The video below of Michigan State University Professor William Penn on the first day of his creative writing class has triggered an investigation by the university into a diatribe against Republicans. A student filmed the comments (and it was released by a conservative group) where Penn is heard attacking Republicans for “raping” America and refusing to pay taxes. The case will pit values of academic freedom against the need for an open and welcoming environment for students at universities.
In the video, Penn states “If you go to the Republican convention in Florida, you see all of the old Republicans with the dead skin cells washing off them . . . They are cheap. They don’t want to pay taxes because they have already raped this country and gotten everything out of it they possibly could. . . . They don’t want to pay for your tuition because who are you? Well, to me you are somebody.” He then turns on any racists in the class: “I’m a college professor, if I find out you are a closet racist I am coming after you.” He adds that this country is “still full of closet racists.”
Penn then turns to voting suppression: “What do you think is going on in South Carolina and North Carolina. Voter suppression. Its about getting black people not to vote. Why? Because black people tend to vote Democratic. Why would would Republicans want to do it? Because Republicans are not a majority in this country anymore. They are a bunch of dead white people.” Even Ann Romney is on the hit list: “Ann Romney a first lady? And remember this if you are just going to be a greedy bastard all your life and just try to get things (unintelligible) In order to be rich like Mitt Romney and hide all your income offshore, in the Cayman Islands, you have to be — think about it — Mitt Romney. Anybody here want to be Mitt Romney? Him? I mean (sigh) married to her?”
Penn is an accomplished writer who explores stereotypes and issues of identity. In that sense, the discussion of racism falls closest to his academic writings. We also need to give a professor some room to explore difficult subjects and spark debate or thought in his classroom. This however appears less of a dialogue than a diatribe. He certainly could have been trying to spark debate and get students engaged. Creative writing is about passion and uninhibited expression. For that reason, the presumption should rest in favor of the academic. However, it is hard to see the academic purpose here or how such a diatribe would in any way advance the academic mission. We have not heard from Penn who may argue that the tape is edited or that he was clearly making the comments to try to prompt a debate over such issues. However, it comes across as more of a rave.
Penn is part Nez Perce and often writes of his mixed background: “I write to amuse and entertain, but I write from a center I take seriously, a center given to me by my grandfather, encouraged by my sisters, and nurtured by my wife and by my daughter and son with whom I tell stories. Indeed, All My Sins Are Relatives is dedicated ‘For Grandfather, who knows / And Rachel and Willy, so they may.’ Thus, I would say that much of my work is so they—the children, not just my own—may know my attempt to bridge the gap between the urban mixblood and Euramerican worlds to which I belong.”
Here is his school bio and class listing:
W.S. Penn teaches in the Creative Writing Program and is one of the founding members of the Native American Writer’ ‘ s Circle (initially the Wordcraft Circle of Native American Writers).
He is the author of seven books, including The Absence of Angels (novel), Killing Time with Strangers (novel), This is the World (stories), All My Sins Are Relatives (essays), and Feathering Custer (essays). He has won the Stephen Crane Prize for Fiction (twice), an American Book Award (fiction), A North American Indian Prose Award (essays), and a Distinguished Faculty Award. Presently, he is shopping a new novel, Hazing: A Novel in Ten Satires completing a new novel, The Revenge of King George working on a collection of essays and revising two film scripts.
Penn is also a contributor to the Houghton Mifflin Anthology of Literature (fiction and essay), a new anthology by writers teaching non-fiction, and a continuing advisor to the Native Writers Circle and American Indian Studies Program at MSU.
COURSES TAUGHT
ENG 223 Introduction to Creative Non-Fiction WritingENG 228 Introduction to Fiction Writing
ENG 391 Special Topics in English
ENG 423 Advanced Non-Fiction Writing
ENG 428 Advanced Fiction Writing
I would not support a termination of Penn who has made impressive contributions to his field and there is no allegation of retaliation against students or bias in grading. Yet, there remains different forms of discipline that could be imposed from a reprimand to a required apology to suspension from teaching. What do you thing should be done in such a case?
Well, I guess this isn’t as bad as the time my ex-wife called me from Brazil and asked why CNN was showing police firing tear gas into crowds at Michigan State…
*sigh*
AY,
The Capitol building is about 2 or 3 miles down Michigan Avenue from MSU’s campus, not 15 or so and I doubt that King Snyder and his gerrymandered majorities have much impact on individual professors at State.
terrorist-in-training or bully-in-the-pulpit.
The AGENDA:
Campus Reform; Unsubstantiated rant?
Published on Aug 25, 2013
Bastions of critical thinking and diversity of opinion have turned into leftist indoctrination hubs.
A text out of context . . . or a redacted verision. How about the full Monty
http://youtu.be/s_4v0FAf0_k
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/28/AR2011022805810.html
Democrats call for an investigation of law firm, 3 tech companies
By Dan Eggen
Monday, February 28, 201
(link to the above quotes)
referenced from posting by Elaine M. @
Obama Administration Secures Gag Order To Prevent Activist From Discussing Online Surveillance
by jonathanturley
http://jonathanturley.org/2013/09/05/obama-administration-secures-gag-order-to-prevent-activist-from-discussing-online-surveillance/
compliments to Elaine M. who posted this article @ Obama Administration Secures Gag Order To Prevent Activist From Discussing Online Surveillance
by jonathanturley
Re: False Flags?
What’s better than censoring dissent? Creating Disinformation and attacking it with deceitful malfeasance.
Democrats call for an investigation of law firm, 3 tech companies
By Dan Eggen
Monday, February 28, 2011; 10:26 PM
“A group of House Democrats is calling on Republican leaders to investigate a prominent Washington law firm and three federal technology contractors, who have been shown in hacked e-mails discussing a “disinformation campaign” against foes of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.”
[and]
“… The companies proposed forming a “corporate information reconnaissance cell” and discussed tactics such as creating online personas to infiltrate activist Web sites; planting false information to embarrass U.S. Chamber Watch and other groups; and trolling for personal information using powerful computer software.
The e-mails contain test runs in which the firms culled personal information, including family and religious data, on anti-chamber activists.
The chamber has denied knowledge of the proposals.”
[and]
“The three security firms named in the e-mails have substantial federal contracts. A sales document produced for the Hunton & Williams law firm in November said the firms have “extensive experience in providing game-changing results across the Intelligence Community and defense/government sector.”
Over the top, yes. The poor man must have just watched “FOX NEWS”. Was he wrong in what he said?…………NO.
I prefer to have a fertile, inviting, open, and real classroom where all students feel free to learn.
All students.
Fixing the government is a greater priority than excluding students from the academic plasma.
Should we say more? Are there no parallels here? Of course this is direct government internvemntion and the ‘fallacy of distinction’ is the fact that Obama presents as a Democrat…(albeit;with a flagrant disregard for its principles)…but the suppression is just an extention in name not in Kind.
Obama Administration Secures Gag Order To Prevent Activist From Discussing Online Surveillance
by jonathanturley
http://jonathanturley.org/2013/09/05/obama-administration-secures-gag-order-to-prevent-activist-from-discussing-online-surveillance/
“As a Legal commentator it seems odd that a free speech consideration would be the foundation to any arguments,…”
Should be ” As a Legal commentator it seems odd that a free speech consideration would…”CLEARLY NOT”…. be the foundation to any arguments,…
Censoring is not a political tool in the hands of University Administrators or Board Members…but it has become so, influenced (like the Media) by financial support systems at risk and by an increasing “right wing” business bias deliberately orchestrated by that financial interest. The ?|”Campus Reform” [movement] is just another ‘astro turf’ (phoney grass roots) version of the Young Republicans and a strategic attempt to make the University Environment conform to right wing dominated market demands.
If this were a law class or even perhaps a general political science class, it might be held to some clear grade of pure rant. If it were a right wing rant, he would probably now be a National Celebrity of Fox News.
As a Non-fiction creative writing class: The truth will set you free!
He is doing is job, and the exposure will generate some real
“Creative FRIction”
As a Legal commentator it seems odd that a free speech consideration would be the foundation to any arguments, over and above the obligation of the University to support radical (non-violent) free thought. The fact that he appears to personalize it is a questionable style, but what is interesting is that the class is quite full…so it does seem that he is well liked and attended.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Right Wing Activist Launches College Social Networking Site To ‘Smash Left-Wing Scum’ On Campus
This is quite on par with the distortions of a Rush Limbaugh or others like him that have claimed “EQUAL TIME” as their basic foundation for hate mongering and politicizing factions.
““I have had a long-term awareness of how the campuses have become left-wing indoctrination centers, and many, many students can go their entire college educations and never see any representations of conservative principles on their campuses — but they see innumerable amounts of propaganda both in campus curriculum and with speakers and in campus newspapers. It has always bugged me that conservatives have not done likewise.”
Right Wing Activist Launches College Social Networking Site To ‘Smash Left-Wing Scum’ On Campus
By Andrea Nill Sanchez on October 20, 2009
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2009/10/20/65093/campus-reform-leadership-institute/
The fact that this was distributed for political affect comes under a different level of scrutiny that isn’t even questioned here. Such ‘public display’ is meant to suppress, and suppression by conservatives, neo-conservatives, radical fundamentalists are going to create the potentials for what might be called counter-venting expressionism in ‘creative” non-ficition classes in a free thought environment.. Meanwhile the “mainstream media” is completely saturated with rightheous conformity and hypocrisy as a rule, and conservatives own the media and a good deal of the University system itself. To claim that it is left wing is a preposterous LIE.
Who are these “Campus Reformers” and how are they financed? This is an arm of political espionage from the right wing party system infiltrating the campus life of Students that may never escape the propaganda of the corporatism, fascism and factional politicizing of our country. It is Think Tank Ideology penetrating the classrooms of free thought with well financed and well rewarded perpetrators who care nothing for education but for what it will serve their personal interests and outcome.
WHO ARE THE “CAMPUS REFORM” PEOPLE & HOW ARE THEY BEING FINANCED? FOLLOW THE MONEY…YOU ARE BEING DUPED!
see general search pages: http://search.aol.com/aol/search?s_it=webmail-searchbox&q=campus%20reform and tell me that outside intervention is not out to suppress the freedom of campus thinking and bend it to the demands of external political coercions.
Fascinating that he “studies stereotypes,” but is unable to refrain from subscribing to them.
I don’t know what kind of a creative writing teacher he is, but his shallow bigotry against all Republicans is as intellectually nuanced as one would expect from a freshman English major who was wasted at a frat party.
And I say that as someone who abhors the ideology of the Republican Party.
Prior comment should read “his” factual issues, not this.
I thought I was reading a rant until I read Sandra’s rant. I am not a Republican, but this is my country too.
I applaud this factual issues, but he should challenge the students to decide what is morally right and wrong.
JT:’What do you thing should be done in such a case?’
Absolutely nothing. First, colleges and universities are supposed to be bastions of diverse ideas.
Second, were he lying that would be one thing, but since he was telling the truth, there would be no basis for ‘punishment’.
Academic freedom?
What did any of his rant have to do with the class he was supposed to eb teaching?
I’m a Republican and my husband and I pay taxes all our taxes. We raised three children and none of them were ever in trouble with the law and they grew up in a not so rich neighborhood. I grew I in a not so rich neighborhood and went to school on a bus never owned my own car, worked a part time job when I was able to get my working permit. Had hard ass parents both worked hard for what we had even paying out of pocket for insulin for my brothers who have past one at 37 and one at 57 and I lost my mother when she was 59. I babysat when I was thirteen years old and made my own money . My father had lost his job at one point being in the National Guard after the war because he came down with diabetes at age 34. My mother had to take in ironing plus work to make ends meet it only made me stronger as a person. I am a Republican and so were my parents and my grandparents and we all worked hard key word today is worked!!! We never asked for anything not anything and we made out fine we couldn’t afford to go to college but we all made out fine. People need to have more understanding of each other and compromise on ideas and try to do there best. Well that is my story as a Republican so if you don’t like us for that reason live in another country!!!!
Sandra: Why do we have to go live in another country because we don’t like Republicans? YOU go live in another country. I’m a Democrat and a veteran. I’ve had a job since I was 14, and I’ve worked my behind off to support my family as the primary breadwinner. So what? People work hard on both sides of the aisle, despite FOX/GOP propaganda to the contrary. What is your point, assuming you have one?
Gene H.
Agreed.
His conduct was unbecoming and unprofessional.
“I would not support a termination of Penn who has made impressive contributions to his field and there is no allegation of retaliation against students or bias in grading.”
In this case its the first day of class, so how could there be retaliation? As to other years, isn’t reasonable to assume that (1) students tailor their work to avoid negative consequences; or (2) students drop the class or are aware that they should not sign up in the first place.