for your individual consideration

[Doug Millison]

>Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2001 14:58:28 -0500
>From: Judith Butler <jpbutler at SOCRATES.BERKELEY.EDU>
>Reply-To: MLA Executive Council discussion list <EXEC-L at WWW.MLA.ORG>
>To: EXEC-L at WWW.MLA.ORG
>Subject: for your individual consideration
>
> >PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY
> >
> >The following statement in defense of academic
> >freedom is being circulated by concerned faculty
> >members. If you would like to endorse the statement,
> >please send your name, academic position and
> >affiliation, and contact information to
> >academicfreedomnow at hotmail.com. Non-academic endorsers
> >are also welcome.
> >
> >We hope to publish the statement as a full page ad in
> >the New York Times and possibly other media outlets
> >with the names of hundreds or thousands of endorsers.
> >The cost will be many thousands of dollars. If you
> >would like to make a contribution towards the cost of
> >publishing  the statement, please send a check to:
> >
> >Center for Economic Research and Social Change
> >P.O. Box 258082
> >Chicago, IL 60625
> >
> >Mark your check "Academic Freedom Ad".
> >
> >Please contact the email address above if you have any
> >questions or comments.
> >
> >---------------------------------------------------------------------
> >To fellow teachers and staff members:
> >In the crisis precipitated by the terrible events of
> >September 11, members of academic communities across
> >the U.S. have participated in teach-ins, colloquia,
> >demonstrations, and other events aimed at developing
> >an informed critical understanding of what happened
> >and why. Now that the U.S. is waging war in
> >Afghanistan, such activities are continuing.
> >Unfortunately, some participants in these events have
> >been threatened and attacked for speaking out.
> >Trustees of the City
> >University of New York are planning formal
> >denunciations of faculty members who criticized U.S.
> >foreign policy at a teach-in during the first week in
> >October. There have been similar efforts to silence
> >criticism and dissent at the University of
> >  Texas at Austin, MIT, the University of North
> >Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of
> >Massachusetts at Amherst, and elsewhere. AAUP director
> >of public policy Ruth Flower told the Boston Globe on
> >October 6, "We're watching these developments with a
> >lot of concern."  Attacks on faculty who have
> >questioned or dissented from the Bush administration's
> >current war policy have coincided with other ominous
> >developments. Colleges and universities are being
> >pressured by agencies of  the federal government to
> >hand over confidential nformation from student files.
> >And there are moves in Congress to limit visas for
> >students from abroad. We call on all members of the
> >academic community to speak out strongly in defense of
> >academic freedom and civil liberties, not  just as an
> >abstract principle but as a practical necessity. At a
> >moment such as this we must
> >make sure that all informed voices-especially those
> >that are critical and dissenting-are heard.