Ward Churchill

Ward Churchill may have said something incredibly stupid. He may be a blowhard. He may not even be an Indian. But nonetheless, it is of the utmost importance that academics and the rest of the progressive community defend his right of free speech protected, not under the Constitution, but under tenure. The right has taken over nearly every center of power in this country--the courts, the federal and state governments, school boards, churches, public schools, private schools, the media, etc. The university is one of the last bastions of liberal thought left. So far, academics have proven less than strident at defending this last piece of turf. A few years ago, when the research of historian Michael Bellsiles, who wrote a book challenging the Right's cherished view of the origin of the Second Amendment, came under question, the American Historical Association gave him up to the Right like a sacrificial lamb. In the same vein, they have not attacked conservative student campaigns to "expose the liberal bias" of faculty. This simply cannot continue to happen. We must fight for the right to say what we want to, when we want to, in the university setting. It's pretty much the only arena left in American life where we can effect change. To allow a cloud of McCarthyism to descend upon the university would be disastrous.