When you can only stand up for what is right a comfortable distance from the fight, it is not a mea culpa; it's an admission of cowardice. I'm not fond of cowards.
I graduated from Duke ages ago, in '86, way pre-woke. In the '90's the Duke Lacrosse team rape of a stripper case went down in a house off east campus, the neighborhood where I lived while there. I didn't know those boys, but I knew their predecessors and I thought, from afar, "Wow, no way that went down that way." Then, early in the affair, before adjudication, you had the Dean and 300 faculty write a condemnation letter like the 51 CIA scumbags on the Biden laptop. Those kids went through hell and turned out to be innocent. I knew and even loved some the professors that signed that letter. I feel like, in the entire woke/pandemic disaster of the last ten years, all of us regular citizens are basically the Duke Lacrosse team, and a cadre of lying, flaming, self-interested assholes set us up, and a whole bunch of people who should've known better, should have had enough maturity to pause and say, "Wow, no way that's all true"... they signed a bunch of virtue signalling letters against us, all filled with falsehoods, and like the Duke Lacrosse team, we've had to fight our way out of it. I'm with you: fuck 'èm and feed 'em fish heads. I'll not forget, nor forgive.
Professor Hackworth, I must say that I greatly admire your sense of disgust over Malcolm Gladwell and those like him who would criticize all of us freely for not following their pusillanimous lead - as they duck and cover - and then seek forgiveness once the coast is clear and their reputations are no longer at risk. You are an amazing example of one who can hang in the academy based on intelligence and scholarship - and not miss a beat when it comes to character and standing up for what is right. Your kids - all of ‘em - are very fortunate to have you as their father - especially in these uncertain times. I look forward to reading your thoughts and ideas as we lurch into the future.
I share your refusal to remain silent. I had similar experiences of persecution when I worked at a midwestern university. In that case the persecutors were women as they are now, but in the Seventies the women who disapproved of me were "traditionalists" with regard to enforcing their own gender expectations on women and men. No matter what her professed ideology might be, this type of person is always very aggressive about policing everybody else's.
I survived my grad school experience and employment, but it left me with feelings of bitterness about how I was treated. At the same time I missed the university for years after I left it, and often wondered if I should have looked for an academic job. When I see what the university cultures are like today, I am glad I didn't choose that path.
As someone who watched you do it, you have my complete respect and admiration. Just remember me, please, when they hand you the keys and deed to BSU!
I graduated from Duke ages ago, in '86, way pre-woke. In the '90's the Duke Lacrosse team rape of a stripper case went down in a house off east campus, the neighborhood where I lived while there. I didn't know those boys, but I knew their predecessors and I thought, from afar, "Wow, no way that went down that way." Then, early in the affair, before adjudication, you had the Dean and 300 faculty write a condemnation letter like the 51 CIA scumbags on the Biden laptop. Those kids went through hell and turned out to be innocent. I knew and even loved some the professors that signed that letter. I feel like, in the entire woke/pandemic disaster of the last ten years, all of us regular citizens are basically the Duke Lacrosse team, and a cadre of lying, flaming, self-interested assholes set us up, and a whole bunch of people who should've known better, should have had enough maturity to pause and say, "Wow, no way that's all true"... they signed a bunch of virtue signalling letters against us, all filled with falsehoods, and like the Duke Lacrosse team, we've had to fight our way out of it. I'm with you: fuck 'èm and feed 'em fish heads. I'll not forget, nor forgive.
Professor Hackworth, I must say that I greatly admire your sense of disgust over Malcolm Gladwell and those like him who would criticize all of us freely for not following their pusillanimous lead - as they duck and cover - and then seek forgiveness once the coast is clear and their reputations are no longer at risk. You are an amazing example of one who can hang in the academy based on intelligence and scholarship - and not miss a beat when it comes to character and standing up for what is right. Your kids - all of ‘em - are very fortunate to have you as their father - especially in these uncertain times. I look forward to reading your thoughts and ideas as we lurch into the future.
As somebody that exercised her spine I salute you for this fine bit of writing.
I share your refusal to remain silent. I had similar experiences of persecution when I worked at a midwestern university. In that case the persecutors were women as they are now, but in the Seventies the women who disapproved of me were "traditionalists" with regard to enforcing their own gender expectations on women and men. No matter what her professed ideology might be, this type of person is always very aggressive about policing everybody else's.
I survived my grad school experience and employment, but it left me with feelings of bitterness about how I was treated. At the same time I missed the university for years after I left it, and often wondered if I should have looked for an academic job. When I see what the university cultures are like today, I am glad I didn't choose that path.
"Science proceeds one funeral at a time."
Amazing quote!