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Faculty against professorship
To the Editor:
We wish to reaffirm our commitment to diversity at Middlebury College. According to our mission statement, diversity includes "the integration of historically underrepresented groups into the campus community."
Given the documented pattern* of hostility Judge Rehnquist demonstrated toward these same "historically underrepresented groups" and the negative effects his judicial decisions continue to have on the individual members of these groups, namely people of color, women and gays and lesbians, we believe that the recent naming of an endowed chair for William H. Rehnquist undermines Middlebury College's ability to promote diversity among its faculty, students and staff.
We ask that everyone associated with this college considers the effect of their actions on our ability to create a diverse community.
We would support the establishment of procedures that ensure that the increasing diversity of the community of students, faculty and staff at Middlebury College is given due consideration in all aspects of decision making.
Signed by:
Eduardo Bejar, Professor of Spanish
Timothy Billings, Associate Professor of English
Natasha Chang
Jane Chaplin, Associate Professor of Classics
Francois Clemmons, Twilight Artist-in-Residence
Claudia Cooper, Assistant Professor of Education
Armelle Crouzieres-Ingenthron, Associate Professor of French
Darien Davis, Associate Professor of History
Kyoko Davis, Lecturer in Japanese
Kirsten Ernst, Visiting Instructor in Spanish and Latin American Studies
Laurie Essig, Assistant Professor of Sociology
Gloria Gonzalez-Zenteno, Associate Professor of Spanish
Roman Graf, Associate Professor of German Heidi Grasswick, Associate Professor of Philosophy
Nicole Grohoski, Assistant in Science and Instruction in Geography
Larry Hamberlin, Assistant Professor of Music
William Hart, Associate Professor of History
Guntram Herb, Associate Professor of Geography
Bethany Ladimer, Professor of French
Ana Martinez-Lage, Associate Professor of Spanish
Bettina Matthias, Associate Professor of German
Tamar Mayer, Professor of Geography
Sujata Moorti, Associate Professor of Women's and Gender Studies
Thomas Moran, Associate Professor of Chinese
Kevin Moss, Professor of Russian
Kamakshi Murti, Professor of German
Margaret Nelson, Hepburn Professor of Sociology and Women and Gender Studies
Michael Olinick, Professor of Mathematics; Bob Osborne, Professor of Psychology
Ellen Oxfeld, Professor of Anthropology
Robert Prigo, Professor of Physics
Robert Prasch, Associate Professor of Economics
Paula Schwartz, Associate Professor of French
Sallie Sheldon, Professor of Biology
Yumna Siddiqi, Associate Professor of English
Stephen Snyder, Associate Professor of Japanese Studies
Jacob Tropp, Associate Professor of History
Linda White, Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Catharine White, Lecturer, Tutor in Writing
*Judge Rehnquist's rulings in cases dealing with civil liberties and civil rights, cited from The Boston Phoenix:
1973 - Roe v. Wade, a ruling limiting the states' power to criminalize a woman's access to abortion, Rehnquist dissents
1983 - Bob Jones University v. United States, a decision holding that racially discriminatory private colleges were not entitled to tax-exempt status, Rehnquist dissents
1986 - Batson v. Kentucky, a ruling that it is unconstitutional to veto a prospective juror simply on account of race, Rehnquist dissents
1986 - Bowers v. Hardwick, a decision to uphold the criminalization of homosexual sodomy, Rehnquist agrees
1996 - Romer v. Evans, a decision asserting that gay men and lesbians as a group could not be deprived of the protection of generally applicable civil-rights laws, Rehnquist dissents
2003 - Lawrence v. Texas, a decision extending personal privacy rights to gays and lesbians, Rehnquist dissents
Middlebury Hockey chants
To the Editor:
My family and I are enthusiastic supporters of men's hockey and find it a wonderful alternative to other forms of modern entertainment. It annoys me, however, to hear the repetitive cheer from the student section, "you suck." In an environment of higher learning where parents are shelling out tens of thousands of dollars annually to educate their children to speak in a language a step above the gutter, it seems somewhat likely that a different and equally forceful cheer could be used. No one has ever accused me of being a "prude," yet it embarrasses me to hear this with young children and grandparents present!
Sincerely,
Tim Hollander '65
Middlebury, Vt.
Intolerance for non-liberal views
To the Editor:
I find many Middlebury students intolerant of views different from their liberal views. Who are they to demand only their voice be heard on campus? I respect Rehnquist. I agree with his judicial perspective. What these students need to understand is all voices have a right to be heard and respected. I find their level of intolerance interesting when that seems to be a concern they have towards the "right." What they need to do is grow-up and get a job that allows them to give back to the school and demand a professorship of the person of their choice!
Sincerely,
Kathleen Duquette
Parent of Middlebury Student
The war in Iraq
To the Editor:
The United States has provided only three official reasons for the war in Iraq: the global war on terrorism, weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and promoting democracy. All have proven to be invalid. The axis of evil President Bush identified in his war on terrorism included Iraq, Iran and North Korea, yet most Islamic fundamentalist groups have come from Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Egypt and Pakistan. Rumsfeld spoke of the imminent dangers of WMDs, but none have been found in Iraq and both North Korea and Pakistan pose more legitimate nuclear threats. The promotion of democracy was only provided as a reason after the initial invasion, and the United States' historical record contradicts such intentions.
With the official reasons illegitimate, actual motives for being in the war must be to preserve the US as the only superpower, to preserve the American way of life, to control vital energy resources like oil and the military-industrial complex, which has made this war highly profitable for many NGOs. These reasons assume cultural superiority, including the opinion that Americans deserve more than the rest of the world. The position that the US is needed for stability assumes a condescending paternalism reminiscent of the white man's burden, and it is inconsistent with the claim to spread democracy and the values of universal human rights and equality. Military power does not equate political influence, as the failure to create a stable government has shown, making ideas of sending more troops and implementing a draft especially preposterous. All motivations for staying the course are rooted in selfishness, and with a continually high death toll and little progress, the only moral option is to leave Iraq immediately.
Sincerely,
Louis Lobe '08
Weston, Mass.
Future in oil is a "no-go"
To the Editor:
There is no consensus, in both the U.S. and Iraq. In the U.S., the fiercely debated issue at stake is: Should the U.S. "go long," "go big" or "go home?" Similarly, in Iraq sentiments mirror those of the U.S. - an Iraqi man says that "it's a disaster if the American forces stay in Iraq but it's also a disaster if they go." This hot dispute persists as innocent lives on both sides are shortened, and all solutions appear untenable.
A crisis, yes, but rooted in a more fundamental quandar
y. The U.S. must tackle its long term problem of oil dependency. It all boils down to oil, U.S. greed (preserving the "U.S. way of life"), and environmental crises. If VP Cheney can state that "conservation may be a sign of personal virtue, but it is not a sufficient basis for a sound, comprehensive energy policy," then a mandatory governmental policy shift is necessary.
Hopefully, as a result of Congressional leadership's recent alteration, the U.S. will realize what former VP Al Gore identified so long ago: the U.S. must redefine a comprehensive energy policy that incorporates conservation- a personal virtue or not. Improved environmental initiatives, such as alternative energy sources and heightened pollution restrictions, will allow the U.S. to look at Iraq from a purely humanitarian aid perspective without relying on its oil resources. If the U.S. stops worrying about preserving its way of "oil-dependent" life, then perhaps a brighter future can be seen to end fighting and the loss of life, while promoting a greener planet.
Sincerely,
Rachel Rosenfeld '07
St. Louis, Missouri
Rehnquist professorship good idea
To the Editor:
I read the article on the establishment of the Rehnquist Chair at Middlebury with great interest. I attended the College at a time when the Dean of Men was also the local Army Reserve Company commander. One of my Economics professors had served under Rommel in the German Afrika Korps. A History professor (Grant) was delighted that we had a real revolution to observe what was taking place in Cuba (even though it was in the "terror phase" at the time). The College encouraged that discussion of all sides of an issue be practiced politely by a faculty and student body that were diverse both in background and ideas. The term "political correctness" had not yet been invented.
And then something happened. Sam Stratton retired, the war in Vietnam intensified, bad behavior was accepted as the norm and one day a group of students burned down the ROTC building while faculty members watched.
This was very distressing to many of us, particularly those of us who had attended ROTC at Middlebury and had served, or were serving, in the military. It is not possible to estimate how much this has cost the College in alumnae contributions during the last 25 years, but I am guessing it is in the millions.
The Rehnquist Chair is finally a step in the right direction. It does not have to be balanced by a chair selected by the students, but instead should be followed by a chair in Conservative Studies, and then a department with the same title. Does the administration have the courage to solicit funds for such a chair? I think not. Some students (and faculty) might protest, and then demand entry to the President's office. But I hope you prove me wrong. There is plenty of financial support out here for a return to the values of the College we remember.
Sincerely,
John McEwan '61
Meredith, N.H.
Men of Middlebury
To the Editor:
Are you strong enough not to rely on intimidation or violence to get what you want in a relationship?
Are you smart enough to recognize that when 95% of all domestic violence perpetrators are male (NIJ workshop '95), violence against women is and needs to be a men's issue.
Are you daring enough to actively challenge the aspects of traditional masculinity that compromise your integrity?
A passionate collection of Midd men have asked themselves these questions and have responded in a resounding, "YES!" And we know that we need other men in on this conversation. To share our belief in and dedication to anti-violence, we men have chosen to take action and mobilize male consciousness around this issue in conjunction with the internationally observed White Ribbon campaign, an action on violence against women that spans from mid-November until December 6.
We will be camped out in dining halls for several evenings to come, challenging our fellow men of Middlebury to make a life-changing confirmation to themselves and to the world by promising in writing "never to commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women," and by wearing a white ribbon until December 6 as a visible and public display of this pledge.
There will be much more to come from this group of men in the near future, like taking our message into local middle schools and high schools in the hopes of preventing violence before it starts, but before we do that and more, we urge you to join us in our cause against violence against women.
Sincerely,
Nick Cloutier '07
Waterville, Maine
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