for his views and perhaps his race. He is a Native American, contributor to many publications including Z Magazine, and Professor of Ethnic Studies at University of Colorado at Boulder where his job is at risk. Under pressure triggered by local press in Denver, and FOX's Bill O'Reilly (excellent article!), he has has already resigned his department chair position. His recent speaking engagement at Hamilton College was cancelled due to security concerns and death threats in response to an essay he wrote several years ago about 9-1-1. Denver's Rocky Mountain News is currently running a live poll about whether he should resign his professorship as well. Churchill opponents' on-line poll comments are instructive in their anger and ignorance: "He should resign his citizenship" (he's an Indigenous American), and various comments that free speech is ok until it criticizes the US. If the poll comes out against Churchill, it can be used to exert additional political pressure on his employer. The attack against Churchill was fomented by two AM talk radio DJs in Denver and FOX's Bill O'Reilly. Other articles and resources: [Info on the O'Reilly attack and contact info for taking action | Panel Including Ward Churchill Cancelled in New York (indybay) | Another good one from indybay | Interview with Derrick Jensen | Older Churchill audio Q&A | More audio (2004)] Ward Churchill, generally considered a friend of radical and indigenous communities, is under attack for his views and perhaps his race. He is a Native American, contributor to many publications including Z Magazine, and Professor of Ethnic Studies at University of Colorado at Boulder where his job is at risk. Under pressure triggered by local press in Denver, and FOX's Bill O'Reilly (excellent article!), he has has already resigned his department chair position. His recent speaking engagement at Hamilton College was cancelled due to security concerns and death threats in response to an essay he wrote several years ago about 9-1-1. Denver's Rocky Mountain News is currently running a live poll about whether he should resign his professorship as well. Churchill opponents' on-line poll comments are instructive in their anger and ignorance: "He should resign his citizenship" (he's an Indigenous American), and various comments that free speech is ok until it criticizes the US. If the poll comes out against Churchill, it can be used to exert additional political pressure on his employer. The attack against Churchill was fomented by two AM talk radio DJs in Denver and FOX's Bill O'Reilly. These same DJs were recently critical of Denver's court finding Churchill and other organizers of the anti Columbus Day parade protest innocent. They denigrated jurors and "interviewed" Churchill on their talk radio show and were obviously upset that protestors were found innocent, employing typical aggressive host tactics to silence and misrepresent people who disagree. Shortly after their Columbus Day coverage, they went on the attack against Ward Churchill inflaming listeners with passages from an essay he wrote years ago about September 11 which later turned into the book On the Justice of Roosting Chickens : Reflections on the Consequences of U.S. Imperial Arrogance and Criminality. This timing and common connection through Churchill makes it appear they're attacking those who oppose the Columbus Day parade. As Churchill explains in a recent press release these DJs and other press are taking him out of context, suggesting he advocates violence against Americans and hates this country (which even if true isn't a crime, and it's worth noting he's a veteran). While his essay's conclusions are stated in ways inflamatory to middle-class white folks, which is nothing new, they are solidly argued, also nothing new. His biggest "crime" seems to be suggesting US foreign policy is sometimes criminal and humanizing people around the world who view that policy from the receiving end. Professor Churchill's many books on topics from genocide to COINTELPRO to indigenous struggles are invaluable contributions to a radical understanding of our world. He is perhaps best known in the radical community for a pamphlet entitled Pacifism as Pathology Churchill is a long-standing member of the Colorado American Indian Movement and steadfast supporter and organizer of the yearly struggle to stop the state-supported celebration of Columbus. The talk radio DJs and O'Reilly are still calling for him to be fired. At the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, the live on-line poll is currently running 3:1 against him. Other articles and resources: Info on the O'Reilly attack and contact info for taking action Panel Including Ward Churchill Cancelled in New York (indybay) Another good one from indybay Interview with Derrick Jensen Older Churchill audio Q&A More audio (2004)
To be fair, Ward is a small, less than head rights small degree of Cherokee. He is an associate member (non-voting) of the Keetoowah Band. He is THE scholar of US genocidal policies against the tribes. As anyone who has follwed word wars in Indian Country can attest, one mad member will discredit another.
Megara, I can't wait to see a pic of you wearing your future "civil disturbance" soldier gear, holding your state of the art automatic weaponry, looking for your first protester to beat on. Dumbass.
when dealing with stupid little morons like yourself...it's sometimes fun to sink to their level of idiocy, just to see the reaction, and watching them respond with "that was intelligent" as if they got a 1-up on me. Nice try kiddo, but you're all too predicatable. Now stop desecrating the American Indian, and go away.
I just can't believe this kind of thing still happens today. Who gets in trouble for writing an essay? Whatever happened to freedom of speech?
The irony is, you are the one who sounds like a fascist, not me. You are the one denying people the right to speak out against this guy. Nowhere have i said he should be fired. Feel free to continue to insult me though.
these discussions would be ever so much better if they did not disintegrate into petty name calling. Tolerance and a thick skin help on here...brains and intellegent discourse, would too. See Revo's Ward Churchill post in people for Megara and my discussions.... Revo, out right insults can get a poster banned...think before that SEND button gets clicked. I'd love to hear your opinions on the situation, not just a honking cut and paste.
I hesitated posting a reply to this thread because it is a side issue to Prof. Ward Churchill's essay. The title of this thread, however, was "Another Native American Under Attack". The criticism directed towards Prof. Churchill was due to his unpopular opinions as expressed in his essay rather his heritage as a Native American. There are questions as to whether he is a member of the Keetoowah (Cherokee) Tribe. Rave says she discovered that Churchill had enrolled in the Keetoowah tribe under a program initiated by a former tribal chairman that let almost anyone sign up. She says the Keetoowah later discontinued that program and disenrolled the people who had joined under it. For the full article, click below: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_3519179,00.html If he does have a tribal affiliation, the evedence will be provided shortly. Hopefully the distraction of his tribal affiliation will be cleared up sooner rather than later.
The local media here in colorado has been all over this. Yesterday there was a board of regents meeting to discuss what action they want to take. They wouldn't let some students speak, then when the students wouldn't let it rest, the regents sicked the cops on the students. What a bunch of crap this is, the dude could get fired just for saying something that the majority don't agree with. What ever happened to freedom of speech.
hayduke...the Patriot Act! sorry man (megara) I just don't like your kind. I can't stand people who openly insult Native Americans after everything they've been through. You're probably white, too.
i have in no way openly insulted native americans. I am not attacking this guy because of his ethnicity, but because of his stupid comments. I would have said the same thing if he was white or black or latino.
his comments weren't stupid, maybe a bit insensitive...but the comments you're referring to are beside his point. He was making a broader statement.
what does that have to do with the fact that he made stupid comments? Who cares if he was making a broader statement? Does that mean his stupid comments dont mean anything? He attacked innocent people. He praised the terrorists. Insensitive? You call those insensitive? Many people would call that treasonous.
