May 22, 2002
Dear Colleagues and Students:
On Thursday morning, May 23, members of SFSU's General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS) are holding an off-campus press conference to denounce what a news release promoting the event describes as "fomenting [of] intolerance" and "accusations by SFSU President Corrigan against Palestinian and Arab students who are members of GUPS."
Are they really? You must have done terrible things to them to make them do that...
The news release is followed by a lengthy statement that charges "racist treatment of Palestinian students" at SFSU and alleges that recent communications from the president to the campus have evoked a "hate frenzy" against Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab students here.
Have we missed something? Are there mobs of San Franciscans surging through the streets, lynching Palestinians, Muslims, Arabs, and their collaborators?
This document includes statements that "...President Corrigan is capitalizing on the atmosphere of fear and fostering intolerance against Arabs and Muslims on campus, thus creating a dangerous and hostile environment...The president of the university issued a derogatory news release last week, attacking the Palestinian students...the statement constructed a hateful, discriminatory and one-sided attack on the students...[We] and concerned citizens are gravely worried by the hate frenzy that the SFSU president stirs up in his letter."
Yasss... American university presidents are noted for frothing at the mouth, rolling their eyes, and sprewing hatred and discrimination. Especially against vocal groups of children who are likely to erupt into mindless violence at the drop of a turban...
These charges are so totally at variance with the campuswide messages calling for mutual respect, civility, and recognition of "the humanity of those with whom we disagree" that we have sent out since September 11 and the tone we have sought to set — a tone epitomized by the "Love Is Stronger Than Hate" banners that fly across campus — that they must be challenged, set against fact and seen for what they are extreme statements of feeling.
 | You can have all the peace and love and tolerance banners you want, Mr President, but when theoretical post-modern Peace Studies meets a thug with a bludgeon, it's probably best not to stop and reason with him. A punch in the nose is more to the point and it's more easily understood than a 450-page deconstruction of the latest manifesto. The denial of the existence of evil — much less of Evil itself — in the world, except as a means of whacking one's political opponents, represents an abrogation of the intellectual's obligation to use his intellect. It results instead in an "innalekshul" who moves his lips but is still asleep. The process makes him/her/it an aidor and abettor of Evil. |
It is difficult enough to deal respectfully with each other in these highly-charged times; exaggerated language only drives us further apart.
Ain't it the truth? On the other hand, aren't there ever any occasions where one really should raise one's voice, point the finger, and say "that is wrong"?
You can view all our messages to the campus since September 11 at our new Web site, "SFSU's Response to Pro-Israel-Pro-Palestine Tensions on Campus." You will find there words such as these:
Oh, Gawd! He's gonna feed us mush!
"We will not let terrorism change the eyes with which we view each other, the hearts with which we understand each other, the respect with which we treat each other."
It always takes two to lambada. If you're viewing the other side with peace and love and understanding, and he hates your gutz, one of you is gonna end up with a cracked head. Guess which one?
"We have an absolute obligation to preserve this university as a safe and supportive community for all among us."
Comes right after your obligation to preserve the university, doesn't it?
"As we wrestle with the passionate emotions and strongly opposing world views the Middle Eastern situation arouses, I hope that we will work consciously to speak and act in a way that recognizes the humanity of all members of our community, that sees individuals, not enemies."
If the individual is an enemy, can we punch him?
"The vast majority of this campus community would condemn the hateful speech and threatening behavior we saw last Tuesday. It is a very few individuals who are fomenting this discord."
Well, yeah. If there were more of them they'd have torn your university down around your ears.
There is much we should be discussing together, about the May 7 rally and other matters. Yes, ugly statements were made to — not just by — pro-Palestinian students at the rally. And the cases we are forwarding to the District Attorney's office emerging from the event recognize that: they represent both sides of the gathering. (See our "SFSU's Response" web site for a news release with details of the legal and disciplinary action we have taken.)
You mean you couldn't jug anybody until you found a few Jews to balance things? Wotta guy!
Especially in difficult times like these,
There have seldom been times that haven't been difficult in one way or another...
we cannot afford to escalate conflict through distortion of each others' positions.
How 'bout if we accurately reflect the other parties' position is stupid, intolerant, and thuggish? Would that help?
Let us disagree, but let us do so honestly. Let us use each others' words fairly, represent each others' views and actions accurately. Only then can we come together to bridge differences and join together in a positive community.
And if some thug's feelings are hurt, so be it? Is that what you mean? Or do you mean, "keep your head down and ignore it and it might go away and maybe they'll be unpleasant to somebody else, not us"?
Robert A. Corrigan
President
Normally, mush like this is out of my line. I like to concentrate on the mechanics and order of battle of international terrorism. I just have to wonder: People pay money to send their kids there? This sort of laughable Creme of Mushroom Thought explains why terrorism is possible in the world: The professionally virtuous refuse to recognize its existence. They confuse slogans with thought, words with actions, and intent with results.
We can only comment on one or two facets of the travesty at SFSU. Other dimensions of this incident and the alarming trends it represents are detailed in the full SFSU Blog Burst Index at Winds of Change. Enjoy your read!