Strong, peaceful--and pointless

The spidery aliens of the Ward Churchill Solidarity Network are busy this evening. They've downgraded the morning Churchill-firing vigil on the 24th and decided everybody should attend a "main" rally in the afternoon before the regents vote and then "make our voices heard" afterwards.

D-Day [sic] in the struggle to defend free speech and Prof. Ward Churchill is Tuesday July 24.

On that day, the CU Regents will vote after an all-day meeting, most of which will be closed to the public. But the Regents must come out to face us when they make their vote and explain it.

So, be there with us at 3:30 pm for our main rally. We will observe their vote and make our voices heard.

If you can join us for more of the day, we will hold a small rally in the morning (7:30 am, UMC South Plaza) to show our presence and we will maintain a vigil while the fight goes on behind closed doors.

Here are 5 [count 'em!] reasons why you should join us on July 24th:

1) Our enemies are watching [bwahahahahaha!--ed.] — this attack on Prof. Churchill is a key rightwing “test case” for a much broader national assault. The easier [sic] they think it is to fire Ward Churchill on bogus charges of research misconduct, the more attacks we’ll see on professors, staff, and students, on ethnic studies and women’s studies programs, and on critical thinking.

2) Our friends and allies across the country and around the world are counting on us to represent them. In just the past month, 100’s of people have written to urge the Regents NOT to fire Prof. Churchill.

3) This is your last chance to weigh in—this is the final step in firing Prof. Churchill.

4) The University is counting on you not to come—why else schedule it during the summer [because Wart used every delay available?--ed.]?

5) It’s never too late to do what’s right, as Michael Meeropol, economist and son of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg realized two weeks ago: “I have hesitated to voice my support for Professor Ward Churchill as his case was being adjudicated… These charges were (I thought) substantive and went to the heart of our profession’s integrity – relating to intellectual honesty. I have been moved, however, to finally raise my voice in protest after reading the detailed analysis by Professor Tom Mayer…. To be frank and blunt, the charges against Professor Churchill are bogus and represent a fig-leaf of cover for a politically motivated firing….”

The Regents may change their plans/location at the last minute, so, spread the word, stay tuned, and check out last minute developments at: http://www.wardchurchill.net/, where you can also find background and analysis.

Finally, we are students, faculty and staff at the CU-Boulder [sic] who have been carrying on the struggle here since the beginning. Please respect our gameplan of holding a strong, peaceful rally and vigil.

Update: Did Marx ever use the term "gameplan"?

Update II: Ernest and Julio Rosenberg were guilty, guilty, guilty!