Before I begin let me make one point crystal clear. I am not associating Bill Ayers with President Obama. I recognize that as a successful Politian you will serve on many boards, shake many hands, and be photographed with many people. While I am sure President Obama knew him, I do not believe they "palled around" or he condoned any of Ayers actions.
That said, it is a sad state of affairs when a Catholic school such as Boston College comes under more fire for putting crosses in the classrooms than it does for almost hosting Bill Ayers for a speaking engagement.
When Boston College began its program to renew its Catholic base it came under fire from a variety of different professors:
Prof. Lawrence T. Scott called the cross "offensive": "Exposure to Catholicism is already widespread at BC, but it should not be escalated to the mounting of "religious art" on the walls of classrooms."
For the good professor the cross on the wall ". . . resembles the unseemly marketing practice of 'bait and switch.' I was a full professor with tenure at a public university when Boston College induced me to move here."
Prof. Amir H. Hoyveda (who says he suffered human rights abuses in Iran to defend freedom and tolerance), who denounced the crucifix as "insulting" to him personally and also as an intrusion on "the sacred space of the classroom."
"I believe that the display of religious signs and symbols, such as the crucifix, in the classroom is contrary to the letter and spirit of open intellectual discourse that makes education worthwhile and distinguishes first-rate universities from mediocre and provincial ones," Maxim D. Shrayer, chairman of the department of Slavic and Eastern languages and literatures, said in an interview.
Regardless of how you feel about Ayers qualifications as a professor or his views on education, there are two points that are indisputable:
- He founded the Weather Underground
- The Weather Underground killed a Boston area police officer named William Schroeder who to this day has a large extended family living in Boston.
This act cancels out any good he may go on to do. I will not even get into his disgusting comments made over the years. This event alone should make him an outcast not a guest speaker.
It is a shame that students would think of him as someone they would want to hear speak. I can only imagine the outrage of Schroeder’s family when they heard this.
Congratulations to B.C for doing the right thing and pulling the invitation. It is just a shame that the invitation was extended by several student groups and that it got less coverage than a Catholic school putting crosses in the classroom.
UPDATED--- Sorry for lack of protocol. Here are the sources I used.
http://www.bostonherald.com/...
http://www.boston.com/...
http://corner.nationalreview.com/...
http://www.bostonherald.com/...