IP: end of thread -- comment from an old right wing friend

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Sat, 06 Oct 2001 14:19:00 -0700
> To: farber () cis upenn edu
> From: "Robert M. McClure" <rmm () unidot com>
> Subject: Re: IP: Re: CUNY condemns professors
>
> I would like to endorse what Dave says.  I was at the University of Texas 
> during the dark days
> of McCarthyism and the real pressure came from those who knuckled under to 
> TailGunner Joe.
> He was invited to speak at the University of Texas and this raised a storm 
> of student protest.
> Approximately 60% of the entire student body signed a petition demanding 
> that the administration
> rescind the invitation, to no avail.  In the event though, the talk was 
> cancelled through no positive
> action of the University.    I, a right-winger even then, signed the 
> petition because I thought
> what the Senator was doing was downright evil and definitely no in keeping 
> with conservative
> principals -- he was simply a demagogue.
>
> Bob McClure
>
> At 04:31 PM 10/6/01 -0400, you wrote:
> > Editor comment:  I don't want to prolong this round. Let me stick my 2 
> > cents in. I lived during the Joe McCarthy era and have read a lot about 
> > it. The real damage was done by not the HUAC but the corporations, 
> > Universities etc. ( read the history). One young faculty at Princeton who 
> > was on a black list and , if my memory served right took his 
> > constitutional right against self incrimination was told to get off the 
> > campus and NEVER step foot on it again. Tenured faculty at other places 
> > were fired. People had their lives ruined etc.  Many, who were not at all 
> > associated with the Communist party, were asked to and refused to 
> > incriminate their friends. It was not a proud era and only ended when Joe 
> > started accusing the Army of harboring "unamerican" people.
> >
> > Witch hunts are exactly what terrorists want. It disrupts a society and 
> > sets citizen against citizen. Law , the constitution, and the spirit of 
> > our citizens are what makes this nation great. Lets not damage it by 
> > refusing to allow open debate.
> >
> > Dave



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