| Submit your comments on this article |
| Home Front: Culture Wars |
| Hamilton College: Kirkland Project Director Resigns |
| 2005-02-14 |
| Kirkland Project Director Resigns Action is Effective Immediately Nancy Rabinowitz, in a telephone call to Hamilton College President Joan Hinde Stewart Thursday night (Feb. 10), announced her resignation as director of the Kirkland Project. The action, which takes effect immediately, comes in the wake of controversy surrounding a speaking invitation extended by the Kirkland Project to University of Colorado Professor Ward Churchill and the project's offer of a temporary teaching position to former prisoner Susan Rosenberg. In a paper written immediately after the September 11 terrorist attacks, Churchill suggested that many of those killed that day deserved their fate. He subsequently reaffirmed those remarks. Rosenberg was indicted but never tried for a 1981 armored car robbery that left a guard and two police officers dead. She was sentenced for 58 years on charges of weapons possession, but President Clinton granted her clemency in 2001. Rosenberg was invited by the Kirkland Project to teach a half-credit course on memoir writing but withdrew following criticism of her past. In a statement posted to the Kirkland Project's Web site, Rabinowitz said, "Hamilton College finds itself in the midst of a crisis that is deeply rooted in the institution's history and set against a backdrop of increasing political and cultural tension. Much of the resulting media attack has been directed personally at me as director of the Kirkland Project. This, in turn, has been destructive to the project and to the educational mission of the college, in particular to its desire to create a more diverse and welcoming environment for all students. In the interests of the college and its community, therefore, I am stepping down as director, effective immediately." Rabinowitz continued, "I am resigning under duress, for I would have preferred to stay on until I took my long-awaited sabbatical; however, my strengths have been in the intrinsic work of the project itself, and what the project needs now is someone more adept at the kind of political and media fight that the current climate requires. Therefore, it is in the interests of the mission of the project itself and for no other reason that I am yielding to requests that I resign." Congratulations to Hamiltonians and bloggers who made this happen. This is really big news as it's one of the first steps I can think of to begin the de-radicalization of American campuses. There's plenty left to do, but as the Devil himself says, the longest journey begins with a single step. |
| Posted by:Mrs. Davis |
| #8 The Accountability Tsunami---hitting a college near you soon. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2005-02-14 10:42:26 PM |
| #7 Forget about Rubinowitz. I believe that the whole project just a pile of garbage. |
| Posted by: Wonderer 2005-02-14 7:37:46 PM |
| #6 Aw, girl. Don't go away mad, just go away. |
| Posted by: BH 2005-02-14 5:57:45 PM |
| #5 When it is too hot, stay out of the kitchen. They ain't used to being challenged and when they are, they tend to wilt. You see, they are used to hiding behind politically correct anti hate speech codes and the like. These benign appearing good behavior codes that supposedly treat all ideas as equal, long as you don't disagree with them or point out that they really ain't equal. These codes really just protect the educationer's leftist educating plans. Not being used to being challenged, sometimes they quit and go home like Rabinowitz. They won't all be that easy though, but folks should continue exposing the Churchills and Rabinowitz types. |
| Posted by: Hank 2005-02-14 5:46:17 PM |
| #4 --Much of the resulting media attack has been directed personally at me as director of the Kirkland Project.-- They looked into her background???? |
| Posted by: anonymous2u 2005-02-14 5:37:51 PM |
| #3 If these asshats feel that their version of free speech is worth defending, then they need to stick around and take the heat. Free speech gives you the right to say it, but does not protect you from the reprocussions of your speech. With freedom comes responsibility. More freedom---more responsibility. Freedom without responsibility (which is what the LLL think freedom is) is nothing more than license. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2005-02-14 5:25:42 PM |
| #2 Don't worry, honey. Being head of Gender Studies department at Kirkland College must qualify you to do just about...ummmmmmm...well... something, right? Maybe Wardo will hire you to put on his warpaint for him at all his public appearances? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2005-02-14 5:24:43 PM |
| #1 Where's my nano-violin when I need it? |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2005-02-14 5:18:26 PM |