… continues (background here), with Brinkley reporting that his Rice University students applauded when he returned to the classroom.
Young’s spokesperson failed to address his employer’s provocative behavior at the hearing, but assured everyone that the whole dustup had to do with “an attempt by an author to create a stir and sell books.”
UD thinks the real problem is that Young was not adequately briefed. People like Young think all professors are ivory tower haughties (Young actually used the phrase “ivory tower” in one of his spews against Brinkley) ripe for rolling by rough-hewn men of the people. Imagine Young’s surprise on discovering that some intellectuals can ratchet their rhetoric right down to the gutter if the occasion warrants. Not all intellectuals can do this; but it’s the job of Young’s staff to identify those who can.
November 28th, 2011 at 4:42PM
Curiously enough, however, in my youth, the rough-and-tumble left at Boston University did not exactly admire the verbal skills of John Silber, who was more than happy to lower his rhetoric to meet that of his adversaries on the faculty. In fact, I would say that many of the faculty were, um, crybabies when it came to being on the receiving end.