Long Overdue

Submitted by William Eigles (United States), Jun 26, 2002 at 19:05

You wrote: "The time has come for all these stakeholders to take back the universities as institutions of civilized discourse. This can be done only by ending the now-regnant atmosphere of extremism and intimidation. The place to start is by condemning and curbing the leftist activism that too often passes for Middle East scholarship."

This action is long overdue, I aver, and I thank you for articulating it so clearly. I would be more explicit, however. One element of this schema: To the extent that the agents provacateur/trice on our campuses are non-American citizens on student or teaching visas, I would move urgently for their revocation and an enforced trip home to their native lands. Regardless of citizenship, all denizens of academe in our country who are not prepared to abide by the time-honored rules of free-speech, reasoned debate, and civil discourse should face serious consequences for trying to inculcate hatred and intolerance amongst students through intimidation, harassment, and improper grading pressure. Tenure or no tenure. Time spent by foreigners in our country is a privilege, not a right. Once seriously abused, the privilege should be cleanly and expeditiously revoked. As for American citizens, civil penalties should be exacted, such as the withholding of stipends, bursaries, scholarship funds, teaching bonuses, and research grants. For direct incitements to violence, expulsion from campus, without the right to return.

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