Visiting professor craves attention

There is a simple, effective way to silence University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill ("Lawmaker wants speaker blocked," Star-Bulletin, Feb. 19). Ignore him. Sen. Fred Hemmings, if you really want to silence Churchill, spend your energy encouraging people to stay away. Absolutely don't picket, don't protest, don't march, don't try to pressure anyone to keep him from speaking. He craves attention. Quit giving it to him and he'll go away on his own. Make him a "cause" and he'll get more and more press.

He has the right to speak. We have the right not to listen.

Hate-mongers misuse ideal of 'free speech'

The appearance at the University of Hawaii by Ward Churchill will make this a dark day for Hawaii and for UH. Churchill is the guy who has made a name for himself by calling the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack "little Eichmanns," a reference to the Nazi war criminal who was hanged for organizing the murder of six million Jews.

The invitation is being justified on the grounds of free speech, something we all hold sacred. While few would support a government gag on anyone's right to speak their mind, why should we invite such a person here? Would the university or any of the co-sponsoring organizations even consider inviting neo-Nazi David Duke, for example? Hate-mongers don't deserve invitations to public forums that can legitimize the lies and half-truths they peddle. Let them shout from their own rooftops. The defense of free speech does not obligate us to offer such people a microphone.

Attacks on speaker come from pettiness

You know, if people didn't want the Colorado professor to come here to speak, they certainly are doing a great job of free advertisement for him.

Sen. Fred Hemmings and all the other people who keep harping about how heinous this man's words are, and how appalling it is that University of Hawaii groups are using their own money to bring him here, are only giving more air time to a subject that most likely does not deserve it.

People say things we don't like. Plus, attacking him personally only shows how petty and closed-minded some are. The haze of patriotism cannot be allowed to hinder open discussion and academic freedom. It's happened before, China, Germany, North Korea, don't let it happen here.

Anti-Churchill letters showed ignorance

I was appalled by the ignorance displayed in the four letters published yesterday deploring the invitation to University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill to speak at the University of Hawaii today.

The ignorance is of two sets of facts. First, it is clear that none of the letter writers has bothered to read the essay and book by Churchill that caused the furor in the first place. Instead, they appear to rely on uncritical acceptance of out-of-control sound bites and misleading images ("Nazi," "traitor") bandied about by the media.

Second, there are the facts concerning U.S. military aggression from 1776-2003, and violations and subversions of international law since World War II, that Churchill meticulously and accurately documents in his recent book "On the Justice of Roosting Chickens."

Mere ejaculation of emotive epithets ("disgust," "loathing") does nothing to advance the cause of understanding. More helpful would be reasoned discussion, starting with a demonstration of where, if anywhere, Churchill has got the facts wrong. Then we could proceed to an evaluation of the aptness of the analogies he draws on the basis of facts we agree on.

Review of album book was true assessment

Thanks to John Berger for his review of "Honolulu Magazine's The 50 Greatest Hawaii Albums," the most honest book review I have read in years (Star-Bulletin, Feb. 15). He is an asset to journalism and to the credibility of your newspaper.