(AgapePress) - Columbia University is refusing to fire an anthropology and Latino studies professor who said he hopes the U.S. loses the war in Iraq.

At a "teach-in" last week, professor Nicholas DeGenova said he wished there would be "a million Mogadishus," referring to the 1993 killing of 18 U.S. soldiers in Somalia. DeGenova also told more than 3,000 students and faculty members that "the only true heroes are those who find ways to help defeat the U.S. military."

Gary Bauer

Former presidential candidate Gary Bauer says if what DeGenova said was not treasonous, the word has no meaning anymore. "There used to be a time in this country when urging the defeat of your own nation on the field of battle would have certainly been enough to get you in a great deal of trouble with the law," Bauer says.

According to Bauer, schools like Columbia tolerate all "far-left" opinions, but are often intolerant of any opinion that comes from a conservative standpoint.

"I would have more respect for these leftist ideologues running our universities if they actually did have a consistent view of respecting individual rights -- but unfortunately they don't," he says.

"Christian students [and] Jewish students are often discriminated against and are restrained from being able to say or write certain things if [they are] considered provocative."

DeGenova is being allowed to keep his job. Bauer says Columbia President Lee Bollinger is acting like he is the "Peter Arnett of academia."

"He apparently cannot understand that in the middle of a war against somebody as evil as Saddam Hussein, you can't allow your university to be taken over as a platform by professors mouthing these kinds of sentiments," he says.

Bauer says Bollinger cannot hide from the situation, and suggests he rethink his decision. Otherwise, Bauer says, he is likely to face quite a revolt from Columbia alumni. He says there are Columbia students in the military or in military families who are upset with what Bollinger has tolerated on campus.

© 2003 AgapePress all rights reserved.

E-mail this page to a friend

Printer-Friendly Version

Read all of our current headlines