Keep Up the Heat at UNLV

by Liberty and Power

Having dragged Professor Hoppe through the mud for a year, the administration condescends to remove a slanderous letter from his file. Bravo. These days, any victory in the battle to protect academic freedom -- even a small one -- is welcome. But what will happen next?

Here are some suggestions:

1. The AAUP, FIRE, and the ACLU should send out press releases to each and every university president in the United States. They should claim victory. And the message, in so many words, should be this: You will be next if you try to smear somebody for exercising freedom in the classroom.

2. A letter should be sent to the UNLV Board of Trustees thanking them for defending academic freedom and forcing the president to back down. (One has no doubt this is what actually happened.)

3. Professor Hoppe should send a letter to the Denver/Boulder newspaper comparing himself to Professor Churchill and calling on the Colorado administration to defend academic freedom.

This is a hard-won victory. Let us try to make use of it to maximum effect.

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More Comments:

Stephan (K-dog) Kinsella - 7/14/2005

How about someone also post this on the main blog: Hoppe Victory Blog, and encourage people to sign it. It's like an open letter in support of academic freedom and Hoppe.

William Marina - 2/21/2005

While I agree with Charles & David with respect to points 1 & 2 relating to UNLV, as to point 3, I think it would be unwise for Hans to become involved in the Ward Churchill case at this point.
While I agree with Churchill's right to free speech, various pieces of information about his background are raising some questions about the veracity of aspects of his career, including the unusual way in which he was granted tenure. Hans' is a clear cut case, why confuse with the other!

David Timothy Beito - 2/20/2005

I suggest that letters and emails to Harter and to the Regents stress that since UNLV has already *tacitly* admitted it was wrong through Harter's letter, a letter of apology and a sabbatical would simply make it official and give closure.

Secondly, any letters, phone calls, or emails should emphasize that by taking this action UNLV would prove once and for all that it is an institution which has has "gotten the message" that academic freedom should be fully protected. The Board of Regents can be contacted here .