Defending Ward Churchill

February 9, 2005

University of Colorado professor, Ward Churchill has angered many people with his comments regarding the World Trade Center victims. He said in an essay that the hijackers attacked because of hostile U.S. policies in the Middle East including "genocide" in Iraq.. He also said the WTC victims were not innocent and called them "little Eichmanns", a reference to Adolph Eichmann a notorious and murderous Nazi. In essence, he blames the U.S. for the attack and he doesn't feel sorry for the victims.

This is not a traditional viewpoint which holds the WTC victims as heroes and martyrs for U.S. democratic causes and principles.

To take things further, Churchill refuses to take back any of his statements. He said he was not "backing off an inch" and said he "owed no one an apology".

As expected, the vitriol has been intense, especially from FOX News, other conservative news outlets and politicians. It figures. They have no clue except to respond viscerally to ideas not their own or to those they disagree with. They even want to get him fired, a blatant act of revenge to silence speech they don't want to hear.

They and we need to stop and think. Sure, Churchill has angered many with a viewpoint most do not share but he has the Constitutionally protected right to say it just as every news agency, politician, citizen and even those out to "get him".

Millions do not agree with FOX News and many believe their viewpoints are Nazi-like, but would that be reason to force them off the air? How about Rush Limbaugh?

No!

So why are so many out for revenge against Churchill? Why do they want him punished for saying what he believes? Simply, they are very uncomfortable when hearing things different from what they believe as if just listening or reading them would cause them harm or "convert" them to his side.

Too bad! The first amendment protects our right to say what we want. It is meant to protect speech that make us angry and threatens our sense of security.  We need many viewpoints to keep our democracy healthy.

You don't have to agree with Churchill to support him and his right to say something unpopular.

Those who want to silence Churchill are actually destroying our right to free speech. They are un-American. They haven't thought about "freedom of speech" except to say it once in a while to make themselves look important or to make news.

Churchill laid out his viewpoint and has taken much criticism for doing so. He has more guts than most. How many Fox News talking heads would go to Europe and defend their viewpoints for weeks at a time, under threat of loosing their jobs or worse. None.

When freedom of speech is weakened, it weakens what American is, a land where we can all think differently and be better for it.

Denying freedom of speech for Ward Churchill would make Adolph Eichmann proud.

Maybe FOX News is Nazi-like!