Eugene Volokh has some thoughtful comments about WSU's investigation report on the case of Prof. John Streamas, who called a College Republican student a 'white shitbag'.
Interestingly enough, Streamas' website posts his syllabus for American Studies 590, "Racism and Technologies of Time and Space", which he taught last year. Under Policies:
While obviously we should avoid abusive and hateful speech, I also want to encourage you to exercise your academic freedoms in thoughtful, intellectually honest discourse. A racist idea is a racist idea, and we should be honest enough to say so.So noted, professor. Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at December 20, 2006 03:23 PM | Email This
Full coverage can be found here.. Several of the WSU College Republcians are contributors at this blog.
Two interesting videos from the demonstration here and here.
Posted by: Tom Forbes on December 20, 2006 03:47 PM... of which there are far, far too many on today's college campuses.
Posted by: jimg on December 20, 2006 03:58 PM"Respondent (Streamas) insists that he did not utter the phrase as an expression of racism, in part, because he argues a person of color cannot be racist.."
Sound familiar?
Posted by: Tyler Durden on December 20, 2006 05:14 PMBut it wasn't just "White-Shitbag" that got this professor in trouble. Que up the AP story:
Earlier, Streamas has acknowledged using the term, but said it wasn't directed at any individual. Last month he called the fence a provocative and racist symbol, and compared it to Nazis carrying a swastika through a Jewish neighborhood.
The report said it was unwise for Streamas to have made the comment, which it called "immature, intellectually unsophisticated and thoughtless." But a single such utterance during a robust debate did not, by itself, constitute harassment, discrimination or intimidation, the report said.
Streamas, who was born in Tokyo, did not immediately return Associated Press telephone calls and e-mails seeking comment Tuesday.
The report quoted what it said was an unsolicited voice mail message Streamas left for investigators: "This is a racist university. Many of our students say that WSU stands for White Supremacist University.
"I don't care about the hurt feelings of one white person. The feelings of one little hurt white boy who's got all his white-skinned privilege are nothing compared to the hundreds of people he offended with his racist fence," the voice mail said.
More on the WSU fence controversy and the earlier events at UW can be found here.
Posted by: Patrick on December 20, 2006 06:58 PMTime and Space are not technologies. Even the title of this guy's course does not make sense given a basic understanding of the English language.
What a sad state our universities have become.
Posted by: Jeff B. on December 20, 2006 07:20 PMHiding out from the real & corporate (results-oriented) world that would devour him in a second like a taste of (soon to be banned) fois gras at a Gov's 'holiday' party.
He's entitled to his opinions. However, he forgets his employers & their kids. Poke 'em in the eye enough and what do you get? Besides, if this nation stinks, why not teach & reside in Paris, Ho Chi Minh City, Cairo, Riyadh or Addis Abbaba? Not as safe? Not as good standard of living? Not as free? What a wimpy hypocrite preached from a La-Z-Boy.
Like a loud flattus at a symphony, he surely gets our attention, but is unwanted nearby.
"white males need not apply."
Posted by: Andy on December 20, 2006 07:56 PMThat we regard this time as late in the year 2006 by convention does nothing to impose upon us, and in no way changes the actual march of time. True that our calendar system is arbitrary, but then so is the assignation of the phonemes of our words. With Streamas' logic, all communication is gibberish and meaningless because of our predecessors who decided language a certain way. Sadly, I am sure Streamas would agree.
Streamas also tries to equate the distorted shapes of the continents on a mercator projection map as proof of some racist conspiracy. As if the accident of flattening a spherical map actually changes the shape of the real land masses it represents.
This man is a danger, and a particularly pernicious racist and hateful intellectual regressive masquerading as a worthwhile academic. He, like his ilk Ward Churchill, deserves our full and open scorn and vilification. It is only through rational ostracism that frauds like Streamas will be exposed and separated from their goal of imparting active harm to students under the pretense of serious education.
Write and/ or call WSU and respectfully ask for his immediate termination.
1. Everyone is told that they need a threshold degree to have a good life. So, millions of kids and parents go into hock to get the BA. A willing and captive audience willing to meet whatever the yearly price increase. A much better business plan than Starbucks because at some price point the caffeine junkies will make their own.
2. There is little oversight about the ideological slant of departments or professors. Academic freedom, you know. Except, try going against the prevailing ideoloy and there will be no chance for tenure. Tenure keeps a lot of aspirings on the ideological farm.
3. Yeh, you may write, you may call, but there are plenty more all over. What is really needed is academic diversity in terms of thought. For those fighting to improve k-12, that will be a cakewalk compared to getting academic diversity of thought in universities. Best wishes.
Posted by: WVH on December 20, 2006 11:13 PM/satire
Why do I get the feeling that real men who fought real racism (like MLK) would bitch-slap this Streamas guy?
Posted by: Dustin on December 21, 2006 06:39 AM1. Morons like Streamas are a dime a dozen. Name the campus, spot the racist. Ho fricken hum.
2. The few students who take fools like him seriously aren't worth a bucket of warm spit, and the vast majority of college kids know it. Think of the unreasonable -- perhaps borderline mentally ill -- teachers you've had in your life. You either laughed at them behind their backs or felt contempt for them in their mediocrity. Streamas and his ilk elicit the same response from any undergrad with a normal degree of intellectual honesty.
Posted by: Rey Smith on December 21, 2006 08:12 AMhttp://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061221/ap_on_he_me/teen_drugs
I wonder how much this cost us?
Posted by: JDH on December 21, 2006 08:58 AMSeeking to promulgate a colorblind public and personal moral code . . .
or seeking revenge?
Posted by: anon on December 21, 2006 09:14 AMHaving taught as a lecturer, many undergraduates may have high IQs and high raw test scores, they lack discernment. The collective weight of moonbat philosophy on campus is staggering. This idiot just happens to be a crude practitioner of the philosophy.
So, my particular interest is k-12, but I still recognize a danger when I see it.
Posted by: WVH on December 21, 2006 09:23 AMNot to ruin your slam of me, but what I said was:
"Dr. Thomas Sowell and Dr. Walter Williams probably would not be hired at a state university, not because of lack of credentials, but they are conservative Blacks..." The question to you is would a Sowell or Williams be hired at UW or WSU? I guess I must be getting on some nerves?
other cultures get a p.c. pass from criticism.
it's twisted guilt. if he feels so bad, hand him the cat-o-nine tails for self-flagellation. we're doing fine, thank you. all cultures have some imperfections. so what? take the best from each. Professor Putz.
If right of center 1.
If left of center, as many comments as the person said.
Posted by: Right said Fred on December 21, 2006 11:37 AMwhy does he not criticize some middle eastern religions that are currently in the news? lack of academic curiosity? nothing to find? lack of intern researchers? fear of "cartoon backlash" or "VanGough Syndrome?"
no culture is perfect. but i can not point to many cultures who have cured diseases, split atoms, invented lightbulbs, invented computers, flew machines, landed on the moon, saved many from disasters and freed captive invaded civilizations, all in a relatively short span of human history--and yet is is still hated by the Learned Professor?! amazing!
Posted by: jimmie-howya-doin on December 22, 2006 08:23 PM