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Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Some Choice Comments
From Ann Althouse’s Readers
About Kevin Barrett


Among the categories of response, there are the embarrassed and angry insiders:


(1.) I am embarrassed for my University.

Ken Mayer
Professor of Political Science
UW Madison

(2.) My pride in UW is diminished by this shameless ideologue.

(3.) [T]his is a stupid hire, and the approval of his study plan [is] yet another reason I do not contribute to general alumni funds anymore.



And there are those who point out that once you open your university to dreck, it’s dumpster time:


(1.) [W]hen is the University of Wisconsin hiring a Professor of Astrology?


(2.) I'm not sure why the UW is allowing this. My current UW (Washington) got rid of an anthropology graduate student who was teaching what basically amounted to pseudoscience paleoanthropology. Such as that Homo erectus had domesticated cheetahs (!) and was using them to hunt with. The decision to can him was basically driven by the department who, rightfully I think, is obliged to maintain some control over the content of their classes.


(3.) [T]his is exactly why there is so much disrespect for academics in general. A true profession polices its own ranks in its own interests. Why then do the UW professors not speak out against allowing this putz to teach?…No wonder people bitch about tuition... especially if it's paying a salary to this guy. I think the moon landing was faked.. Can I teach at UW? I know who the gunman on the grassy knoll was...Can I teach at UW? I know the Jews control the media... Can I teach at UW? I think the holocaust was faked.... Can I teach at UW?



There are those who feel free to assume that other professors and administrators at the university agree with Barrett:


(1.) How does a guy like this even get past the job interview? The only answer seems to be that someone in the UW administration believes this, or something like it. So, the real problem is not Barrett, who is at least a visible and identifiable loon. The problem is the loose screw you can't see.


(2.) What do you mean "they couldn't fire him and make him a martyr"? So, it is better to waste public funds and let him promote this garbage? The Provost didn't fire him because at heart he doesn't really have a problem with what the guy is saying…How is it that the leaders of UW allowed such a corrosive and ignorant culture to develop that people in positions of authority would come to believe hiring this guy was a good idea? Because behind closed doors and in their most private moments the powers that be at UW don't think what the guy is saying is untrue much less beyond the pale. That is the conclusion I draw from this. If the people at UW don't like people drawing that conclusion, then take some responsibility and stop doing things like this.



And there are those looking at the bigger picture:

What I think is most interesting is how this will play out locally. Doyle is in a very tight race for Governor and has been trying to distance himself from this loon...but the UW decision that this guy stay on the payroll, at taxpayer's expense, right up to (and beyond) election day means that Barrett is a political issue that is not going away. It is also bound to hurt the incumbent and could prove to be the nail in Doyle's coffin. Since the chances are nil that Barrett will be re-hired for winter/spring 2007 (even the UW isn't that dense), his ultimate legacy could returning the warmongering GOP to the WI governor's mansion.