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-Short Attention Span Theater-
U. of Ill. denies William Ayers emeritus status
2010-09-24
Ay-Pee, so you get my version.
The wussies on the BoT at UI-Chi have finally been sufficiently embarrassed by their 20 year tolerance of this excrement that they decided to insult him by denying him emeritus status but pay his pension.

The stated reason is that he "dedicated a book to, among others, the man who killed (UI-Chi Bot Chairman) Kennedy's father, Robert F. Kennedy."
"There can be no place in a democracy to celebrate political assassinations or to honor those who do so."

I don't know. If someone would take out Short Round or Chavez, I would at least make a favourable reference to him in the House of Representatives.

Like the Bourbons, the ruling class is offering too little too late. Perhaps they will find time to keep their wits and their heads. But time is running short.
Sometimes life works out more or less as it ought. To a man like Mr. Ayers, the honours are more important than the money.
Posted by:Nimble Spemble

#12  Soooper Emeritus status!
Posted by: Frank G   2010-09-24 23:38  

#11  So, his big mistake was a shout-out to someone who killed the daddy of one of the trustees. I guess if he would have just given props to Mumia or some other scuzz instead, that would have been ok and he would have gotten emeritus status?
Posted by: Swamp Blondie   2010-09-24 22:54  

#10  I forgot to mention: those interested in reading Mr. Ayers youthful magnum opus can download the PDF file for free -- just google the title. But there's a nice summary in the single reader comment at the amazon.com link in my comment above, for those not interested in reading every glorious Che- and Mao-inspired word those charming young revolutionaries wrote in their salad days.
Posted by: trailing wife   2010-09-24 19:16  

#9  NPR did report on this today. The key graf in their report was this:

In his remarks, Kennedy noted Ayers dedicated one of his books, Prairie Fire: The Politics of Revolutionary Anti-Imperialism, to a list of figures that includes Sirhan Sirhan, the man who murdered his father, Sen. Robert Kennedy.

There is nothing more antithetical to the hopes for a university that is lively and yet civil, or to the hopes of our founding fathers for their great experiment of a self-governing people, than to permanently seal off debate with one's opponents by killing them. There can be no place in a democracy to celebrate political assassinations or to honor those who do so.

I realize most NPR listeners won't realize the import of the book that Mr. Ayers dedicated to a convicted Palestinian assassin, but they all know the name of the man who killed one of their beloved Kennedys, even as the NPR reporter was saddened that such an impactful academic's honour was sidelined by something he wrote a distant four decades ago.
Posted by: trailing wife   2010-09-24 18:55  

#8  I hear some jobs are opening up in the cabinet. Billy would be a nice addition to the socialist leanings.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2010-09-24 13:25  

#7  I thought he was at Northwestern!

WHere's his wifee?
Posted by: anonymous2u   2010-09-24 13:07  

#6  Below the revolving door of governors and prisons, corrupt Chicago and state officials, there's also a systemic good old boyism at work in the universities that's been in the public eye on admissions that has tainted the trustee and academia. This is an easy 'under the bus' action to cover their own crimes. Maybe they feel their necks itching.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2010-09-24 10:13  

#5  Trustees approved emeritus status for a number of other retirees Thursday, and Hardy said it was unusual for anyone to be turned down.

All 9 trustees voted against his emeritus status? Guess they don't like him much either.
Posted by: JohnQC   2010-09-24 09:58  

#4  Kennedy's son, Chris, chairs the board.

Karm's a bitch, huh, Ayers? Rot in hell you POS
Posted by: Frank G   2010-09-24 07:50  

#3  Typically, I would expect someone from the left to sue, to demand an honor they were denied.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2010-09-24 07:28  

#2  More like they wish we'd never found out they hired him or that he's really a terrorist. I'm sure the only difference between Ayres and some of the others who did get emeritus is that they haven't killed anyone.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2010-09-24 07:11  

#1  So that makes Wm. Ayers a professor demeritus, one the BoT wishes they'd never hired in the first place.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2010-09-24 00:22  

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